Shoes
Your shoe fetish...wedge fetish...stiletto fetish...or whatever takes your fancy.....
Boots may be the winter fashion statement, but shoes take the spotlight in Spring and Summer. Shoes, glorious shoes! Stilettos, mules, ballerinas, flats, peep toes, teacher shoes, trainers - the range of footwear is vast and can express so much about yourself. There are shoes for every occasion, from the stiletto for the annual charity ball to sturdy walking boots for hiking on 
Snowdon mountain.
Buying shoes is like falling in love. It is spontaneous, irrational and addictive! For this reason, it is worth keeping a pot of money by your bed or in your bank account for the moment when you stumble upon a pair of shoes that you can't walk away from. Having said this, there are plenty of shoes at the lower end of the high street that are well made and fabulous. We are particularly enjoying New Look for their heels of many colours that mix and match well for Summer outfits. We recommend that you invest your money in flat ballet shoes that will cross over Spring and Summer as well as Autumn. A heeled ballet shoe is useful , particularly for those who work. The Summer wedge is indispensable and doesn't have to be costly but is worth every penny.
Choosing your shoe
Never, ever, never buy shoes that are too tight or pinch your toes. We have fallen prey to this practice by squeezing our 'Ugly Sister' tootsies into the glass slipper and ended up paying the price! It is worth knowing that if a nail gets bruised and infected, it may cost a pretty penny and nearly two years of damaged toe nails to rectify the situation. There are no shoes in the world that are worth this much agony. With this in mind, it is always best to try your shoes on when you feet are at their biggest. The end of the day is an ideal time.
When purchasing, have a good look inside the shoe. The inner and outer soles should be flexible enough to bend with the foot. It is best to wear gel supports at the back and front of flat shoes to support the arch of your foot.
As always, watch the hardware! Like bags, the hardware shouldn't overwhelm the shoe. If there are ribbons attached to the shoe, check for fraying. If in doubt and the shoes are a good price, insert your own better quality ribbon.
Check out Camilla Morton's advice in her book, How to Walk in High Heels. The chapter of the same title is packed with useful advice. The King of shoes himself, Manolo Blahnik, even offers up his own pearls of wisdom! So very Fur Coat!
What shoe?
Ballet Flats
Ballet shoes are a fabulous addition to any wardrobe and will give you lots of wear throughout three or four seasons. We would have recommended Primark for the ballet shoes but our research team have found that they have very little support and will often end up causing blisters or sore toes. Considering that the faithful ballet shoe will be walking more miles than other footwear in our wardrobe, it is worth spending a little more money to ensure comfort and foot support. You can never go wrong with a flash of animal print on your ballet shoes! Don't feel the need to match with a bag but just give a small nod to the animal print world and leave the rest to Bet Lynch. Great jeans and animal print shoes are a look that is difficult to beat.
Wedges
These shoes are divine for ladies with "cankles" (very wide ankles). You can have a lot of fun with these shoes. Wedges look sexy without even trying and so a little bit of money can go a long way. We decided not to divide wedges into Fur Coat and No Knickers because it is really hard for designs to go badly wrong anywhere. All we suggest is that you can afford to pay less for a natural fibre wedge, in cork, bamboo or Hessian. You will need to pay more for a patent, blatant wedge. A cheaper patent leather can look very tacky! Remember to have fun with nail varnish whilst wearing a wedge shoe.
Heels
Gosh, there are loads of fabulous heels out there at No Knickers or Fur Coat prices. We particularly love Dune at the moment. Heels can be of any design really. They are works of art. Just check out Georgina Goodman heels to see a shoe that is a work of art! Make sure that high heels have a platform to support your foot. Many a broken ankle has been caused by cheap shoes, a night out and a uneven pavement!
Camilla Morton again is a font of information on heels. In her book, How to Walk in High Heels
FCaNK Recommends
Fur Coat Ballet Shoes and Flats £75
- Opus shoes (020 7978 4240)
- French Connection - click on the picture to the left!
No Knickers Ballet Shoes and Flats £20+
- Kate Kanzier (fun and gorgeous and so cheap)
Fur Coat Wedges £65+
- Nine West and Kurt Geiger at Debenhams
- Boden
- My Wardrobe
- Opus (020 7978 4240)
No Knickers Wedges £ 15+
Fur Coat High Heels £70+
- Kurt Geiger
- Hobbs
- LK Bennett
- Jigsaw
- Opus shoes, Battersea (020 7978 4240)
No Knickers High Heels £35+
- Kate Kanzier watch out for manmade uppers
- Warehouse
- New Look
- Linzi Shoes
- Dune
- Miss Selfridge
- River Island
- M&S (Winter heels are generally better than Summer at M&S! )
- Cara Shoes
- BooHoo.com
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