Zara - Clogs and Boots

I have an addiction! and yes its Shoes, and more specifically an addiction with the clothing brand Zara. I have always loved the idea of affordable on trend fashion which not only has good quality but also great value of money. Zara always offers that and much more - eternal shoe satisfaction! Head over to the High Heels High Hopes youtube channel to see the clogs and boots I managed to bag myself!

My Office bargains and tips for shoe shopping in the sales

Head over to the High Heels High Hopes youtube chanel here to see the vlog I have posted showing you the huge shoe binge I went on last week in the Office sale oh and a few tips for shopping in the sales.

Esteban Cortazar

Fashion month is over, and it finished with a blast! With my eye on the shoes through out the shows I came across some extravagant beauties, but these Esteban Cortazar platforms caught my eye and stayed with me, which is why they have been crowned shoe of the week! I've always loved embellishment and especially on shoes to add that little bit of sparkle everyone needs to brighten up their day! The colour palette for the shoes matched the collection and completed the whole collection beautifully. I'll be the first person to admit that I hadn't heard of this designer before, so scrolling through all the shows really paid off as I wouldn't have found this gem of a designer. I'm totally mesmerised by these shiny sparkly numbers!

W - www.estebancortazar.com 

F - Esteban Cortazar  

I - @estebancortazarofficial

Shoe of the Week

Proenza Schouler

Sadly NYFW is over - boooooo! BUT this only means one thing...LONDON FASHION WEEK is finally here Woooohooo! Fashion week in London is always something I look forward to, its all the best things about fashion all summed up in one week. So it's only polite to say a warm farewell to New York by crowning their golden boys at Proenza Schouler as shoe of the week. The collection was everything and more, the footwear putting the icing on the cake. They're collections have grown from strength to strength with every new investor. Red, white and black were the chosen colours for this collection and this reflected elegantly in the footwear too. As mentioned in previous posts, there have been a number of shows with flats, kitten heels or thick heeled ballet pumps, so while I adore a high heel, these proenza shoes have completely won me over. Thick straps and sliders dominated the collection, but in the theme of strappy shoes (which are here to stay for another season) I have chosen this particular pair as shoe of the week for its versatility with other outfits - obviously because they're black. (I've officially fallen into the 'all black everything' trap).

W - www.proenzaschouler.com

F - Proenza Schouler

T - @proenzaschouler

I - @proenzaschouler

INCH 2

In the theme of bespoke shoe making in last Mondays post, this week I came across Inch2 a brand with an ethos that is all about handmade shoes with loads of charisma. Their style and branding is fab, they have a great eye for current trends which emanates in all of their designs. In hand making their shoes they have added an extra edge which separates them from other brands. It's a nice feeling knowing that every shoe has been uniquely worked on and not just come hot off the factory press. They have international delivery, making it all the more easier to get your hands on a pair. Waste no time - this is a brand to watch out for!

W - www.inch2.com

F - Inch 2 official

I - @inch2

Acrylic X Perspex X Jelly

However you like to call them - I call them plastic shoes, have taken the world by storm and won't be leaving your wardrobes any time soon. So with this in mind I thought I'd bring to your attention the mother of all shoes plastic - Melissa. You'll probably be thinking who? but you're most likely to think 'ohhhhhhhh' when I tell you that these shoe makers were the ones  behind the  collaboration with Vivienne Westwood in 2008 with her infamous rubber slingback and ballet pumps.  A Brasilian brand that has expanded world wide and that are set to have another great season since the heavily featured acrylics, bondage and perspex  in footwear and accessories in the February shows. They land some great collaborations and their campaigns are bright and fun. They have a great eye for knowing whats on trend and also seem to get away with using matt appearing rubber surfaces to create that extra edge. Go check them out while you can there are some great offers on at the moment that would be silly to miss!

www.shopmelissa.com

F - Melissa 

T - @shoesmelissa

I - @shoesmelissa

Silvia Fado

Since deciding to leave any possible career in architecture behind it has been rearing its head every so often just to let me know its here to stay and will forever be part of my academic history. Amazingly it has cropped up in the most interesting of areas - footwear. I have a major soft spot for designs and designers/architects that have dabbled in footwear and Silvia Fado is just that; hugely inspired by architecture and knitwear and passionate about footwear.

Fado's latest collection 'Kinetic Traces' looks at the way the body moves, along with fashion design and high performance sports footwear. With fashion footwear often pretty to look at but not so comfy to wear Fado is exploring the relationship between functional and high end fashion footwear. Her designs are fantastic and have some great elements that really make you want to look closer at the design. Fado graduated at London college of fashion so for all you budding footwear designers Fado is a great example of what you could accomplish following a career in footwear.

W - www.silviafado.com

F - Silvia Fado

I - @silviafado_shoes

Heel Protectors

With Ascot and the Wedding season well underway, these babies are just what you are looking for. I saw these heel protectors on a lady at a dear friends wedding i was at on the weekend and thought they were just genius! I hate when my heels sink into grass and its inevitable that if your at ascot of a wedding yout heels are bound to bear the brunt from being on the grass, either for photos or for placing your bets if you're at the races. The heel protectors are cheap and easy to source and the best thing is you'll never have to worry about ruining your heels ever again. They are available in clear and black, (personally the clear plastic works best as it goes with everything) and indifferent sizes to go over different sized heels. There are a number of brands that you can buy them from but eBay has a great selection. You'll either love them or hate them, but for (on average) £2 you can afford to try them and make the decision for yourself!

Shoe of the Week

Etro Sandals

From Etro's 2013 collection I still haven't gotten over these beauts! Though they're a statement for any outfit they are also extremely classic for the summer. Leather weaving, with a slight gladiator feel will always stay in fashion as summer sandals. I have chosen this particular colour way for shoe of the week just for the bold contrast between the black and white leather. Other colour ways that were available and just as amazing were a tan and white weave pair and also a dark biege and white weave - to check out the different colour ways these shoes are available in go to our High Heels High Hopes Pinterest account that I'm slowly developing!

W - www.etro.com

F - Etro Official

T - @etroofficial

I - @etro_official

One to Watch

Youngwon Kim

Youngwon Kim graduated with a MA and BA in footwear from the home of all the best emerging designers of the moment; Cordwainers. Designers Sophia Webster, Nicholas Kirkwood and Sophie Gittins have all hailed from the famous school and have set up their own labels and have been extremely successful. A listers from London to LA have been seen in many of their shoes and they're the hot designers to watch. 

Youngwon Kim graduated in 2013 and since has been working independently. In the same year Kim won the prestigious Vogue Talent award for the final collection and was also  a finalist in the accessories category. So a debut collection is pretty inevitable. Kim's final collection took the vogue talent competition by storm and its easy to see why,  the design and craftsmanship involved in the collection was not only innovative but functional, which can sometimes be rare when designs are deemed too conceptual. Kim's designs can be encompassed by 3 main concepts, 1) Interchangeable heels - Kim designed a locking system within the heel to allow different heel types to lock into the main body of the shoe. (I couldn't think of a better way to customise your own shoes!) 2) A new technique in the way the upper is formed - Kim layered leathers to form the area that cups your ankle in a pair of shoes in the collection. (Kim's process video can be viewed on the LCA website or here) 3) using acrylic blocks as the heels main material. The overall collection is  absolutely genius. Kim has designed a range of shoes that are completely functional and has opened up a whole new dialogue of conversation in terms of construction. 

Kim's recents efforts can be seen in Kay Kwok's London Collections Men and new brand Ground Zero. Both amazing brands with great footwear during fashion week. I genuinely can't wait to see what Kim has in store for us next.

SHOE OF THE WEEK

'WAYLAND'

There will always be a very special place in my heart for Reiss, 1) it was one of my dads favourite shops and it always reminds me of him and 2) during my uni days I used to work on Saturdays and Sundays in the flagship store on Barrett Street as a sales assistant. I know people often have terrible memories of pain staking hours spent on your feet all day Saturday and Sunday (usually made more of a struggle because of the heavy drinking the night before) but I genuinely enjoyed working there. Changing room duty was one of my particularly favourite jobs to do because it meant helping customers pick out clothes and most conveniently of all standing right next to the shoe and accessories section! The shoes were always so well designed and I always looked forward to new season stock. My work colleagues and I absolutely adored all the shoes and we would all discuss which ones we were going to buy with our next wage and they have brought that feeling back all over again with the 'Wayland'. It has ticked all the boxes for this seasons trends, I just adore them, the monochrome theme is still a trail blazer and I just love the organic pattern on the front. It's sure to jazz up any outfit - be it a casual day time ensemble or an elegant wedding event.

www.reiss.com

F - Reiss

T - @REISS

I - @reissfashion

New Brand Alert!

Nour Jensen

I came across Nour Jensen (a new luxury footwear brand) on instagram a couple days ago after seeing images from their launch event for their highly anticipated debut SS15 collection. Launching at the Level Shoe District in Dubai seemed most fitting because of how beautifully crafted their shoes and designs are.   By the looks of it the event seemed to be a great success and extremely well received - I'm pretty certain the next time I hear of Nour Jensen will be because their shoes  have been spotted on some huge A Listers on the red carpet. So why not take a look through my two favourite pairs from the collection. 

Alhambra

Lorraine

Level Shoe District Event

www.nourjensen.com 

F - Nour Jensen

T - @NourJensen 

I - @nourjensen

ONE CLIQUE

SHOES

Just when you thought shoes couldn't evolve anymore; in come One Clique Shoes. They have designed revolutionary high heels which consist of a collection of separates with tops and heels that click together. (I sense your interest pique! wait for it.....) Their exclusively patented 'Clique Latch' system (<<click on the link to see how it all works!) firmly locks both pieces in place, allowing you to change the heel, wedge and platform height, as and when, you please - I mean what could be more perfect?  My mind has done overtime in excitement just thinking about the possibilities! As a city girl, I'm always looking for ways to minimise the bulk in my handbag but still stay on trend with the right shoes, it always meant taking a change of shoes for the evenings where I wanted to bar hop with colleagues - One Clique give you the option to do this seamlessly and effortlessly. I can do nothing but commend this great concept, its creativity and innovation has actually left me mind blown with how simple and effective they have made this look. (though I'm sure there must have been blood sweat and tears shed during the whole concept's process) With One Clique you can choose from various seasonal trends, all at an affordable price. I've picked out my favourite combinations, be sure to check yours out! One Clique is definitely one to keep your eyes on - they're on to something massive!

 www.oneclique.com

F- OneClique

T- @OneCliqueShoes

I- @onecliqueshoes