Key Item: Wedges

My favourite construction - the wedge!

Wedges have been the biggest area in a lot of shoe stores for a couple of seasons now.

Although I did still see a lot of platform espadrille wedges (they were looking so so old though!), the newness was really to me, evident in the smarter, net sole versions.

Covering both shoes and sandal commodities, wedges are big, big, big for Summer'12.

Chunky wedges at Steve Madden

Chinese Laundry window at Fashion Show Mall in Las Vegas

Patent bow wedges seen at Zara

Jessica Simpson espadrille wedge seen at Nordstrom

Plain slingback cork wedges seen at Nine West

Chunky platform wedges in the ALDO windows

Stud detail at Via Spiga

Sample bought from Michael Kors - with gorgeous angles to the wedge

Sample bought from Steve Madden in the raw edge new bold blue

Key Items: Courts

Summer'12 is going to be a lot smarter and cleaner in styling that the last few summer seasons we have been through. This trend did start with winter and will most surely carry through and have an effect on what is usually in this country, a more casual time of year. 

With this my feeling is that court shoes are going to be very strong. 

I still saw an abundance of platform courts - in closed and peep toes as well as slingback versions.

The newest area is really in the net sole iterations and this is going to get bigger and bigger as the season progresses!

Shoes by Stella McCartney

Courts seen at Nordstrom

Easy colour blocking seen at Macy's

Seen at Kenneth Cole

Steve Madden window in Las Vegas

From the Prada instore booklet

Peep Toe slingback platforms seen at Zara

Steel pin heels seems at Zara

Toe cap court seen in the Zara Soho store window

Some of my bought samples

Key Items: Boat Shoes

Boat shoes were also a big item!

Many shoe stores that them in at least 5 different colour and fabric iterations.

More for the casual spin on summer - but an item for sure....

Boat shoes as seen at ALDO

Steve Madden sample I bought

Vince Camuto sample I bought