Taking a walk in ankle straps

Shoes are many women’s downfall – there is something so spectacular about wearing a beautiful piece of art on your foot. Why not own as many as possible? This season, ankle straps are the hottest trend to hit the shoe obsession. They add a sultry feel to any ensemble. The crème de la crème of shoe designers are crafting beautiful pieces this season. Jimmy Choo, a brand started by shoe designer Jimmy Choo and a fashion editor at Vogue magazine Tamara Mellon, created a stunning sleek black ankle pump. The open toe shoe features a gold and silver metallic enlarged flower with leaves. The suede black shoe features cutouts on the back of the heel, and the ankle strap is clasped by a gold buckle. Italian designer Giuseppe Zanotti, known for his more outward designs, created a stunning sky-high black peep toe pump. Contrary to the traditional buckle, the ankle strap is a wrap around gold snake – highlighting the fact that he not only hires shoe designers for his brand, but jewelry designers as well. International Italian brand Prada, famous for their leather designs, created an avantegarde jeweled colour block sandal this season. The shoe features a bright blue peep toe with matching blue crystals, a black mid-foot strap, and a heel reminiscent of the Ugandan flag: with thick black, red and yellow stripes. The heel is forest green with a blue tip. This fantasy-esque shoe is sure to get attention. Italian brand Gucci went with a stronger power piece: the brand’s black suede ankle strap bootie features multiple side straps and fridge above the peep toe cut out. The thin stiletto heel keeps it looking starkly feminine. And yet it was fashion label Fendi, also from Italy, that exhibited the classic seductive allure of the ankle strap. Fendi created a red leather sky-high stiletto. The thin red ankle strap is fastened by a silver buckle. The peep toe gives the vintage feel, while the back of the heel features interlaced hexagons giving it a modern touch. Celebrities all have dozens of ankle strap shoes in their wardrobes. Amongst the best – we love songstress Rihanna wearing ankle strap Azzedine pumps. She wore with the same designer’s burgundy short sleeve front plunge jumpsuit. She paired with a thick bone necklace and an oversized crocodile skin envelope clutch. The “it” girl of the season, Lupita Nyong’o, wore diagonal ankle strap pumps to a GQ event. The paired with a stylish powder pink shift dress and cut out bodice. Kim Kardashian, mama to the beautiful baby girl North, wore black ankle strap sandals. She paired with a boxy crop top with ornate design, and a midi-length bodycon skirt. The biggest danger with ankle strap shoes is that they can make you appear shorter. If you have shorter legs, choose an ankle strap shoe with a pointed toe to help balance. If you have wider calves, go for a thinner ankle strap. If you don’t like heels – ankle strap flats are also trending. So no matter your style, you have options! That’s the fashion scoop for this week. Got a thought? Trend? Style you hate? Send it my way. Rachel Breaux is an American living in Rwanda