Fashion Week recap: shoe trends

With fashion week all wrapped up in Paris, New York, Milan and more, it’s time for the fashion savvy to be on the look out for what’s new in the world of shoes.

The Spring/Summer Ready To Wear collections for 2012 brought us garments in vibrant colours, graphic prints and modern cuts. It was no different in the shoe department either, with sky-high heels, eye-catching patterns and bone breaking designs.

New York:

New York Spring/Summer Fashion Week 2012 brought us designers such as Donna Karan, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Zero + Maria Cornejo and a whirl wind more. Ankle straps were a common trend across many designers and shoes came in pastels, metalics and vibrant blues.

Betsey Johnson was one such designer that brought out the blue shoe in the form of a boot with crystals spread along them like sand.

Preen strayed away from the winter boot but brought out a shoe that covered all but the heel and toe and crept up the ankle.

Caroline Herrera painted the perfect picture of pain in her high-heeled wedge with a dash of green and transparent straps. Another big trend on the runway this season.

Vera Wang leant towards the space age with her ultra strappy stiletto, lending her colour palette to greys and whites and following in Herrera’s foot steps with straps in strange places.

Paris:

Paris Fashion Week saw artists such as Sonia Rykiel, Balmain, Jean-Paul Gaultier and more send their newest designs down the runway. Following in New York’s footsteps with bright colours and strappy stilettos, Paris also made their own mark on this season’s collections with a focus on the boot, extra embellishments and the dash of neutral colours such as white, tan and black.

Jean-Paul Gaultier created an ankle boot with a twist. A neutral beige covered in an intricate blue print, this boot has everything bar a sturdy heel. A design not uncommon among the artistic shoe designers, Gaultier’s boot conveniently places the heel under the ball of the foot, tapping into the wedge trend seen in New York.

Balenciaga also borrowed from the boot this season, presenting a cut out shoe with ankle flaps. Colour contrasts were created, mixing black straps with neutral and vibrant colours.

Balmain brought out embellished boots in black. The designers opted for a thick, sturdy heel with an eye-catching zip crawling up the back of the ankle.

Victor & Rolf was one of many designers who opted for bright colours. The designers also played around with the design of the shoe, pushing the heels further back and lengthening them for height.

Milan:

This fashion capital showcased the likes of Bottega Veneta, Versace, Missoni and many more. It is in Milan that perhaps the brightest of colours were brought out and the designs were at the most extreme.

Acne brought out a lower heel but followed the strappy trend and through in a neutral palette. It also went for an upsize on embellishment with giant tassles on the ankle strap.

Blumarine brought spring in with the common throw towards floral designs, however the concept was brought into 3D with floral arrangements decorating the shoe.

Bottega Venetta brought out the wedge and mixed it with a metallic ankle strap. The designers also leant themselves to a basic heel and kept their footwear simple and wearable.

Versace opted for the transparent platform with strappy detailing and studded embellishments. Height was a must in this collection and colours remained neutral.

Accessories designer Sergio Rossi showcased his latest collection in Milan and gives us some insight into his inspiration for the collection.

It’s time to be on the look out for all these trends in the coming seasons and stock up for the year to come!

Mel.