How to Choose Fashion Shoes

When putting together an outfit for any type of formal, business, or semi-formal occasion, never overlook the importance of selecting the right shoes for women. The truth is that the right footwear will make a suitable outfit into one that’s truly outstanding.

At the same time, you want more than looks. They also need to be comfortable. If you are asking “how do I choose comfortable shoes?” or “how do I find the right combination of comfort and style?” keep reading. These factors will ensure you make the right choice.

Start With the Reason for the Purchase

A good place to begin is to think about why you want to purchase new footwear in the first place. There are all sorts of reasons that are perfectly valid. Perhaps you want to purchase new shoes for women because:

You have a special event coming up and nothing in your current collection is quite right.

You are making some changes in your personal style and want to experiment with a different shoe design.

Some of your older pairs have seen better days and need to be replaced.

There’s no special reason; you just want a new pair of fashion shoes.

Once you identify the motivation, it’s easier to determine if there is anything in particular that must be considered as you look at different styles. In fact, using some sort of women’s shoe style guide that’s related to the kind of fashion footwear you have in mind will prove invaluable.

Consider the Time of Year

When do plan on wearing that new pair of shoes? The time of year will make a difference in terms of the style that you select. What works just fine for summer is not necessarily a good choice for the winter.

Perhaps the plan is to focus on shoes for women that you can wear during most of the year. That means finding something that’s appropriate for the spring, summer, and autumn. The good news is there are a number of fashionable styles that will easily carry you through each of those seasons. They will look great and also feel wonderful on your feet.

Even if you are looking for something to be worn during a particular season, it won’t be difficult. There are a number of designs that are crafted with specific types of weather in mind. The range of materials will also vary based on when you plan on wearing the shoes.

Your Personal Fashion Style

Don’t overlook the importance of your personal sense of style when it comes to selecting shoes for women. Ideally, your choice of footwear must provide a unified look with the rest of the outfit. That doesn’t necessarily mean they have to be the same colour, although that is one possibility. The more important factor is that they match the function and design of the attire that you choose for the day.

For example, you have a certain style of clothing you wear to work. The footwear that you select should work well with those outfits. This means if you work in an office with a conservative dress code, your footwear should be relatively free or ornamentation and appear to be a natural extension of the jacket, slacks, or dress that you choose to wear that day.

When the plan is to buy a pair of shoes for wearing to events that call for dressing up a bit, think about what will go with the more formal outfits you already own. Something that works with two or more of those outfits will certainly make it easy to take advantage of last-minute invitations to the opera, a new club opening, or some other occasion that calls for something other than casual clothing.

Through it all, draw on elements from your wardrobe to determine the best style for those new shoes. Doing so will ensure they are in line with your personal style and most likely end up being a versatile addition that you will enjoy.

Texture Matters

Do you think a lot about texture when it comes to selecting women’s shoes? In fact, it can be important in terms of creating the look that you want to project. Consider how the texture of the material used for the footwear can make a difference.

Maybe you want something that’s shiny and sleek. That certainly works well if you need footwear that’s right for a formal event. When the plan is to buy fashion shoes that you can wear to work, some type of leather that has a more discreet gloss would work better. In some cases, you may find that a nice pair of shoes made with a suede-like texture would work just fine. This is especially true if you plan on wearing something to work that’s made of wool rather than some type of blended fiber.

Texture can also help pull together what might seem to be disparate elements of the outfit. For example, the fact that the shoes are made of the same materials as your belt and perhaps the jacket gives the impression that you purchased all the pieces at one time. Even if the colours are not the same, the fact that the texture is identical helps to create the unified look that you seek.

The Colour – Up to the Minute or Timeless?

There’s another thing to consider about the colour of your new footwear. Without a doubt, there are certain colours that dominate the world of women’s dress shoes each season. Some of them are favourites that seamlessly remain popular from one season to the next. Others may be just fine for one season and then fade into obscurity.

You have a question to ask yourself before entering any women’s shoe stores in search of new footwear. Are you out to buy something that’s currently popular and may or may not remain so after the current season? Is the plan to invest in shoes that will work just as well this time next year and the year after that?

There are no wrong answers to these two questions. It’s perfectly fine to buy a pair of shoes in a colour that’s currently all the rage but will fall out of favour after a time. For now, they allow you to add a contemporary touch to some of your outfits. This is especially true if you purchase a few accessories that capture the same colour and texture.

It also makes sense to invest in footwear with a timeless look. Like the little black dress that most women have on hand and can easily dress up or down as the occasion requires, footwear that is considered classic is always a good buy. The right choice will allow you to always be ready to dress for any type of business or formal setting on a moment’s notice.

Your Proportions

Did you ever consider the fact that your body type would have anything to do with the kind of formal footwear for ladies you select? Women come in many different combinations of vertical body types. Your goal is to determine which shoe styles flatter your body type and allow you to project an appearance that helps you be the confident person that you are inside. Here are some examples to consider:

  • If you have what’s considered a balanced body – meaning your torso and legs are somewhat slim in and proportion – you do want to pay attention to the heel height. Higher heels will only accentuate the length of the legs and make you appear to be out of proportion. A lower heel would work best.
  • A combination of a longer torso and shorter legs mean looking for shoe designs that visually add length. You’ll find that higher heels and thicker soles will help create the illusion that you seek. A matching colour for the shoes, your hose and the hem of your dress or skirt also help to make the legs look longer.
  • If you have a shorter torso and longer legs, go with low heels or flats that help to balance things out visually. Thinner soles and shoes that are in a contrasting colour to your hose will also provide a visual break and help the legs to look more in proportion to the torso.

There are other tricks that can provide a more proportional look. Experiment with pointed toes versus square toe boxes, as well as thinking about open-toed versus closed toes. It won’t take long to see which design elements help you achieve the look that you desire.

Style: The Toe

Speaking of the toe, never assume that any particular design is off the table. Depending on the season, the setting, your body type, and your personal sense of style, certain toe designs will work best. The good news is that just about every toe style one could imagine is found in the worlds of women fashion shoes.

Along with considering whether a certain toe design helps to visually lengthen or shorten your legs, think about how they impact the impression that you want to make. For example, an open-toe shoe is beautiful, but it’s not necessarily considered the best option when attending a business function. By contrast, it works quite well at a social function like a party or a wedding reception.

Style: The Heel

Higher heels make your legs look longer and to some degree slim them a bit. Lower heels are wonderful when you want to shorten the legs and call more attention to your torso. In addition to the impact on your appearance, there’s something else to consider about the heel height. Only go with a height that feels right to you.

There’s no point in attempting to attend a social function wearing heels that seem determined to keep you off balance. You would do well to go with a lower heel and find it easier to float around the room, confident in your ability to move without fear of toppling over.

On the other hand, you may be adept at wearing shoes with higher heels. If you are able to move freely and those heels don’t pose any issues with maintaining your balance, then by all means go with a higher heel. The goal is to not sacrifice comfort and control for the sake of appearance alone. There are enough designs for fashion shoes for women that you should be able to find the perfect compromise.

Style: The Sole

Thicker soles to help to give your legs a longer appearance, but don’t forget they role they play in terms of practical function. If a thicker sole will help you move across certain types of flooring with greater ease, that’s great. When a thinner sole works just as well and you would prefer to call more attention to something other than the length of your legs, then go with the thinner design. There are all kinds of women’s shoes for formal wear featuring soles ranging from the very thin to the thick. Try each one and see what you think.

Pay Close Attention to the Fit

Do how do you know if a shoe fits properly? The shoe is snug without pinching your toes or the heel. The width is just right in terms of hugging the feet but does not seem to bind the sides. A good fit does leave a little room in the toe box so your toes don’t feel cramped while at the same time not allowing any room for slippage at all.

The shoe must feel almost like a glove on your foot. That means it’s comfortable, remains firmly in position and has enough cushioning and support for you to wear the shoes for hours. Perfect shoes for women may vary in style and colour, but the fit must always be perfect. When the fit is right, you will definitely know it.

Are you ready to find your next pair of fashion shoes for women? Start by checking out the many different designs offered online. Pay close attention to the dimensions and the design features. Think about how they would work with the wardrobe you have now or the new outfit you intend to buy. Above all, make sure they are something that will broaden the horizons of your present wardrobe and make it all the easier to always be perfectly dressed for the occasion. In less time than you thought possible, you will find one or more pair that need to be part of your collection.