There are so many shoe trends for the fall 2012 season, and many of them are modern takes on old classics. One of the fresh twists to a timeless shoe style, which is hot for fall, happens to be the ankle strap! Loathed by some due to the fact that ankle straps can shorten the look of one’s leg, the ankle strap is a classic shoe feature which can be found in many different forms over the years.

Ankle straps have faded in and out of fashion over the past several decades and have shown themselves in the forms of bow-ties, ribbons, buckle straps, single straps and double straps as well as large pieces of leather or fabric. For the fall 2012 season, the ankle strap is mainly found as a solid piece of leather, faux leather, patent or fabric. The strap is normally ultra-thin, although thicker “ankle cuffs” have also been spotted for fall; there is no medium size ankle strap for fall 2012.

The ankle straps shown on shoes this season offer a standard buckle free from embellishments and “bling.” The wider ankle straps or “ankle cuffs” offer an avant-garde vibe while the thinner ankle straps this season are flirty and lighthearted.

For those of us with short legs, the thinner ankle straps are more flattering than the thicker ones since ankle straps can shorten the look of the leg. Lighter colors are also more flattering for short or thick legs. If worn with dark tights, or another type of leg covering, dark colored ankle straps and thick ankle straps can easily be worn by a short leg since the color of the leg is tonal.

We found a few fabulous pairs of ankle strap shoes online and assembled them into the Polyvore set below. Hope you love them! Happy shopping, and stay fabulous