Shoes

Chunky heeled sandals for summer 2014

 in General Fashion / Shoes / Trends  tagged sandals / street style trends / summer 2014 by

Summer 2014 is almost here, and that means we all need at least one pair of fabulous, thick heeled sandals for the hot weather season! Skinny heels can move aside this summer; chunky heels are all the rage for casual looks this season! Chunky heeled sandals float in and out of fashion, so if you have a pair from a past season hiding in storage, bring them out this summer! If not, here are a few things to look for when seeking out your perfect pair of thick, stacked heeled sandals this summer.

1) Look for a thick design. What does that mean? Look for chunky heels which offer a large piece of fabric holding your foot to the sole of the shoe. One thin strap at the ankle and one thin strap at the toes will look proportional to the chunky heel under your foot. Look for proportion and balance when shopping for a stacked heel. Think, “almost bootie” when looking for a chunky heeled sandal.

2) Don’t go too high. Chunky heels are heavier by nature, this can add a dimension to walking many Fashionistas are not used too. If the heel is 5″ tall, it might be too high and too heavy to walk in. Look for a 4″ heel or lower. In fact, 2″ heels are the current “IT” heel height when it comes to a chunky or stacked heel. Love that!

3) Look for a neutral. Since this is a new trend, you may not have a full, chunky heeled wardrobe in your closet. Rather than blowing your last paycheck on ten pairs of thick heeled sandals in every color of the rainbow, look for neutral hues which can carry you into fall. This heel is staying around, so if you start with neutrals this season, next season you can add a trendy color to your shoe closet! For now, stick with shades of tan, beige, grey or black.

4) This chunky heel is a great alternative to the bootie. Wear them with midi skirt, maxi skirts, jeans and shorts! You will love the stable base you have for standing and walking, plus they add a little “funk ” to your overall look. Love that!

To see how I have styled my favorite pair of SixtySeven chunky heeled sandals, click here, here and here.

I found a fwe fabulous pairs of chunky heeled sandals around the web. They are perfect to wear now and into the warm autumn months we enjoy here on the West Coast. Happy shopping, and stay fabulous 😉

High heel sandals for summer 2014

 in Shoes / Trends  tagged high heels / sandals / summer 2014 by

DSC_0155 DSC_0163

Photos: Mara Hoffman spring/summer 2014 runway at New York Fashion Week. by Cathy/Bay Area Fashionista 2014©

High heeled sandals for the summer 2014 season are hot! Unlike summer 2013, summer 2014 is giving Fashionistas everywhere flat soles (also referred to as “single soles”) and high design. Simple sandals with a high heel are simply not around this season!

As you can see in the photos above, high heel sandals were spotted on the runway with wrap-around ties used as both ankle straps and the structure of the shoe. (see the green, lace-up pair peeking out on the left in the top photo). My apologies for the photo quality. My seat was not that great!

High heel sandals for summer 2014 are being shown in varying styles with the two most popular silhouettes shown above. The hottest style this season is like the green pair above. Lace-up sandals are hotter than hot; and they are shown in both high heel and flat versions for the hot weather season. In addition to lace-up sandals, the ankle strap is hot for summer 2014 and it is being shown with one thick strap in front of the toes. Although there are many, many more high heel sandal styles on the market for the summer 2014 season, these are the two hottest styles being shown with thin heels.

Although thin heels are the most popular heel being shown with tie-up sandals, chunky heels and wedges can also be found on the market. Ankle straps being shown for summer 2014 can be found in both the tie up version as well as a single strap with a buckle.

For summer 2014, high heel sandals look amazing with cropped pants, midi skirts/dresses and boyfriend jeans. If you are looking for a heel to wear with shorts, look for a thick, stacked heel with a thicker body and no tie straps.

I found a few fabulous thin heeled, high heel sandals around the web and assembled them into the shopping widget below. I hope you love them! Happy shopping, and stay fabulous 😉

Flat sandals for summer 2014

 in Shoes / Trends  tagged birkenstocks / casual fashion / casual style / sandals / summer 2014 by

Product Details: Click on sandal above for information

Summer 2014 is almost here! This means every Fashionista everywhere will need a fabulous pair, or two, of flat sandals. 

Flat sandals are classic; and the perfect casual shoe for the hot summer months. In order to stay cool and fashionable, the perfect flat sandals for summer 2014 are a must! There are many trends for summer which can easily be incorporated into the seasons’ perfect flat sandals. 

For summer 2014, the hottest trends include fringe, ankle straps, gladiator, black/white color blocking, studded (yes studded flat sandals are still around, crazy right?!), slides, flip-flops, and of course Birkenstocks! Yes, I said Birkenstocks. In case you have not noticed, the 1970’s favorite comfort shoe has returned to the streets and is arguably the hottest sandal on the planet right now. 

Small tangent: Birkenstock’s have been around for longer than most of us reading this article have been alive. That being said, they have resurfaced as the years’ most popular sandal; even being referred to, at times, as hip! I will admit Birkenstock’s are incredibly comfortable and I did wear them in high school. (I get a pass for that. I grew up in Marin and was surrounded by hippies.) But, they are being touted as “high fashion” right now and designers everywhere have been scrambling to put their, inspired by Birkenstock, designs on the market. There are luxurious versions of the iconic comfort shoe from the hippie generation popping up in high-end price points and on luxury store shelves for summer. The “Me Generation” is scratching their heads, after all, the people wearing the shoes and designing the shoes are everything they stood up against in the 1960’s. But I digress. . .

Back to flat sandals for summer 2014! For everyone who is looking for regular flat sandals for the summer season, there are so many new styles and trends this year, that is can be daunting deciding which style to go for! If you plan to do a lot of walking this summer, ankle strap flat sandals will be perfect. (Birkenstock’s slip off your feet, they are not a walking shoe. In case you were wondering ;-)) For days when you plan to sit or lay by the pool, and you are interested in more of a shoe than plastic flip-flops, look for a brightly colored pair of flat slides. Other two hot styles this season, Gladiator and thong-style sandals, are great all-around shoes which will carry you through the summer months and keep your feet happy. 

Flat sandals for summer 2014 can be worn with any of the seasons’ hottest trends from the streets and the runways. Look to pair flat sandals with jeans (skinny or boyfriend), shorts, maxi skirts/dresses and skirts above the knee.

I found a few fabulous pairs of flat sandals for summer 2014 around the web and assembled them into the widget below. I hope you love them! Happy shopping, and stay fabulous 😉