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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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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Time’s running out to snag that perfect pair of holiday party shoes.  And we here at Shoeblog are firmly committed to helping you save time by avoiding the crowded stores and long lines.  So, here are two more suggestions of Taryn Rose shoes that will keep your tootsies stylish and comfortable.

First is the colorful and cheerful Dree ($465).

And the other is the Debutant ($495), which comes in sleek gunmetal patent leather or pretty gold foil leather.  Either of which is sure to make a splash at your gathering.

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Yes, we’ve been posting about boots for months already, but hey.  When you live in the Northeast, boots are the go-to footwear for a good chunk of the year, and today is no exception.  I decided to forego my ubiquitous Uggs this morning (I forewent them?) in favor of actual structured leather boots by Camper, which are comfy but not nearly as warm, and now my feet are hating me for it.So what am I doing, as I gaze outside at the mixture of hail, sleet, freezing rain, and snow that’s coming down out of the sky?  I’m looking up furry cozy warm-looking boots that retain enough femininity to put me in mind of Julie Christie’s Lara in the sleigh in Dr. Zhivago.I’m talking about luxurious things like this Giuseppe Zanotti buckled boot ($1,400)

and the Taryn Rose Douce rabbit fur boot ($842 on sale from $1,300)

and especially this gorgeous goat fur Sergio Rossi Chasa boot ($1,294).

These take the cake for me (although they’re also probably the least warm).  But look at the toggles.

LOVE!

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It’s official, with Thanksgiving behind us and Hanukah under way, the holiday season is in full swing. And that means holiday parties. Me, I’m already planning my holiday party outfit in my head. It’s not going to be used until New Year’s Eve, but that’s never stopped me before. And key to a good holiday party outfit? The shoes, of course! And personally, I like to think of holiday party season as a chance to wear metallic shoes that is rarely paralleled throughout the rest of the year.

I’ll probably be donning the Nana Wanida silver glitter flat that I bought last year, which is now a steal at Endless for only $26!! I’ve only worn them a few times, and this is a perfect chance to wear them again.

You want some other picks for excellent glammed up holiday party footwear?  Shoes.com has a ton of em.

I love the divalicious Sam Edelman Nova slingbacks ($100) that are mirrored and metallic and come in silver or copper. And the Sam Edelman leopard lining? Rrrrowr!

For break the bank gorgeousness, slip on these Christian Lacroix pumps ($615) that mix gold and silver with an oxidized finish and some funky funky heels.

For mod style and plenty o’ comfort (say, with a kicky black A-line minidress), slip on these silver Taryn Rose Bonus flats, which are now 40% off at Shoes.com ($237 instead of $395). Bonus, indeed!

If you want to go for the rock n roll classic, try this blue suede variation of Marc by Marc Jacobs pointy toe low heel. Yes it also comes in black, but how could you pass up a chance to own a purty pair of blue suede shoes. Plus, these are also 40% off, so they’re only $267 instead of $445.

And finally, one last present many might wish for, which comes in the form of this delicate gold Donna Karan sandal. No, it’s not on sale, which means its price tag is a gulp-inducing $525, but maybe if you’ve been a very good girl this year, Santa will take notice and leave you this pair under the tree. Just look, it’s as if the bow’s already tied on them and everything.

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