Comfortable low-wedge peep-toes in patents or metallic are so hotttt right now it makes me wanna throw my panties at them. You drive me wild with desire, low peep-toe wedges! Few things turn me on like well-designed, relatively well-priced, trendy, pretty shoes. Throw in some Nike Air technology and I’m hooked.

Ok, so this Cole Haan Air Elly OT ballet is not exactly the most original design, but OMG, it’s so practical and cute and comfy and coming in all sorts of fun colors, that–INSTANT LOVE! My favorite colors are the metallic pink and (are you surprised?) the yellow:

The can be found at Zappos for $189 (limited colors) or at ColeHaan.com for $185 (plus S+H). Oh, and while you’re there, check the matching patent wristlets–too cute!

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Prompted by a recent reader inquiry, I went over to Neiman Marcus’ Shoe Trend site, which I haven’t peeked at yet for this season. As per usual, I found plenty of tempting options. So, like any good blogger, I’m now here to spread the word.

Heel Detail

You may recognize a number of these from the runway shows, because they tend to go heavy on the dramatic flare. These Fendi cage heels walked the Great Wall of China and these Prada flowery sandals made an organic statement in Milan back in September. Now they can be yours for $690 and $790, respectively.

Metallics

Personally, I’m of the opinion that a metallic shoe is always a great way to spruce up an outfit. In any season. If you agree, you might want to snap up a pair right now, when there are so many options available. You can get your metallic fix in everything from a classic Kate Spade loafer to a pewter Donald J Pliner t-strap to a Valentino multi-tone platform.

Floral

What says spring more than floral-embellished shoes? Try a pair of cheerful Manolo Blahnik’s with the Marimekko patterns that we mentioned back here, or a pretty and understated Bettye Muller (whose designs we Shoebloggers always love), or–to be kinder on your tootsies–any color of these Costablanca suede thongs.

Woven

Here’s a trend we haven’t seen for a few years now, and I’m glad it’s back. Woven shoes have an earthy, organic sort of look that I always like for the warm weather months. What shoes are here to feel the natural inspiration? Well, there’s this Frye low wedge sandal (in a handful of pretty colors) and this Stella McCartney wedge (also note it covers you for the metallic and decorative heel trends, all in one fell swoop) and the Cole Haan Air Bria (in gold or silver and thereby also hitting the right metallic note), to name a few.

Gladiator Sandals

Nope, they’re not gone. They’ve been the ubiquitous trendy sandal for the past several years, but I’m not complaining. I always like a shoe that mixes elements. Refined and rough. Masculine and feminine. And the gladiator sandal does that, whether it’s a glamazon version by Stuart Weitzman, a buckled and studded strappy one by Claudia Ciuti, or a basic brown leather Dolce & Gabbana.

Safari

The final trend is the one you have to be most careful of. When you start getting anywhere near animal prints, you’ve got to be careful not too go too over the top. I’d recommend sticking with things that are a little more toned down like this Oscar de la Renta mini-wedge. Or get a safari-esque look by sidestepping animal prints in favor of wooden embellishments, like on this t-strap sandal by Shoesense’s guru, Robert Clergerie. Because, while I dearly love Taryn Rose shoes and all they stand for, their take on the safari style is WAY too much in my book.

So go, Shoeblog readers. Find your spring shoes armed with trend awareness. It’s a fine line between trendy for its own sake and trendy in a way that will last into future springs to come. But you can do it. You’re savvy people.

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Susan’s recent comment put me in mind to search out some of the best options for comfortable and supportive shoes for spring that don’t compromise on style, specifically flats with a bit of a wedge. Well, she asked, and I’m answering. Comfort and style is what we’re all about here at Shoeblog, after all. Here are some adorable and foot-soothing choices.

Aquatalia by Marvin K makes plenty of fun and supporting shoes that are often weather-proof, too. Check out the Wizzy in this pretty multi-tonal gold color. Metallics are in this spring. Jump on that trend with these business casual loafers.

I’ve talked about the Bazaar wedge from Natural Comfort before, and I still maintain that it’s a stylish and sleek shoe that will make your feet happy even at the end of the day.

The black is on sale for only $65 at heels.com and the teal and raspberry are still at Zappos.

If you feel like shelling out for a pair that are bound to bring style and support, and you don’t mind lifting up a bit more (only to 2″), then go for the Anyi Lu Soleil with its cute quilted wedge and Poron insole.

Or the sleek Anne from Nota Bene that I can tell you from personal experience is incredibly comfortable even at the end of a day of walking.

Looking to get your stylish support with a little less pull on the wallet? Try Aerosoles’ Printz Charming, which comes in a bunch of colors, including this pretty red and brown combo.

Or go trendily metallic with their Clean Slate in silver or gold.

There’s always Cole Haan’s line with Nike Air technology, which, this season, is offering the sleek and classically stylish Air Genie in black and ivory patent (ivory shown here) and this pretty brown metallic, too.

There are some options to get you started. Of course, spring has barely begun (at least, in my neck of the woods), and there are several glorious months ahead to find that Holy Grail of Footwear: the stylish and supportive shoe. They do exist!

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I was browsing the shoe stores these days and was dazed with the possibilities and styles, and it got me thinking: what if I had to rebuild my shoe wardrobe from scratch? What if I had nothing, absolutely nothing to wear, and I would be forced to order shoes from one place and one place only to save me from this disgrace? (In this fantasy of mine, I don’t have shoes but I have plenty of money left to buy whatever I want. Ahem. Work with me here.). So I decided to create this little mind experiment and rebuild my wardrobe from scratch using one shoe store at a time. I need to cover my bases–I need dress shoes, warm-weather shoes, casual shoes, dog-walking shoes, career shoes, evening shoes, sensible shoes. Right? Right.

The first obvious place is, of course, Zappos. Here’s what I would pick up there, for starters, for the spring-summer season:

1. A. Testoni Giancarla red patent loafers, $376.

2. Michael Kors Palm Springs yellow patent flats, $400.  

3. Sigerson Morrison gold kitten-heeled sandals, $443.

4. Sergio Rossi Origami kitten heel pumps, $500.

5. Helle Comfort Ollie wedge, $160.

6. Ecco Performance Yarrah, $104.

7. Marc Jacobs color-block flat sandals, $353.

8. Delman Crest-V bejeweled velvet flat, $354.

9. Kate Spade Juliette open-toe slingbacks, $274.

10. Cole Haan Air Gabi boat shoe, $158.

11. Taryn Rose Daelyn gunmetal metallic wedges, $495.

 12. Christian Lacroix bejeweled kitten heels, $717.

13. Adidas by Stella McCartney sport flats, $100.

14. Tapeet by Vicini silver and gold flats, $400.

15. Dolce & Gabbana floral canvas flats, $330.

16. Juicy Coutoure Lillian espadrilles, $230.

17. Giuseppe Zanotti Mirror Lilia open-toe flats, $454.

18. Paul Green ‘Soul’ in leopard, $237 (although, shame on you, Zappos: the same shoe is half off at Piperlime! I guess it would be a good time to call them on it and get that 10% off the lowest price you can find on the Internet, right?)

19. Paul Smith Laney floral espadrille, $178.

Mmmmm….I’m drunk with shoes right now… I think I’m going to lie down, or I’ll buy all of them right now! Wait, I won’t: the grand total for this “starter” wardrobe is (drum roll): $6263. Over six thousand dollars. I probably went all crazy in the Couture section of Zappos, but I couldn’t help myself!

Later this week I’ll explore more eye-candy at other stores, and what it would take to get a “starter” spring-summer shoe wardrobe there. Stay tuned!

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Hey folks.  If any of you are enamored of the Cole Haan G Series Keegan slip-on shoe the way I am, you’ll be pleased to know that it’s now on sale for $100 at Cole Haan’s site (down from the original $165).

I’m not nuts about the brown luggage color, but the stone/wine/gold combo with the varying textures is great as far as I’m concerned.  It’s like an old man golf shoe/bike shoe/sneaker all somehow rolled into one, and I love it.  Plus, for those of you (like me) who like to know these things ahead of time, the insoles are removable, so you could stick your own orthotics in this easy as pie.

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