High Street Shoe Essentials

Originally produced for Shoe Fanatic and published here.

Summer may be over, but any good shoe-enthusiast can keep a spring in their step with this season’s fabulous essentials for fashionable feet.

As the days begin to shorten and the air turns crisper than the leaves, we see the ‘80s inspired colour pop give way to ‘90s grunge and step into autumn accompanied by the usual abundance of rich hues; with dark maroons, mustard yellows, deep navies and burnt oranges dominating the footwear palate.

Velvet, suede, tweed and fur are all back in vogue and bang on trend for chilly weather, while brands from the catwalk to the High Street are positively dotty, as leopard becomes the animal print of choice for A/W 2011. So whether you’re stocking up for the party season, or planning Bonfire night, check out a few of my favourite High Street buys; these babies will keep your feet looking fab for all of this season’s biggest occasions. 

Patent leather, the to-die-for chain and fringe detailing makes these the perfect companion for your work-to-evening transition. Pretty with a pencil skirt, skinny jeans or a mini dress, with these on your toes you can rest in the knowledge that you’ll always put your best foot forwards.  


 

The ‘micro heel’ is set to go macro over the next few months, make sure you’re one foot ahead of the fashion elite with these beauties: suedette with metallic edging. Wear with a glitzy party dress and beautifully bare pins for wow-factor. 

  
Granny chic is back to stay (at least for the foreseeable future) and there’s no time like autumn to pile on the chunky knits. Accessorise an oversized, berry jumper and skinny jeans with these on-trend loafers. A neat twist on the traditional, the leopard print makes these fun, flirty flats an essential for this season. 

A chic and comfortable alternative to heels, wedges continue to make shoe fetishists drool. These gorgeous shoe boots are a double whammy and the perfect solution to the ‘new boots’ dilemma, with stand-out zip design and a ‘covet me’ crushed velvet-style look. Channel Fearne Cotton and wear with rock-chic metallics, band tees and wet-look leggings.     

Ok, so they might be more glam rock than glamour puss, but I couldn’t resist adding these to the list. Not only are Chelsea boots back on the scene, the platform heel and scrummy mulberry colour mean these are three-for-three on trend hits.