Sneakers

Warning! Warning! DO NOT leave your house without taking a good look at what your wearing on your feet. History has proclaimed some shoes “fashion disasters” and these should NEVER leave the house. We all know we are supposed to learn from past mistakes, so unless you have a really great excuse like “my house is on fire” DO NOT get caught wearing the following footwear.

Shoes trends which shouldn’t set one foot on the sidewalk (in no particular order of hideousness):

1. DR MARTENS WORN WITH EVERYTHING-in the late eighties and early nineties women wore these heavy combat style shoes with everything, including feminine dresses. The two looks simply don’t go together and thankfully have not made a come back.

2. SNEAKERS WITH HEELS-sneakers are worn for comfort, whereas heels are usually worn for sex appeal. Combining the two by simply taking the bottom half from one and sticking it to the other resulted in a fashion experiment gone wrong. Sketchers are noted for bringing out a shoe which literally looked like a sneaker with a high heel glued to the bottom.

Another look that isn’t so great is the platform sneaker. The Spice girls made these shoes popular in the late nineties, but these women have all restyled their look for a reason. Make sure you do the same. If you want a shoe that is comfortable, but still attractive stick to shoes that have blended these characteristics successfully like ballet flats.

3. SANDALS WORN WITH SOCKS-although not a shoe style on their own the sock and sandal look is definitely worth a mention. It inspires images of unfashionable elderly men with socks pulled up to their knees. Unless you work as a geisha then this is not a look you want to try.

4. CROCS-these rubber shoes with large open holes almost look like they belong in an alien movie. What’s worse is that they seem to be coming out with new even uglier styles. There’s the Croc which is lined with sheepskin and more recently Croc high heels. Unless you are cleaning the pool, gardening or lounging around the house then these shoes should not make an appearance.

Yes they might be comfortable, yes they allow your feet to breathe, but they are also hideously ugly and they aren’t as practical as you might imagine. In Japan they have issued a safety warning about this type of footwear. Many children have received injuries to their feet when their Crocs have gotten caught in the moving parts on escalators.

5. JELLY SHOES-unless you are less than nine years