The Shoes Every Woman Must Have

Essential women's shoes and where to get them. Must-have shoes and where to wear them. Everything from the classic black stiletto to flat comfy pumps.


It is common knowledge that a woman can never have too many pairs of shoes. The problem is knowing which ones to buy first. If you have these 10 essential shoes, I guarantee you'll never be short of footwear again.

Before I begin, there is one essential buy that every shoe-loving woman should know about: "foot pillows." Not those ridiculous gel pads that claim to save your feet from pain but actual cushions. Before I came across this discovery I had settled myself to fact the high heels are beautiful but deadly, now I know better. (Sold in Dorothy Perkins, Topshop, BHS, Miss Selfridge and others).

Little Black Stilettos

In addition to the perfect little black dress, you're going to need the perfect little black stilettos. If you are a master of the high-heeled shoe, I suggest you go for a nice six-inch heel; just because a shoe is black, doesn't mean it can't be fierce. However, if you can't handle the height, I beg you avoid the "kitten heel" (a look that has never been and will never be attractive on a woman) and try a two-and-a-half- to three-inch pair, which is not quite like walking on stilts and not quite as pointless as the one-inch heel.

If the shoe bank has large funds available then there is only one place to go for your perfect pair of LBS

If, however, the budget doesn't quite stretch that far, then have a look through the pages of ASOS - already well-known for its massive online range of clothes, however slightly overlooked in the shoe department. This is a mistake to say the least. With regular sales and thousands of shoes to choose from, I'd go as far as to say it's virtually impossible to leave unsatisfied.

Classy Grey Stiletto

Everyone's heard the importance of the little black shoe, and yet no one seems to have spread the word about the grey one. You see the beauty of the grey stiletto lies in the fact that it goes with just about anything (more so, in fact, than the black shoe).

A tip for heel-loving women: buying shoes with a platform underneath make the slant of the heel less dramatic. This makes the shoes more comfortable and easier to walk in.

Office Shoes is a shop where I regularly fall in love with beautiful shoes. However, you need a trained eye to be able to find them because they have a massive selection of shoes, and while these include some of the sexiest stilettos I've ever seen, they also sell some of the ugliest.

Wedges

Sometimes work dictates that you need to look smart, but your feet are begging for a little comfort. Wedges are a good way around this. They tend to be comfortable and easy to walk in, and the height of the heel doesn't matter all that much, which means shorter girls like myself can get away with a five-inch wedge without looking like we're dressed for a night out, while taller women can wear a much smaller and probably more comfortable wedge.

New Look has a cheap and cheerful range of shoes for every occasion. However if long-lasting quality is what you're after then have a go at Net-A-Porter - 350 pounds worth of wedges tend to mean £350 worth of comfort.

Red Shoes

I don't know about you, but I tend to wear a lot of black. I am convinced black clothes make me look about 10% thinner so I stick with what works for me. Any girl who knows a little about style will know that a red pair of shoes and a red clutch bag can save your look from ultimate drabness. Not to mention that at any given wedding, work party, or birthday, at least four other people will also be wearing a black dress. So if you don some red shoes and accessories you can save yourself from looking just like everyone else.

Aldo Shoes is always a good place to buy shoes because they offer a variety of heel heights, patent and not patent styles, and many open-toe and closed-toe options. And let's face it: if nothing else, when it comes to shopping, a girl needs variety.

Open-toe heels are beautiful; however, I'd advise against them if you regularly find yourself too busy to paint your toenails. Nothing ruins a pair of beautiful shoes like unmanaged toe nails peaking through the front.

Semi Casual Pumps

The beauty of the casual pump is that you can buy them in almost every high street shop. Sure it's important that they look nice, but essentially what we are going for is comfort. There's nothing worse than pump-induced-blisters so make sure you try them on in the shop, have a walk around, and see if they rub. The softer the material, the more comfortable the shoe.

For beautiful and comfortable pumps have a look at Dune. As a regular customer I have rarely been disappointed. My bank balance, on the other hand, has been a little less satisfied with my Dune-inspired shoe sprees. The store offers lovely shoes, albeit a little over-priced. They seem to think that by upping their prices they can claim some sort of designer status, and quite frankly, it just doesn't work like that. This is my only gripe.

Converse

If, like me, you're not much of an athlete and your idea of exercise is a weekly Zumba class then the Converse shoe is perfect for you. It's kind of like a comfy all-round trainer that comes in a lot of pretty colours, and you can still make a lot of use out of it, even if, like me, you give up on working out altogether. After all, a pair of Converse with jeans and a jumper tend to make for a good weekend look.

Sparky Sandals

Every woman needs some pretty sandals. When summer time approaches, the heat swells your ankles so much that they can't fit into pumps, let alone stilettos, and you're worried you might have to wear your fluffy slippers to work.

Fear not. A nice pair of sandals will style up an outfit and tend to be cheaper than most other shoes. Don't knock it till you've tried it, my next shoe shop wonder is Dorothy Perkins. I've never been much of a fan of Dorothy clothing, but their selection of shoes is surprisingly nice and, dare I say it, affordable, which when it comes to shoe shopping, is a nice change.

The Ugg Boot

It has been my long-time belief that Uggs have been named as such because they are genuinely the ugg-liest shoe ever invented. That being said, wearing them feels like I'm walking on a little cloud. On that basis alone I would say they are worth every one of the £200 you have to spend on them. Not to mention the fact that even in -5 degrees Celcius weather conditions, your toes will feel toasty warm, even if the rest of you doesn't.

If you don't want to spend such an obscene amount of money on boots, then have a scour through the pages of eBay as they tend to have a bargain or two. However watch out for people selling fake Ugg boots and trying to pass them off as real ones. Make sure they will be delivered with all the certificates and in an Ugg box.

The Ankle Boot

This is a little more glamorous than the Ugg boot, and a good solution to cold feet on nights out. You can pick one preferably heeled, though that part is optional. You can wear them with leggings, tights, skinny jeans, and dresses for almost any occasion. The best part is that you can team them with a nice pair of fluffy socks underneath, which will also act as a cushion and be more comfortable than any other going out shoe.

For you more adventurous shoe buyers, go for a pair with studs, tassels, or faux fur. That way, instead of complementing your outfit, they'll make the outfit. In this case it has to be Kurt Geiger. And lastly don't forget to get yourself a -

Fluffy Pair of Slippers

Every stiletto-wearing, shoe-loving girl should give her feet a rest every now and then. They deserve it.