Footwear can give wardrobe a lift

Looking for a way to turn up the heat on your summer wardrobe?

Kick up your heels with the season’s assortment of shoes. With so many styles, colors and brands, shoes may be the easiest, most-affordable way to give your wardrobe a boost.

You can go fierce with gladiator styles or sweet with ballerina flats. Try sky-high heels or flats, or wedges and booties.

“It’s a great time to invest in shoes,” Nordstrom fashion director Gregg Andrews said. “You can’t go wrong with any of the styles that are out there.”

One of the season’s biggest standout trends is embellishment, from multi-straps and studs to faux gemstones and flowers.

“It’s about straps,” Andrews said. “Cage shoes, gladiators and anything with multi-straps, whether wide or small, engulf the foot this summer. There’s even draping on leather that gives the illusion of ruffles and rushing.”

According to the World Shoe Association, a national trade organization, gladiator sandals continue to be a universal trend, with many varieties to appeal to women of all ages.

Though women are still snapping up platform shoes, as well as wedges, Andrews recommends kitten heels, or “squat stilettos,” for women who don’t like wearing high heels.

“The kitten heels look chic because they are feminine without being so high,” Andrews said. “And they are dressier than wedges.”

Lucky magazine fashion editor Jacqueline Nassar welcomes the return of the clog.

But the most interesting summer style is the “shootie,” said Nassar. “It’s a shoe-boot hybrid. You can wear them with floral dresses to toughen up the look a bit.”

To extend the use of summer shoes beyond the season, Nassar suggests wearing ones that “aren’t so crazy” with ribbed socks or even tights come fall.

When it comes to shopping for summer shoes, Andrews encourages women to find shoes that fit their lifestyle.

“There’s nothing worse than seeing a woman teetering in a shoe she can’t walk in,” Andrews said. “So be realistic about what you can wear.”

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