Unfortunately for us shoe-gazers, very few of the celebs at last night's Oscars were sporting enough to lift up their sweeping skirts and give us a good ogle at their footwear. One rare exception was Brit actress Carey Mulligan, whose dress was conveniently cut to show off her blocky Prada shoes, which as our sister site the OSO blog points out, look a bit like they're held on by bandages.
We were much more impressed by what Carey wore at the Independent Spirit Awards on Friday, however: she rocked up in Rupert Sanderson's very vampish 'Estelle' heels - a style we think would have gone down a storm with that Oscars dress. What was she thinking?
Estelle is available at Net-a-Porter, priced at £430
As summer approaches (just keep saying it, it'll come true eventually) the materials we see on shoes start to shift a little: wood, cork and wicker begin to replace winter's regulation leather and suede, and things start to lighten up a little. One feature we don't often see in footwear, however, is crochet.
See by Chloe have created a very 'Popeye chic' sandal here, with white crocheted panels edged by bright red piping and cord 'rigging' holding everything in place. The look is made all the more daring and eye-catching with the addition of a crimson heel: just the thing for your Atlantic cruise!
£255 at Farfetch
In a brand new street-style series, we bring you Shoe Tube: the capital's footwear fashion captured on the Underground! Each instalment features a pair of shoes or boots we spotted on our travels, and wanted to share with the readers of Shoewawa.
Today's Shoe Tube star is a French student on a day trip to London with her classmates. She bought these very shing Doc Marten boots "a Paris" (where else?). We want to congratulate her for her excellent choice of footwear, particularly when we know how hard it is to look smart while trekking around an unfamiliar city.
I'm a little bit in love with these stud-covered Mary Janes from Modcloth, and pondering the lunacy of having a pair delivered to the UK. There's something so cheeky and cute about them I can hardly resist - yet at the same time, they remind me a little of Prada's incredible 'Centurion' shoes.
The shoes also take in two of the season's key colours, and would be a faithful ally for many months to come. I'll be keeping an eye out for something similar on the British high street...
$102.99 at Modcloth
Celebs love their TOMS, and Alice in Wonderland actress Anne Hathaway was spotted earlier in the week sprinting around in a pair of TOMS which which stood out due to the brightly coloured patterned scrawled on to the canvas. Did she perhaps design them herself?
Of course, TOMS are not just shoes: they are shoes with a cause. Blake Mycoskie founded TOMS on a simple premise and with every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. Spread the shoe love!
If you'd like to join the TOMS gang from here in the UK, the brand new sping/summer 2010 collection has just landed at Schuh! Browse the collection here.
It never ceases to amaze me how few designers consider the importance of comfort in their styles, despite advances in technology that really should make the unwearable quite wearable. Don't they realise that however sexy and slinky their shoes look on the shelf, nobody will buy a second pair if they also destroy feet?
Finally, more major brands are beginning to wake up to the fact that today's women demand a little more comfort in their style, but it was particularly exciting to hear that such a big designer name as Kenneth Cole had taken on the challenge. The US shoe guru has come up with a range of sandals, heels and flats using brand new comfort technology incorporating memory foam and flax seed. He seems to have achieved the apparently impossible, and designed shoes that are seriously comfy, but really don't look it!
When I caught up with Kenneth in London yesterday, he told me that he intends his range to be 'the most comfortable shoe a woman can look good in'. He recognises the fact that our tastes are more practical and realistic than ever before, and wanted to design a collection that responds to that need. The collection has already had huge success in the states, and is available now at House of Fraser.
You heard it ladies: There's definitely no excuse for Uggs and Crocs now!
The range will be available online from Monday; prices start at £125 and go up to £190.
Counting down the hours until the weekend? Why not spend a little time checking out our favourite shoe blogs this week.
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