Knee high boots that sit just over the knee are again going to be seen as one of the seasons key footwear trends. And the Ugg boot that shows off the sheepskin and faux fur trend that has remained in a constant high demand will still be readily available, and widely worn by women of all ages. And for a fashion first…the must have shade of camel will be in. Court shoes with a round toe have made a huge come back, and lastly lace up pumps will be this autumn’s flat shoe must have.

Flat shoes always belong inside a woman’s suitcase, if they are worn correctly they can be both fun and stylish, and probably more so than heels. They also have the added comfort that heels lack. Great for your summer holiday!

So wherever you are going on your summer holidays, be sure to take at least two pairs with you. The first pair must have style, looks for flats with fashionable colours, beautiful materials and unusual textures to dress up your look for those evenings out. Buckles, gems and straps can make a simple pair of flats look fabulous and this seasons must have look is to add bows. When wearing flats on your holiday, it is always better to aim for a chic look rather than a quirky one.

Try to include in your holiday suitcase a pair of sensible, comfortable flat shoes that will go with any of the outfits you are taking with you. Pointed-toe flats will go with many different types of trouser, and ballet pumps and gladiator style flat shoes are also a good tip to take with you as they provide comfort and fashion at the same time.

Function

Flats can come with thin soles, sometimes thick rubber soles and even soles made of paper. They do generally cover the entire length of the bottom of your foot. Flats can be both athletic and fashionable, depending on which style you prefer.

Types

There are many kinds of flat shoes, ballets are unquestionably this season’s choice but don’t give a great deal of support to your foot or ankle, so they are best meant for short periods of time.

Effects

Flat shoes can have many effects on your feet, and the majority of them are positive, since flat shoes are easier on your feet than heels which put the ball of your foot and your toes under a great deal of unnecessary pressure causing a lot of pain. A top tip for wearing flats is; if the arches of your feet start to hurt due to a lack of support, then purchase an insert that will give you the cushioning needed.

Flat shoes are perfect for walking, but do be careful if you are wearing them for work, if your work requires lifting or heavy labour then ensure your flats have thick soles and preferably have steel toes. Also do not turn up for a job interview wearing heavy, clumpy boots, they will appear unprofessional with a ladies business attire, go for shoes with a closed toe, and with not too many garish colours.

Step one:

Look through your wardrobe, and try and make a decision over what style shoes and colour would suit you best. Are the mainly for casual or business? Do you like jewels, bright colours or more earthy tones? What are you going to be wearing them with?

Step two:

Work out what your need’s are and how much money you can spend. Often department stores and speciality shoe stores for people with larger feet tend to be more expensive, but the selection will be greater. Cheaper shoe stores tend to have less selection and less likely to have a sales person following you around.

Step three:

Always go out wearing the outfit you need the shoes for to ensure the style of shoe is right.

Step four:

Keep an eye out for neutrals. These should work with your entire wardrobe. Even if these neutrals have a metallic twist to help dress up an outfit.

Step five:

Try and consider shoes with a pattern, a floral print might seem like an unusual choice but in reality shoes like these can also act like a neutral.

Step six

If you are wearing a skirt, try on some ballet pumps or peep toe, but be aware of any detail that crosses over the top of your foot as this can shorten the look of your leg.

Step seven:

With trousers, try lace ups or loafer type shoe. These are great for a more business look, these also give support and comfort too.

Step eight:

For this summer try on some flat strappy sandals, as they look great with flowing skirts and shorts. If you are wearing them for work however, avoid backless shoes that with cause a clopping sound when you walk, you will get noticed for all the wrong reasons.

Step nine:

Always try on a pair of shoes before you buy them as typically one shoe is more likely to be more stretched with people trying them on, and keep in mind shoes that are tight in the store will be much more painful after a few hours of non-stop wear.

Step ten:

Spend more money on work shoes, especially if you are on your feet quite a bit throughout the day.

Listed are a few good tips to follow with shoes and jeans. If you get this right, you’ll be surprised at how different you will look.

Tip number one:

Whether you have decided to wear boots or shoes, always make sure the jeans fall to the bottom of your flat heel. If the jeans you wear are sitting mid way to your heels or above the flat of your shoe it will only make your legs look much shorter than they actually are.

Tip number two:

Ballerina flats are very fashionable this year, and many celebrities wear them. Skinny jeans work really well with these, that is, if you have the legs and feet for this. If you wearing skinny jeans you need to make sure that your feet are well proportioned with your legs, if your feet are big, skinny jeans will only make them look bigger. And if your legs aren’t right for skinny jeans then it’s better to go for a totally different style of jeans altogether.

Tip number three:

Boot cut jeans work really well with flats too, but they go even better with a pointed heel. This will create added length to make your legs look longer.

Tip number four:

For flared jeans try a Timberland or a Rockport style shoe, trainers or tennis shoes also look great.

Top tip number five:

Skinny jeans look great with knee high boots, they are a great accessory for spring or if the weather isn’t too great. And it doesn’t matter if your legs are short because the boot will add length to your legs.

Top tip number six:

Knee length jeans, capri’s or shorter jeans are styles that go with any flat shoe. But adding ornamentation to the flats such as beads, ties or straps are a must for this season if you are after a more glamorous look.

Top tip number seven:

Turn up jeans or shorter jeans have been in fashion for quite some time now, as we know they look great with flats but never ever wear these with ankle boots or boots that sit below the hem of jeans. It looks ridiculous.

Top tip number eight:

Think about your belt. If you have a gorgeous pair of shoes and the right fitted jeans then make sure you have the right belt that matches the same shade as the shoe you are wearing.

Top tip number nine:

Think about your handbag! Ensure your handbag matches your entire outfit, or bring’s out the best in each item if there are lots of varying colours.

Firstly, women should look for style feature when buying this particular type of shoe because most of them guarantee some degree of comfort. This is an opposite rule for high heels where the person wearing the shoes should focus on comfort as style is usually ensured. The style evaluation should be based on quality and texture of the materials used to manufacture the pair.

Nowadays flat shoes are often considered to be simple and less modish, it would be important for a woman to wear a very stylish outfit to compensate for that. Short skirts above the knee are perfect, whereas long skirts to the ankle can make the woman look quite plain. Trousers are great for flat shoes and they should have a good moderate length to them to avoid creating a bad illusion of slackness. Skinny jeans are an ideal match for boots but not all flats as this could make some parts of a body more emphasised that a woman would usually like disguised. Sharp-pointed flat shoes can go well with trousers with wider legs.

Here are a few helpful hints and tips to follow:

• Preferred shoe styles – it has been found that the most safe style of shoe when going for an interview are classic leather pumps with a flat heel, Mary Jane style shoes, and sophisticated sling back shoes are also a great choice. In an ideal world, leather shoes that fit you just right and are immaculate are the best. Strappy sandals and flip flops are to be avoided as they do not give the impression of being professional.

• Well-maintained shoes – it is essential that shoes look neat, tatty and worn out shoes are unacceptable.

• Embellishments – job interview shoes should be kept simple and free from heavy detail such as sequins, zips or studding.

• Colours – black is the preferred choice of colour when selecting shoes for a job interview, it should, however, gel with the colour of your clothes, so black shoes may not necessarily go with your brown dress. Apart from black, brown, tan or other neutral shades in darker shades are also a good look. Glittering colours are a massive no-no, and experts have found that you should avoid wearing light coloured shoes unless you’re in the nursing profession.

• Toe shape – open toed shoes are best avoided in a job interview. Many offices have a policy against wearing open toed shoes so it is always better to be on the safe side. A good shoe to wear is a round toe, pointed toe, or a square toe.

In a recent comparison study it showed that the strain force or the heavy load on arthritic knees while wearing training shoes with stability features, clogs, flip flops, going barefoot or flat walking shoes, the flat flexible shoes won hands down.

A study has shown that Arthritis of the knee is very common, and a highly major source of disability and to some people has impaired their quality of life. Shakoor is an associate professor of internal medicine at the Rush Medical college in Chicago. She and her team have evaluated a group of 31 people, with which there were 10 men, and 21 women – all who had knee arthritis, evaluating and monitoring their gait as they wore:

• Clogs
• A trainer with stability features that promises to minimise inward rolling of the foot
• Flip-flops
• Flat walking shoes

During the experiment Shakoor measured what is known as a knee adduction moment, so as you walk it measures the force put upon your knee.

Shakoor claimed that the flip flops, flat walking shoes and going barefoot were good, but the clogs and stability shoes were much better giving stability and reducing the risk of falling.

The history of flat shoes came from about the 16th century in Egypt. At that time flat shoes were the everyday shoe for both men and women. Of this nation however, many flat shoes’ decorations were also known to make the shoe more beautiful. In that era, to create a glamorous effect, the women would add grains of diamonds on their shoes. Shoes were used to distinguish people’s social status. The higher the rank of the person in the public view was, the longer the person wore that flat shoe. Common people were only permitted to wear shoes of 6-inches or less, however, the knights and nobles could wear flat shoes up to 18-inches long.

What make the flat shoes so special is their convenience and their multi-function character which can be worn in so many different places. They can be worn for hanging out with friends, going to work, going on holiday and shopping at the malls. You just need to simply use your imagination to mix and match with the clothes you have and the occasion you’re going to attend to, and of course your flat shoes.

For those gorgeous summer feet you must try to ensure that you have a pedicure, if you want to show off immaculate toes, unfortunately there is no other way. Whether you decide to paint your nails a bright colour or leave them au naturel, or a French manicure, your toe nails should always be perfect.

Flat shoes can look a touch casual, so if you’re trying to dress to impress compensate with a glamorous handbag or accessories. Chic silk and satin dresses work a treat.

Ensure you go for elegant, fine and possibly dainty sandals if you are worried about looking big-footed or clumpy. Avoid soles that are too thick and definitely stay away from big buckles and detailing. Minimalist and discreet are the way to go if you want to look girly.

Luckily flat shoes will go with just about anything, but do remember that you will not get that extra half an inch in them. Baggy jeans will naturally drown you out. One fashion disaster to stay clear from is flat shoes with knee-length dresses, which look as though they’re breaking up your leg. However, flat shoes do look fabulous with ankle length maxi dresses.

This seasons flat shoe fashion must haves are sassy, metallic designs, bejewelled with diamonds, decorated with a selection of beads and gems with all different kinds of colours. Some flats can be considered to be jewellery in their own way, so should you decide on ornate shoes, be careful not to go over the top on your accessories.