Archive for the ‘Trends’ Category
Wooden-Heeled Wedges, Platforms, and Clog Sandals
Wooden-heeled shoes are very popular this season and come in many attractive styles. There is no better artist when that artist is Mother Nature. The natural beauty of the earthy wood grain paired with quality leather uppers on a beautifully designed shoe will add style and a timeless quality to your look.
Popular design features of wooden heeled shoes include beautiful sculpted and cutout wedges, clog-style studs and other hardware on sandals, sexy leather cutouts, and stunning shoe designs that will easily take you through Summer and into early Fall in style.
Such unique shoe designs that we are seeing this season often make it difficult to classify a shoe as a sandal, a wedge, or a clog. They resemble classic styles but have a completely modern spin. So, whether you shun the classic clog or love the throwback style, you’re sure to find a style that will suit your tastes!
As a follow up to our recent post on classic contemporary clogs, here are our top 10 picks for wooden heeled shoes that don’t exactly fit the classic clog design.
The alluring Elie Tahari Sage Clogs (shown below) are cage style sandals with a beautiful wooden heel and platform. Bold and stylish, these sandals will certainly stand out in a crowd!
Elie Tahari Sage Clog Sandals
Check out these utterly fabulous and sexy Frye Dara Honeycomb Slingback Sandals (shown below). It’s all in the details as you can see! I love the studs details on the leather upper and the woven leather that surrounds the wooden platform.
Frye Dara Slingback Sandals
So chic are these Jimmy Choo ‘Urban’ Sandals (shown below) with their rich suede leather and golden studs atop a gorgeous earthy wooden heel and platform.
Jimmy Choo Urban Sandals
You’ll be right on trend in these Clog Sandals from Marc by Marc Jacobs (shown below). I love the gorgeous leather and the tie front. The chunky heel and platform is well-balanced by the simple, yet flattering, 2 piece styling on the leather upper.
Marc by Marc Jacobs Clog Sandals
These edgy MIA Limited Edition ‘Adelphie’ Wedge Sandals (shown below) are styled with antiqued studs atop a sassy wooden wedge heel.
MIA Limited Edition Adelphie Wedge Sandals
The MICHAEL Michael Kors ‘Sycamore’ Wedge Sandals (shown below) are styled with wide leather straps are tunneled through the sculpted wooden heel of a chic platform sandal fitted with an adjustable buckle.
MICHAEL Michael Kors Sycamore Wedge Sandal
So unique and stylish are these Rachel Comey Badger Twist Platform Sandals (shown below). I love the lines on this sandal! The unique leather straps and ankle wrap on the upper and the earthy solid wood heel and platform just seem to come together perfectly. They are a bit pricey but the quality is superior and the style is timeless making this a worthy investment.
Rachel Comey Badger Twist Ankle Wrap Clog Sandals
These Ralph Lauren Collection Timila Sandals (shown below) have classic styling with studs and a braided leather rope around the ankle. The wooden, tapered high heel is offset by a generous platform for comfort, and the burnished leather upper are studded with gold.
Ralph Lauren Tamila Wooden Heeled Sandals
The See by Chloe Wodden Wedge Sandals (shown below) is without a doubt my favorite of this selection. I love the modern, yet earthy design of these shoes and they will easily take you from Summer into Fall.
See by Chloe Clog Wedge Sandals
These Stuart Weitzman Apron Clog Sandals (shown below) came out early this Spring and are great transition shoes for Fall. If you are having trouble finding your size in this popular sandals, check out this online retailer
.
Stuart Weitzman Apron Clog Sandals
Summer Sale at Jildor Shoes
It’s that time of year again. Time for the Jildor Shoes Semi-Annual Sale. You can find some absolutely amazing deals, up to 50% off on designer shoes! So don’t delay….check them out while the supplies and size availability is still good.
If you are not familiar with Jildor Shoes, then I recommend you check out their selection. They often carry designer shoe styles and brands that you can’t find at many of the major online shoe retailers, such as Zappos
or Endless
.
Check out their selection on sale by shoe designers, such as Chloe, Jeffrey Campbell, Donald J Pliner, Guiseppe Zanotti, and Stuart Weitzman….just to name a few!
Here are a just a few of the great deals that can be had right right now…
Stuart Weitzman Cage Roccia (162.50)
Jeffrey Campbell Karl ($87.50)
Giuseppe Zanotti E06098 Pump ($329)
Click here to see a larger selection of shoes on sale at Jildor!
Contemporary Clogs: Our Top 10 Picks
When clogs made their comeback on the fashion scene this season, there was a lot of resistance. Images of the Dutch wooden clog (also known as Klompen), the rubber garden clog, and the retro 70s clogs with wood platforms were conjured up before we even began to see some of the attractive contemporary styles that were just on the horizon. While some of the clogs of today have kept with the tradition of rustic and wooden appeal, many are styled with other trendy features such as leather-covered platforms, cork platforms, slingback straps, buckles, contrast stitching, and laser cutouts on leather.
We’ve noticed that many wooden platform sandals are sometimes being classified as clogs and it seems the definition of clog has been broadened a bit. So, where do we draw the line between clog and sandal. Arbitrarily, I guess! That said, we’ve decided to feature our picks for wooden platform sandals/clogs in a separate, upcoming post and keep this post limited to the classic, contemporary clog.
The contemporary clogs of today are fun, unexpected, classic, and comfortable to wear. And, with so many shoe designers putting their own spin on the classic clog, they are hard to resist. Here are our top 10 picks for clogs this season!
Charles David Women’s Ramble Clog
daniblack – Swiss (Espresso Waxy Calf) – Footwear
Diane Von Furstenberg Ode Clog
KORS Michael Kors Claudia Clog
As you can see, clogs have come a long way. They are much more polished and put-together for today’s fashion scene. And ‘love em’ or ‘hate em’, they are here to stay through the Fall/Winter season. Clogs are not the only retro 70′s style to come back, platforms made their debut during the 60′s and 70′s and since then they’ve been all the rage in recent years.
Orthaheel Tide Flip Flops
Flip flop sandals are an essential for Summer and, if you’re like me, you spend a lot of your time in them. They are easy to slip on and off during our active and busy Summer days and they look great whether we are wearing them with shorts, pants, a dress, or a swimsuit. Flip flops are without a doubt the most versatile Summer shoes in our closet.
Picking the right flip flop, however, is not a easy task. There are so many styles to choose from and most often we pick the style that we like the best without a thought to how they will feel on our feet. However, simple as they may be, a flip flop with good support and stability makes a big difference!
I recently received a pair of Tide Flip Flops from Orthaheel and have had a chance to wear them regularly for nearly 2 months and I must say these are the most comfortable flip flops I’ve ever owned! It’s not surprising as they were developed by a podiatrist and are endorsed by Dr. Andrew Weil. They are not the flimsy beach-type sandals that you will need to replace after a couple of months . They are substantial but also very lightweight at the same time.
When I first put on my Tide flip flops, there were 2 things I noticed immediately. The first is how comfortable the footbed was. It fit and supported my feet perfectly, providing stability underfoot. According to the Orthaheel website, the footbed also has a built in orthotic that helps prevent pronation. Pronation occurs when the foot rolls inwards and the arch of the foot flattens and it is a common and painful problem for many. The 2nd thing I noticed is how comfortable the toe post is. I’ve gotten thongs before where the toe post is so painful after only a few hours. Not the case with these sandals. I’ve worn them all day and have had no pain! The toe post is constructed of a soft woven material and is foam lined providing all day comfort.
Not only are they great for your feet, but they also look great too. The Tide flip flops have an upper made of woven/polyurethane and padded neoprene and they are available in some great colors for Summer (shown below). At only $54.99, the Tide Sandals are priced well and your feet will love them! And you will feel great wearing them all day!
Orthaheel also makes some other great styles of sandals that are worth checking out. I’ve got my eye on the Seatrek sandals. Shown below, they have an adjustable hook and loop strap and a shiny croco patterned upper.
Orthaheel sandals can be found in some select retail shoe stores but the most convenient way to get them is online directly from the Orthaheel website.
Click here to view all styles of the Orthaheel Sandals.
Stylish, Eco-Friendly Shoes
For Earth Day, I’d like to recognize some great shoe brands that have shown that you don’t have to sacrifice style if you want to wear shoes that are eco-friendly and socially-responsible. In the past, “eco-friendly” shoes have gotten a reputation of being plain and rather boring. Today, however, the growing awareness of the need for environmentally friendly footwear has also led to wider variety of designs and styles to choose from in recently years.
Here are just a few notable eco-friendly shoe brands that have impressive designs.
OlsenHaus
OlsenHaus is a 100% vegan shoe brand, which means they use no leather, fur, wool or silk. Shoe materials include ultra suede, organic cotton, canvas, nylon, velvet, linen, and cork. The use of these kinds of material contribute to far less pollution and, since they do not use leather, they utilize only a fraction of the energy it takes to process or tan leather. Their shoes are made in Central America where there factories are monitored for fair trade practices, fair wages and proper facilities. Visit their website for more information on their philosophy and practices for making eco-friendly shoes.
olsenHaus Berlin Mary Jane Pump
Cri de Couer
Certified carbon-neutral and cruelty-free, Cri de Coeur is changing the face of the fashion footwear market. Their shoes are made by hand as much as possible, and are uniquely crafted for durability using 100% vegan materials and sustainable processes. With each purchase, they sponsor a tree to be planted to help with reforestation efforts around the world. Cri de Coeur’s mission is to strive for ethical and sustainable practices in everything they do, without sacrificing style or wearability.
Cri de Coeur Stella Zip Sandal
Beyond Skin
Beyond Skin is an English ethical footwear label operating in an environmentally friendly manner that is non-exploitative to humans and animals. Cruelty- and sweatshop-free, Beyond Skin is produced in Spain, promoting ethically sound and energy-efficient working practices that prove fashion and ethics can go hand-in-hand. All packaging and promotional material is either recycled or from a sustainable source and printed using vegetable-based inks, and a percentage of Beyond Skin profits go to a selection of ethical charities. The collection encapsulates glamour and taste, while remaining true to the Beyond Skin philosophy which is to create gorgeous, ethical footwear for discerning style-led women.
Beyond Skin Marina Slingback Sandal
Beyond Skin San Jose Sandal
El Naturalista
The brand El Naturalista (The Naturalist) originates from La Roja, Spain- an area reknowned for their artisan shoemakers. They know their trade, their quality and how to strike a healthy balance between traditional and modern shoes. Their products are universal, adaptable, and nature-inspired.
El Naturalista Rana Thar Sandal
El Naturalista N402 Wedge Sandal
Lastly, I’d just like to mention one other brand- Naya- that I recently wrote about. Eco-friendly Naya shoes are the the latest line of shoes from the Brown Shoe company. Their collection offers a very affordable selection of eco-friendly footwear made with sustainable materials, nickel free buckles and chrome-free leather, ranging around $100-150.
