Articles

9 Hot Heel Boots for Winter

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:17:00 GMT

Winter … if you are anything like a friend of mine, the winter months are a time to keep your woolly hat with the earflaps and your ugg boots in the car … and damn what anyone thinks about your 'look', you're warm! Well, her true beauty shines through even from under ugg boots and Davy Crockett-style hats, but for most of us this sort of work uniform just isn’t an option. We make substitutions - thick tights for bare legs, scarves for necklaces, and high heeled boots for your strappy stilettos. Today we check out some hot pairs of high heeled boots for the colder months.

Sofia boots

These will go with just about anything you choose to wear them with, and are a definite favourite with denim. The layered leather look saves them from the depths of plainness, but they maintain a subtlety and easy coordination that not many boots have. A staple!

Moya purple

I defy any girl in the entire world to look at these boots and not fall completely in love! Even if nothing in your wardrobe goes with purple … once you see these shoes, you have a great excuse to go revamp your wardrobe completely. The Moya boots have quite an easy slope - a little gentler on your feet, legs and back.

Gaucho double strap boots

A very cute look! The little synthetic bow at the back saves these from looking too bondage-esque. They are 100% leather, and can be dressed up or down.

Leopard print black and white ankle boots

Woah! They almost hurt your eyes a little to look at on a screen - but in real life the brightness of that leopard print is mercifully toned down. We're loving these boots because they're sexy without looking like you've been on safari. Plus, they have a concealed platform, so you get heaps of height without the inordinate pain.

Cookie bootie

Do these designer shoes remind you of your primary school teachers? Well, they do have that one critical difference … a 4 inch heel! That heel really 'lifts' the shoes out of the realm of the schoolmarm and into a confident, poised and refined corporate goddess.

Vianna flexible sole boots

For those of you who dread winter because you hate to wear pants, but freeze in tights, the Vianna boots by Terra Plana are a must-have. These heels have memory foam flexible soles, so if you usually need orthotics or metatarsal cushions to comfortably wear your women's high heels, you may be able to skip with these boots!

Swedish Hasbeens

Sarah Jessica Parker was spotted on the set of Sex and the City wearing a pair of Hasbeen clogs, the classic style. The company also makes these awesome heeled boots - the colours are fabulous, and if you can reconcile that two-toned sole with the rest of your wardrobe, you'll be onto a winner!

Electronica love ankle boot

Sure, they definitely aren't for work - but their warmth will make standing in line to get into a club at 10pm much more bearable! You don't have to get the fluoro pink version … there is quite a range of colours of these gorgeous heeled boots.

No need to immediately grab your uggies without thinking this winter … there are plenty of gorgeous heeled boots about to keep you looking both fresh and feminine!

Favourite Shoe Ideas - Clear Shoe Storage Boxes

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:08:00 GMT

Does the picture look familiar? You don't need to have an Imelda Marcos-style collection to be in need of some good organisation for your shoes. Clear shoe storage boxes are a relatively recent invention - which is surprising, considering that the technology to create them and the need for a better system of organisation for your designer shoes has been around for many decades! Today we get the lowdown on clear shoe storage boxes and why they are one of the best ideas for high heel storage this century.

Shoe storage possibilities

You have several options for shoe storage, usually:

Keep your shoes paired and standing up on a shelf or the floor of your closet. Often simple space is an issue.
Keep some pairs in their original boxes, and keep the ones that you wear frequently out. You may find that some don't get worn for months, though.
Over-the-door or hanging storage units exist, with either pockets for your shoes, or wire loops. These are a good solution for some people, but can feel a little cluttered
Shoe racks. These are usually a good solution, but may not fit all of your shoes, and still leave them exposed to moths/dust/mould etc.

Clear shoe boxes for storage

We love clear shoe storage boxes because they overcome all of the challenges above. There are two types of clear high heel storage boxes:

Those that you open like a regular shoe box and store the shoes on their sides
Larger ones with an inbuilt 'drawer' where you can keep the shoes standing up and easily slide them out.

They have a huge range of benefits, too:

Once you've polished your shoes, they STAY polished!
Protection from dust, the occasional insect, mould and mildew
A very neat and easy way to keep your shoes organised

Top brands

Here are some of the top brands of clear shoe storage boxes:

Diva Emporium sells 10 packs of clear shoe storage boxes for $70. The boxes have a system to hold them together, so you don't have to worry about causing an avalanche while stacking them as high as you like.

Benjibox are one of the brands that make shoe boxes for your shoes to stand up in, with inner drawers that slide out. Be mindful that you can't fit as many of these larger boxes in a small space. They are around $50 for a 5 pack

Shoebby make stackable boxes in a variety of sizes, also with inner drawers.

Keep your eye out on the bargain websites like OO and DealsDirect - we've seen packs of 24 clear shoe boxes for around $40 at times. These are the lay-down style of clear shoe boxes, as your high heels would have come from the manufacturer.

Don't let your poor high heels waste away in the back of a dark closet, getting dustier and dirtier every week, developing mould in high humidity and (shudder) having insects run over them! Clear shoe storage boxes are one of the nicest gifts you can give your shoe collection.

Shoe Problems Solved: Small in the Toe, Big in the Back

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:01:00 GMT

Sometimes a pair of designer shoes seems to fit perfectly in the store, but as soon as you get them home they are rubbing and wobbling all over the place. Sometimes a change in foot sizing comes along with a significant weight loss or weight gain, and especially during pregnancy, it is common for the shape of your foot to change completely, permanently gaining you a half size. If amidst all of these ups and downs, you've found that your favourite stiletto high heels or platform high heels no longer fit properly and they are too big in the back, and too small in the front, we've got the solution.

The problem - small in the toe, big in the back

You'll know your shoes are too small in the front and too big in the back - it's not exactly a diagnosis that requires an expert. If wearing a particular pair of shoes makes your toes hurt and your heels wobble, read on.

The solution: Ball of foot cushions

Ball of foot cushion are also known as metatarsal pads. They can either be:

Attached to the shoe itself (usually with a very mild, reusable adhesive)
Loose inside the shoe, depending on the pressure of your foot to keep them in place
Inbuilt into a foot sleeve that you would slip over your foot before putting on your high heels.

The exact style that suits your high heels and your style of shoe-wearing will vary greatly - there just isn’t a way to tell you which will be best suited to your needs. However, in general:

If you necessarily do a lot of walking throughout the day, a full sleeve will be less prone to slippage
If you live in a hot or sweaty environment, you will need the mildly adhesive cushions at a minimum (preferably a sleeve)
If you have several pairs of shoes that don't fit well (for example, you've just lost a lot of weight), you may want to buy a very high quality pair of the removable inserts so you can change the shoes they are used in.

The solution: Full insole

You can buy full insoles for your designer shoes and stiletto high heels that can be trimmed without risk of fraying, and without leakage of the 'innards' of the insole. The insole will reduce the overall amount of room available in your shoe, and make the whole thing fit tighter. You could use both metatarsal cushions and full insoles if you still get wobble when you insert insoles.

The solution: Gel heel protectors

Many people are prone to getting heel blisters from their shoes, and the gel inserts that they use to protect their heels can also be used to take up some of the room in the backs of your shoes that are too large in the heel area. These are usually disposable items, but they can be left on you shoe until the adhesive starts to peel.

Price ranges of foot cushions and insoles

They are usually very cheap - much more worthwhile than buying a new pair of shoes, anyway! You can expect to pay less than $10 for a set of adhesive or removable cushions, and up to $15 for a set of foot sleeves.

A pair of shoes is never beyond redemption - keep watching this space as we solve more similar shoe problems for you!

8 Tips for Buying Comfortable Heels

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 09:49:00 GMT

We've all done it … fallen head-over-heels, hopelessly in love with a pair of high heel shoes, all the whole knowing that the two of you just were not meant to be! Seeing a gorgeous pair of heels feels like a pine intervention … but it can be ab enormous waste of money and a bitter disappointment if they are just too uncomfortable to wear. Today we give you a rundown on how to make sure you buy comfortable shoes. All you have to do is learn to ignore that gut instinct to go for the bad-boy high heels that look great, but will never treat you right!

Look for a lower slope

You don't have to completely forego all six inch heels to make sure you get a comfortable fit. Heels with a lower slope, that is a more obtuse angle from heel to toe, will be more comfortable to wear. This is one of the deciding factors in how often you'll be able to wear your heels comfortably.

Choose natural materials like leather

Comfort is also in the way your skin reacts to the materials. Kids' jelly sandals have been around for over thirty years, and parents keep buying them because they are so cheap … but kids just don't wear them. The material sticks to their skin and pulls at it, so your feet feel like they've been in the middle of a washing machine after half an hour of walking.

Synthetic high heels are often the same. They are oh-so-shiny … but oh-so-painful, too! Leather is much kinder on the foot, longer lasting, and breathable to make sure your feet don't get too sweaty.

Make sure the shoe fits before you wear it!

If the shoe fits, you know what to do with it. If it doesn’t fit, and you’re in a physical store, the next step should be pretty obvious as well! Either ask the attendant for a size up or down, or if the problem is more with shape than size, just put those beautiful shoes out of your mind. Shed a silent tear when you get home - but don't waste hundreds of dollars on them. Even if you buy your shoes online, if you do little more than try them on and walk up and down your hall, an online store should accept a return if they truly don't fit. To avoid the messing around, though, know your foot dimension in length and width, and check with online stores before buying that the basic dimensions are right.

Choose rounded or open toes

Pointy toes force your feet into a very unnatural position, and encourage corns and calluses to develop on your toes. If you choose open toes or rounded toes, your feet will have some wiggle and breathing room - much more comfortable.

Check for ball padding or add your own

Push on the ball of the foot area and see how much padding is included. Look for shoes with more padding here, and add your own extra padding at home in the form of either orthotics or simple gel pads. High heeled shoes always put extra pressure on the ball of your foot - most pads are completely invisible in most shoes, so do yourself the favour!

Look for thicker heels

Thicker heels mean that you have to pay less attention to balance, which means that your legs and back are under less stress. If leg and back pain is your main complaint from wearing designer shoes, look for thicker heels.

Choose wider shoes

Our feet spread out widthways when the heel is raised up. No matter how little we like to admit that our feet might be a bit wide, if you want to truly enjoy wearing your high heels, look for shoes with room acrossways as well as lengthways. If you’re buying shoes online, your foot width should be one of those numbers that are always at your mental disposal … like your credit card number!

Try wedges

Wedges make it so much easier to walk, just like thicker heels do. If you can’t avoid wearing heels, and you can’t avoid walking while you're wearing them, wedges could be your feet's saving grace.

Some of the most beautiful shoes ever created have been high heels. It's a pity to let all that chic go to waste in a box in your cupboard, because you can’t stand the pain of wearing them! Use these tips to have your cake, and eat it too.

Word on the Street - 8 Hot Toenail Polish/Heel Colour Combinations

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 09:45:00 GMT

The little tootises that lie underneath our awesome high heels are just as big a part of creating a hot look for a nightclub, a professional look for work, or a fun look for a casual weekend as the shoes themselves. That's why we look at foot care products as well as heels every so often - because corns, calluses and blisters are not part of your sex appeal! Today we check out how your toenail polish can complement your choice of designer shoes colour, with real examples.

Black on black

You would think that black toenail polish with black heels would create a glum, hate-the-world, gothic sort of look. Not so! All that black helps accent the crystal anklet especially well, and when teamed up with jeans it simply looks confident and well co-ordinated.

Red on red

This combinations says 'Get me a drink, put an awesome song on, and come let loose with me!'. Red on red is a definite party combination. Red high heels are so well suited to so many situations, but when you team them up with red polish you can't avoid looking like you’re off to a club! Check out how the heels are an orangey sort of red, and the toenail polish is a lot more cherry red - still looks great.

Silver and black

The photograph may well be hiding some very important shading details for both the heel and the toenail polish - but if you evaluate it at face value and see how the silver you can see in the photo works with the black that appears in the pic, you can see where it works well! The silver creates a very elegant, almost Egyptian sort of look … especially when teamed up with the toe ring.

Red on teal

It's almost impossible to look at these high heels out of the context of the photo … those Marlboro and ATM signs, and the long shot from the carpark, completely influence how you see the combination. If you can transport them to under the table of a chic café, or lounging against an overstuffed sofa at a trendy, very unique nightclub, you'll have the picture!

Red with brown/blue

Again, I know this picture is cheating a little! You can certainly find this beautiful style of shoe in heel rather than Havaiana form, though, and when you do, make sure this colour combination is first and foremost in your mind! No need to choose a different colour polish - just touch up your red from last weekend, and off she goes.

Nude on orange

With a strong coloured designer shoe like this one, you can only detract from the impact of the high heel itself by having coloured toenail polish. I'd go for the nude/French manicured style of toenail care with orange, purple, and green high heels.

Pink on white

What a sweet combination! Even the modernity of the toe rings can't detract from the fact that pink toenail and white high heels together look like some sort of candy floss concoction. It's critical that you match this sort of combination to the rest of your outfit well … I can't see this going with jeans!

Brown on brown

Anoth instance where matching your toenail polish to the shoes works beautifully … "That answer is correct. However, I also would have accepted 'Red on Brown', 'Nude on Brown', and 'Teal on Brown'"! Brown is a more versatile colour than most of us realise - don't be afraid to experiment with true leather coloured high heels.

Your high heels are much more than just the shoes … they're the feet, the outfit, and even the personality! Go with what you feel on any given day for the most fascinating looks.

Top 6 Orthotics Brands Reviewed

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 09:36:00 GMT

Orthotics are decidedly not glamorous. Do you know, though, that just about every female celebrity will wear them on a daily basis? When you're constantly expected to be dressed up, wearing the latest designer shoes and outfits, there is a definitely a price to your body. Orthotics are one way of minimizing the impact of an ultra-glam lifestyle, and should be worn in both your high heels and your runners. Today we check out some of the top brands of orthotics, and their features and benefits for high heel shoe lovers.

Footlogics Catwalk Insoles

These orthotic insoles are specifically designed to be worn in almost any designer shoe, from the gorgeous d'Orsay pumps that Carrie from Sex and the City loves, to the solid and sexy heel-boots of winter time. They are made of an antibacterial material and include metatarsal support, so you only need to pop one thing in your shoes ... not have an entire catalogue of podiatrist's tools in there!

Orthaheel Everyday Orthotics

These are at the upper end of the price range as far as non-custom fitted orthotics go. They have a much higher side and heel than the Footlogics catwalk orthotics, so will poke out the sides of many of your favourite heels and clash completely with your outfit! Keep these for your runners at the gym, or for your high heeled boots.

Podlink Orthotics

Podlink orthotics are made of a proprietary material - not EVA or polypropylene. Where Eva often compresses within a few months and polypropylene is said to be too hard, the Podlink orthotics exhibit the Goldilocks effect … just right! The material is a blend of flexene and polypropylene, and the insoles themselves are designed by highly experienced podiatrists. They are not quite as small as the Footlogics Catwalk model, but much more suitable for your kitten heels than the Orthaheel models are … plus they are guaranteed not to slip around in the shoe, which is always an issue with ultra-high heels.

Aspects of Feet Orthotics

These could never be considered fashion orthotics,, but they are a great choice for your weekend sneakers to complement your ordinary orthotics for your high heels. They have an 'advanced design energy return system [which] stores kinetic energy in the gait cycle and returns the extra power during push-off phase', according to the manufacturer. So it might be a little easier to get up at 6.30am and face your morning run…

Interpod Slimtech Orthotics

These are designed for all types of tight-fitting shoes to support your foot, while not cramping it. They are made of an anti-odour, anti-fungal and moisture wicking material, and have a hook in the heel which helps prevent slipping.

Formthotic Low Profile Dual Density Orthotics

These are half-length orthotics, so if you don't want garish bright blue and red things poking out the end of your open-toe heels (but can't stand the pain any longer!), these are a great solution. If there is limited room in your high heels, these dual density heat mouldable ones are the perfect solution. The heat mouldability makes them the next best thing to custom-made orthotics.

Orthotics do not sound glam … but neither is hobbling around, crippled by pain! Grab a couple of different pairs for different situations, and you can truly enjoy your designer high heels again.

Top 7 Tips for Leg and Back Care for Heel-Lovers

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 09:30:00 GMT

From the time we start reading fashion magazines (usually late in primary school), we are taught that beauty has a 'price'. To be fair, our mothers are diligently trying to teach us that 'beauty comes from within' ... but we persist in listening more to the authors of teen magazines than our parents, of course! When we grow up, we tend to accept that the price of looking awesome in a hot pair of high heels is a horrible backache at the end of the night and having a limp for the rest of the weekend. It doesn't have to be so! Today we look at how heel lovers can indulge their passion, but still care for their bodies.

Keep heel wear to a minimum

Unfortunately, this is an essential tip … there's no technique to get around the fact that our bodies aren't designed to wear high heeled shoes. Wear flats to work (who cares what you look like in front of the boss?), and save your ultra-hot heels for the weekends.

Use heavily padded insoles

These are mostly for preventing pain in the bottom of the foot that you'll inevitably experience when you wear 6 inch or higher heels. The physical padding in your metatarsal area can not only help with foot pain, though, but back and leg pain. You'll subconsciously shift your weight to very strange angles when your feet start hurting, and that can really kill your spine. The bigger the better, when it comes to padding.

Ensure your shoes fit properly

This is always a given when you are buying shoes, but is even more important for that delicious pair of 7-inch red high heels! You can still buy high heels online - simply measure your foot in length and width (while you are standing up straight), and ask for the dimensions of the shoe that you are buying from an online store. You need a snug fit to stop your foot from sliding around in the high heeled shoe and causing even more pain.

Alternate your heel heights from day to day

Switching from a three-inch heel to a five-inch heel to a six-inch heel from day to day can ensure that you don't consistently stress the same parts of your feet, legs and back. You can wear designer high heels more often than you might otherwise expect if you just use this little trick!

Choose thicker heels

Having a wedge heel or simply a chunkier-style heel on your designer shoes means that you don't have to place your foot as precisely when you are walking, and you therefore have a greater range of motion. It also distributes the weight more evenly over your foot, and reduces heel pain. Your balance will be better, and therefore your back will feel fresher at the end of the day.

Choose heels with a lower slope

If you wear a size 5 shoe, a six-inch heel is going to have a lot more impact on your relatively short foot than it would on the much longer feet of a woman that wears size 9. Don't shop for designer shoes on heel height alone - you also need to look at the 'slope' of the heel from front to back. This will help relieve pain in the ball of the foot as well as in the arch, and will definitely help referred pain in the legs and back.

Wear open-toed shoes occasionally

If you tend to get corns and calluses, wear open-toed shoes sometimes. This will allow air circulation as well as relieving the physical pressure on them. Make up for your heel habits by setting a uniform of fuzzy slipper-thongs for home wear!

We are so often told that we just shouldn’t wear high heel shoes … a little like Nancy Reagan telling us to 'Just Say No', when all you wanted was to know what beer tastes like! There are so many techniques that can help you enjoy your high heels without wrecking your body in the process … so you can delight in your shoes more often!

4 Reasons Why You Should Use Professional Shoe Repairs

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 09:23:00 GMT

In this age of the internet, when there is enough info to help you create a hydrogen-boosted car or build an entire kit home on the net, there is an awful temptation to just look up how to fix your broken high heels on the net, and give it a bash. However, some things work better on the DIY principle than others ... while professional shoe repairs may cost a little more than a home-job, ultimately they are far more worthwhile when it comes to the health and looks of your shoes. Here are the top 4 reasons why.

1. Leather needles are very specialized

Leather needles are far more specialised than simply a big fat sewing needle. A needle suitable to sew up a tear in the leather of your high heels will need to have an enormous chiselled head, with three surfaces and an extremely sharp point. You'll need a thimble appropriate to the needle to push it through, and specialised shoe repair thread which is waxes and colour-matched to your precise shade of leather. And you know what all that specialisation means … buying a leather needle is not just like whipping into the back aisle of Woolworths and grabbing a button repair kit.

2. If you stretch shoes by yourself, they may be irreparably damaged

The internet will tell you that you can do the same job as a professional shoe stretcher with nothing but a half-alcohol, half-water solution and a pair of athletic socks. The idea is a little counter-intuitive to me! Stretched leather cannot be unstretched, so unless you’re willing to risk a several-hundred dollar pair of shoes on a science experiment, leaving the stretching to a professional service is best.

3. You would need to buy items like eyelet setters, patches and various glues that make the process non cost-effective

Shoe repair is not simply in the skill, though, professional shops have a variety of tools and bulk-bought supplies that can either be very difficult to get as a consumer, much less cost-effective than at the shop, and possibly only useful for a single repair. Items like eyelet setters might only be used once in your lifetime; patches and glues and shoe thread are much more cost effective when bought wholesale, of course.

4. If you mis-identify the material a shoe is made of, you may use the wrong product and cause irreparable damage

The glues and surface preparers that are used in many shoe repairs are designed specifically to work with a single material … we all know how finicky suede can be, for example, and just about every other shoe care product on the market will not work with suede. That said, there are quite a few different types of leather and other materials that shoes can be made of, and your shoes won’t always be marked. If you use the wrong solution, you could burn, permanently stain, gunk up or otherwise make your high heel shoes generally unattractive.

There are repairs some repairs for high heels that can be done at home (for example, smoothing over scratches or re-gluing part of the sole on), but in general if you would like to keep your handmade high heels looking as good as the day you bought them, they will need professional treatment!

How to Polish Your Shoes Thoroughly

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 09:20:00 GMT

We have polished our shoes before ... from the time that Mum and Dad finally decided that we should polish our own school shoes if we were going to jump in muddy puddles, to first job interviews and hot cocktail parties. Having polished shoes is an essential part of having a polished overall appearance, but more importantly, it helps ensure your shoes stay in good condition for their entire wearable life. Today we look at how to properly polish leather women's high heels, from buying the polish and equipment, to storing your shoes afterwards.

1. Buy the correct polish

Liquid polish is recommended for most high heels and leather shoes in general. Solid polish is a more traditional material, but it tends to crack and dry out after a while, creating quite a bit of waste unless you have a whole family of leather shoe-wearers to polish for.

2. Clean shoe

Clean your shoe to remove dirt and dust. If you can run it under warm water without getting any water on the inside (which may encourage mould growth), then do so - this helps soften the leather and prepare it for being polished. Otherwise simply use a cloth and water to get he dust and grime off your shoe.

3. Use a brush

We recommend using a soft lint-free cloth, or a brush with very tightly packed bristles to polish your high heels. A brush is often more useful for shoes that have a lot of fine detailing and stitching - it gets into places that your fingers cannot.

4. Polish with one finger, the cloth only or the brush

Apply a tiny bit of polish to the shoe - use enough to shine an area half the size of your palm at once.

If you are polishing with a cloth, you can use either the 'magic finger' technique, where you use a single finger to polish the entire shoe, or the 'cloth only' technique, where you hold both edges of the cloth and pull it back and forth across the surface. If you're using a cloth, you'll probably find that a combination of the two is most useful for the entire shoe. If you’re using a brush, simply apply and scrub away! Don't push too hard, to avoid scratching your high heel shoes.

5. Leave to absorb

Once you have covered the entire shoe in polish, leave the shoe in the sun, or a safe distance from the heater, to help the polish be absorbed into the surface of the shoe. You'll only need to leave it for 2-3 minutes. The polish will melt and be better absorbed into the shoe.

6. Wet shoe

Stuff the shoe full of rags or tissue paper (to keep the interior dry), and spray it with an atomizer. Polish the shoe dry with the same brush or cloth that you used before.

7. Polish again

Repeat steps 4, 5 and 6 until you've got a good level of shine on your high heel. With experience, you'll begin to realise that you get abetter shine by applying only a thin layer of polish to start with, and repeating over and over again, rather than adding a single thick coat of polish. When you can see the reflection of your face in your shoes (in a brightly lit room), they're pretty well polished!

8. Leave to dry

Leave your shoes to dry, preferably in the box that you store them in to help keep dust away from the surface. If, once your high heel shoes have dried you notice any areas that the polish wasn't quite even, you can fix them by misting a couple of breaths on the shoe, and rubbing across the smudgy areas with pantyhose.

Caring for your high heels is an essential part of owning them … and since you can only wear so many pairs of shoes in the day, a great way to enjoy their beauty!

Top 5 Foot-Care Products for Heel Lovers

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:24:00 GMT

If you love high heels, you must love your feet. It takes a lot of TLC both to maintain your feet in a condition good enough to show them off in towering designer shoes, and to look after the potential damage that high heels can exact on your feet. Today we check out the top five products for high heel lovers, for both the skin and nails on your feet.

Baby Foot

Baby Foot's main ingredients are lactic acid, mallic acid, citric acid and salicylic acid - all quite common - but in combination, they have a startling effect on dry and cracked feet! If your feet have started looking a bit gargoyle-ish over winter, Baby Foot is a great treatment to get them in shape for the daintier high heels of summer again. You wear the gel and special plastic bag 'socks' for a couple of hours, then wash your feet thoroughly. The residue of the gel that remains on your foot is reactivated every time you have a shower, and the dead skin will start peeling within 5-7 days. You only need to do this treatment every 3-4 months - bonus!

Sportstek Blister Bands

Blister bands are great for breaking in a new pair of designer shoes. Sportstek blister bands help remove the ambivalence of those early days when you're hanging to get some wear time in on your new heels, but you know that you'll be paying for it at the end of the day. The Liquicell in the blister bands makes it possible to wear shoes when every step would otherwise be agony … and helps prevent the things forming in the first place!

Nui Coconut Foot Scrub

Nui foot scrub is tough on dead skin, but sooo deliciously rich and tropical smelling! Pop it on while you’re watching an old Elvis movie - you'll be instantly transported to those balmy beaches and Hawaiian palm tree groves. The Nui foot scrub contains an organic cleanser, an emulsifier (moisturizer), and scrub particles. They also have a peppermint and pumice product, for the ultimate in refreshment for your tootsies.

Toe Cuticle Care Balm

Dry cuticles often develop over winter, when your feet are constantly hidden in socks and shoes. The Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream not only smells delicious (and will probably inspire you to start baking … in your heels!), but does a great job of softening up dry cuticles so they can be pushed back with an orange stick. An essential step before you engage the next foot care product …

Pedicure kit

If you use the Baby Foot product and the Nui scrub, these products will be a great 'maintenance' type kit too keep you feet in shape for showing off your beautiful high heels. The kit includes lots of prep ingredients, like a softening soak, a scrub (which you can alternate with the Nui product), massage lotion, and revitalising spray. There are also toe separators and a foot file included. You'll need to provide your own polish, though!

Unless you plan to wear only boots for the rest of your life, taking care of your feet so you can show them off in designer high heels is a must-do activity. We love these products … but most of all we love how they make our high heels shoes look!

10 Hot Tights-and-Heels Combinations

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:13:00 GMT

Tights and heels - there was never a better partnership. Not many people outside of the frontiers of fashion would dare to wear designer shoes and socks together ... and while bare feet and heels are great sometimes, the weather usually factors into your comfort level by either making you freezing with no leg protection, or too sweaty. Today we're looking at some unusual, fascinating, fun, funky, and fashionable combinations of women's high heels and tights, in picture form.

I can't think of any better pairing to open the gallery with! These high heels and tights match perfectly, both in colour and in feel. Both have an Art Deco type feel - like fashion from the 20s, this is an ultra-feminine, very sexy combination yet very proper and professional combination. A killer combo for work!

We love the patterned tights on the right with these super-pointy toed high heels. The match up is simple and effective - it makes use of the designer shoes as the colour focus, rather than the tights - which would be the more usual way to do it. A great 'anyone can wear' combination.

What a strikingly futuristic look! Definitely one to save for the clubs ... the crushed velvet curtain in the background is a bit of a giveaway. Precise colour matching can be a very cool look with all different shades and hues.

Love the complementary usage of colour here. If your high heel shoes don’t quite match the colour of your clothes, it makes sense to separate them a little, like in this outfit.

Tights are a quick and easy way to impart an entirely different character onto a pair of 'old faithful' high heels. With this combination, the basic black is lifted far out of the realms of the corporate, the professional and the ordinary and becomes a symbol of vintage chic.

It's a classic combo - there just isn't too much you can do with silver heels! Nude stocking are the safest bet - you could also go for a futuristic look with pure black. The delicacy of these heels suits the barely-there nude stockings perfectly, though.

We've picked this combination as one of our favorites for two reasons. Firstly, because red on black is just such a classic and wonderful combination of colours. Secondly, because it gives rise to another beautiful, classic combination idea - black tights and red high heels! With the enormous heels on those designer shoes, though, I'm not surprised that the picture shows her lying down ...

It is rare that such a cute and unusual combination of high heels and tights can be incorporated into such an undemanding outfit! Let this give all of you a bit of food for thought - what high heels and tights do you have sitting in the back of your wardrobe waiting for a 'dressy' enough event to wear them to, that you could be making use of right now?

It's not just the tights and heels, it's the entire outfit, turning our ideas of layering upside down with very dark on the bottom, and very light on top. Works so beautifully, though!

This girl can do no wrong in tights and heels. Once again, though the combination of grey tights and black women's high heels is a little unremarkable, it is blended into such a stunning outfit, with touches of retro, femininity, and minimalism all intertwined.

Hopefully you are about to rush to your wardrobe to reassess your favorite high heels shoes - we know we did after checking out all these gorgeous pics!

The Best of Prada and Miu Miu

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 10:27:00 GMT

Best known as the designer label of choice for the devil (her) self, Prada was actually founded in the early 1900s by Mario Prada, an Italian designer. It is one of the oldest high heel shoe brands, and is currently headed up by the original founder's granddaughter, Miuccia Bianchi Prada who has a degree in political science in addition to some very creative ideas about shoemaking! The Prada label acquired (most famously) Helmut Lang in the recent past, as well as rival shoemaker Chruch and Co, and the label Jil Sander. Their style is eclectic - while high heel shoes from designers like Christian Louboutin and Manolo Blahnik are instantly recognizable for their well-defined lines and set styles, Prada is not so pigeonholed. Their shoe collection changes year to year - one of its most universal characteristics is a focus on the design of the heel as much as the design of the shoe ... as you'll see below! Miu Miu, the pet project of Miuccia, is more for everyday wear and oriented towards a younger market, and has made just as many gorgeous additions to the world of high heel shoes. Here we look at some that encapsulate the feel of the two lines.

These Prada high heels come from the spring 2008 collection, and whil they may not have met with instant applause and rapture, they are certainly a line that has gained an almost cult following, and a dedicated fan base. They were so popular when they were released that one store limited its customers to three pairs of these high heels every thirty days. This colour scheme is not the only one - there are several that have been reinvented over time.

Flowers and femininity are hallmarks of Prada high heel shoes - and as you can see on this pair, the venture into heel detail is not an isolated incident! These peep toe high heel shoes look quite conservative from the front, but deliciously different from the back. This particular pair was a favorite in the fashion world after its release, and found wide publicity.

Prada high heel shoe designers love to incorporate texturing into their designs, whether that comes in the form of a flower-bouquet heel, or a satin or suede base. Flowers remain a top motif for them throughout the year, not just in spring. These purple slingback heels represent one of the label's less creative, but better loved, styles.

These patent leather white high heels from Prada actually have a 3" lift on the heel ... lengthening those legs without the teeter factor, and also without making it obvious that you are resorting to high heels to increase your height! The tactic is one not often used in high heel shoe design, but was appreciated across the fashion world.

These patent leather Mary Jane style high heels are a Miu Miu offering - you can see why Miu Miu is billed more as everyday wear, as opposed to the very ornate and eclectic designs of Prada. Miu Miu are not as famous for their Mary Janes as Manolo Blahnik, but this recent foray into the style got plenty of kudos from fashionistas.

Even for all the glitter and sparkle factor, these are essentially a sleekly designed pair of Miu Miu high heels. They go for glam, sparkle and glitter - the younger market that Miu Miu aims for often wants their heels for parties. The high heel designers at Miu Miu love to use jewels, Swarovski crystals, glitter and satin, but manage to keep the designs within the realms of reality.

The Best of Manolo Blahnik

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 10:16:00 GMT

The most famous name in high heel shoe design, Manolo Blahnik, comes from Czech and Spanish ancestry and a childhood in the Canary Islands. So that's where the magic comes from! dHe is a household name, mostly thanks to the efforts of Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City, though he was a top-end designer in his own right well before the series started. He has his own stores all over the world (though not in the Canary Islands), and his current season high heels are carried in Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Barney's and Bloomingdales among others. His high heel shoe designs are ultra-feminine, with his Mary Janes that hark back to your carefree schoolyard days one of the most popular styles. Manolo Blahnik heels are lower than Louboutins and therefore much more comfortable; where Louboutin recently raised the maximum height (in response to customer demand) from seven inches to eight inches, Manolo Blahniks max out at a much comfier six inches. Here we look at his creative takes on the d'Orsay heel, summer sandals, 'heelless' heels and the humble Mary Jane.

The Manolo Blahnik Mary Jane doesn't quite have the innocence of the ones you used to wear to school, with its high heel and pointed toe. But they are consistently one of the most reported-on high heel shoes around the web - every time a new colour or texture comes out, it's the talk of the shoe community. This red patent leather snakeskin set were exclusive to a single store, and show off that classic Mary Jane shape beautifully.

The d'Orsay pump (high heel shoe) is characterized by a cutaway midsection profile, a rounded heel section and either an enclosed or peep toe front. This colour was part of the recent spring collection from the high heel shoe designer, and is a great example of his feminine, gentle, understated style.

Carrie Bradshaw has done more good for Manolo Blahnik's brand than his entire marketing team put together, it sometimes seems. These zebra high heel shoes were featured in Sex and the City, where they made quite a splash, and Melania Trump, current wife of Donald, wore them to the New York premiere of the Sex and the City movie also.

Manolo Blahnik described these blue silk high heel shoes as possibly 'the most famous in the world', when asked for comment on the pair he furnished Sarah Jessica Parker with for the Sex and the City movie. They are frequently referred to as 'those high heels', and despite their now iconic status, they weren't specially selected by the designer. Blahnik's high heel house sent 14 pairs over, and the Sex and the City team chose these.

This pair of Manolo Blahnik heelless high heels was given as a gift to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York by the shoe designer in 2006. They can stand up by themselves, but are not particularly comfortable to walk in!

This high heel sandal shape is the traditional one for Manolo Blahnik, as recognizable as a pair of Louboutins ... and just as expensive. This pretty pair are by no means a flagship design, but they do exhibit the Manolo sandal shape well. The strap around the heel rather than an open-back design makes walking a little more comfortable, while keeping to that standard d'Orsay shape.

The Best of Marc Jacobs

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 10:05:00 GMT

Perhaps one of the most famous graduates of Parsons's New School of Design, Marc Jacobs has some hefty sections on his curriculum vitae! As the head designer at Marc Jacobs, his own fashion house, and for the diffusion line 'Marc', this success hasn't gone unrecognized elsewhere in the fashion community. He is currently Creative Director at Louis Vuitton's fashion house also. He takes an interesting position about his high heel and fashion designs - where most designers overtly promote the idea that their line is about sexiness, sexual domination, and so forth, Jacobs dissents, saying: "What I prefer is that even if someone feels hedonistic, they don’t look it. Curiosity about sex is much more interesting to me than domination. ... My clothes are not hot. Never. Never.". Let's take a stroll through the hall of fame for a high heel designer that counts Victoria Beckham, Mischa Barton and Lady Gaga among his nearest and dearest customers.

It started as a little joke .... one of the most popular Marc Jacobs styles is the 'Mouse' flat. In a season in the not too distant past, Marc decided to have some fun with the design, as he often does. He added whiskers, little beady eyes andd folded ears to the Mouse flat, to create a very mousey-look. This style has been widely reported around the web, and must sell quite well because it has been reinvented several times. I think a high heel shoe would have been more appropriate, with the heel acting as the mousse tail ... but then again, I'm not Marc Jacobs!

A more traditional offering from Marc Jacobs - the conservative lines running from the heel to toe of these shoes belies the fun, idiosyncratic stars that adorn the front. These come in a range of different colours, and have been refined and reinvented throughout several seasons - the star high heel shoes simply will not go away. There is another huge star on the heel.

Go searching for a pair of Marc Jacobs high heels, and you will find the thirty different variants of this backwards heel design before you find anything more traditional - and actually suitable for everyday wear. As a high heel designer, Marc Jacobs is nothing if not inventive - he seems to shy away from the sameness of design that is found in ranges like Christian Louboutin's, even if he respects the designers themselves. This style made plenty of waves when it was launched, and continues to astonish those who have just encountered it.

Marc Jacobs has created a sizeable contingent of traditional designs ... even if his oddities, like Mouse detail flats, jelly gladiator sandals and backwards shoes usually get more press. These heeled boots have a sleek look that incorporates a little of the gladiator craze ... but not so much that they will date easily.

When we find his high heel shoe designs with just a tiny dose of the famous Jacobs creative flair, women everywhere swoon. It is this 'level' of Marc Jacobs design that attracts stars like Victoria Beckham and Mischa Barton. They incorporate that signature, higher line across the side of the foot, and make a big deal of your feet with colour and accessories.

The Best of Christian Louboutin

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:55:00 GMT

Mention the name in a room full of women, and a sigh both audible and palpable rushes over you. "Ah! Louboutins ...". Christian Louboutin loves high heels, and their effect on women's bodies, as much as women themselves do. He cites one of his main influences in the fashion world as the showgirls he would sneak out to see when he was twelve, fascinated by the effect of the ultra-high heels on their physique and the way the shoes themselves characterized the women's bodies. Today we are looking at some of the high heel shoe designs from Christian Louboutin that have made the largest and most lasting impact on the world of foot-fashion.

Louboutin Armadillos

The signature Louboutin red sole works beautifully with these heels to provide a bold base for the muted tones of the silk. The complete sideless look of the heels is a rare one for Louboutin high heels shoes, but creates an especially sexy aura.

This absolutely classic Louboutin peep-toe design could be any high heel shoe, in any country of the world ... simply because there have been so many imitators! Chrsitian Louboutin made the peep toe design a fashion statement - back in the days of his showgirl-spying youth, peep toes were for flirts and teases - they were much more risqué than they are today. Classic black patent leather, the peep toe paired with the peep-heel design, and a traditionally VERY high heel make these a staple in shoe closets around the world.

This style is called the Horatio slingback, and it has been gracing the halls of Louboutin high heel shoe collections for several seasons now. You can get it in an enormous variety of colours (although every one has a red sole, of course!). The patent leather used to make Horatio slingbacks is exceptionally soft - though they look particularly blister-inducing, they are actually quite kind to that sensitive foot skin.

Gladiator heels have been big in design for a while now. The versatility they have, and confidence they exude is not likely to be going anywhere soon. In this picture Heidi Klum is wearing (what is assumed to be) the most expensive pair of shoes at the 2009 Golden Globe Awards ceremony - Chrsitan Louboutin 123 Double Platform high heels with a price tag of over $1400. You can get the same style factor with far fewer dollars at high heel designers around the web, however!

These are new season Louboutin high heel shoes, but we believe they are set to become instant classics. The nude areas are actually filled with a fine lace, though they look like cutaways at first glace. We've noticed a fair few imitators online already - these high heels should persist for a few seasons yet. Of course, the ability of your credit card balance to handle such a purchase simply for a few seasons is another matter entirely - this is why Louboutins, like many designer high heels, have a large collection of classical styles and a smaller contingent of more offbeat or trendy models.