As we bid a final adieu to 2008, it’s appropriate to summarize the most notable shoes for this year.  In no particular order,

  • All Hail the Heel: Decorated heels proved to be a huge shoe trend in 2008 with heels that mesmerized our eyes and some that raised our eyebrows in sheer incredulity.  And judging by the Spring 2009 runway, we’ll continue to have interesting heels to look at in 2009.

  • Shoe of the Year: YSL’s successor to the Tribute, the Tribute Two,  was THE shoe to be seen in on the runway. Need further proof?  Red Carpet Fashion Awards shows you all the stars in the shoes, who were the early adopters of the shoes, and the late bloomers too.

  • Hello [Shoe] Lover: The long awaited release of the Sex and the City movie sparkled a quick shortage of the Dior Extreme Pumps and girls everywhere sighed a big “awwwh” at Carrie’s ‘Something Blue’ shoes from Manolo Blahnik.

  • Shoe Designer of the Year: Christian Louboutin’s red soles continued to dominate the red carpet and empty out women’s wallets everywhere with shoe prices that skyrocketed as tall as the heels themselves. Wisely, the signature red soles have now been copyrighted.

Christian Louboutin 5″ MultiBuckle Sandal; $1495 at Saks
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  • High Heel Celebrity of the Year:  Although Victoria Beckham knows how to rock in heels better than anyone, the celebrity high heel wearer of the year goes out to the Gwyneth Paltrow instead.  Gwyneth was credited for further sparking the skycraper heels in her stunningly tall stilletos during Iron Man promos.  From cute, sweet, and demure (remember her in the angelic pink Oscar dress?) to sexy vixen in short skirts, she surprised us all.