Stepping Out
20-08-2008
Whatever we call them, flat shoes are the street walkers best friend this season; they are comfortable, colourful and are sold absolutely everywhere!
Pavement pounding pumps prevailed as the most popular choice of footwear this week as I perused the streets of London – though, the ever present lace-up shoe proved to be a big sole survivor in at close second with the public.
Arrays of patterns were stamped all over these flats.
Flirty floral prints, concealing camouflages along with predatory animal prints; these shoes are available in many styles, all of which are perfect for display on the concrete slabs of this urban jungle.
Designer, Eley Kishimoto presented updated versions of the humble wardrobe staple by teaming colour and placement of accent lines and dots, with conceptual design.
Whist Jasper Conran and Paul Smith took advantage of the season, aptly designing sandals and outdoor slippers to cater for the growing interest in the popular "gladiator" style shoe.
However; the trend wouldn't be complete without a different stance on women's flat footwear and that came in the form of masculine shoe tailoring. The use of heavy-duty fasteners such as the leather-strapped buckle and inspired use of industrial thick-set materials provides a new-age approach to the feminine appeal of flat shoes.
Christopher Kane's mastery of this facet to design led to the creation of his metal toe capped shoes in the spring/summer 2008 ready to wear show.
Flat shoes; whether statement pieces or otherwise are a must have this season.
Team them with other growing trends like coloured tights and knee high socks which are causing huge footfalls in all stores.
Whatever you decide do this season, ensure that you hot foot it down to any market stall, highstreet store, or high-end retailer to get your pick of the flat out, best shoes.
Layla Robinson
