Which will you wear this Christmas?

As the end of November sneaks up on us, Christmas parties and nights out with the girls are on our minds. If you want some gorgeous shoes - quality, limited edition, amazing value - take a look at what Shoes Galore have on offer.

You can see me at the Cromwell House Hotel in Stevenage (Sun 22nd) or the Three Horseshoes in Norton (Thurs 26th). On 27th & 28th November, plus the 2nd December, I have private parties - so the chances are stocks are going to sell out quickly!

If you see something you like, better get in touch soon, or you will be disappointed.

Summertime Blues

Yesterday it was 30 degrees in North Hertfordshire. Today it is grey and drizzly. It isn't fair, is it?

Last week I was under canvas in Cornwall, and suffered the same extremes of weather - from swimming in the sea in the scorching sun to searching for indoor activities in the grey gloom. But you know what? We had fun anyway!

So I'm back to work, with a shoe sale party on Friday evening, the Little Luxuries Networking event on Monday and the Letchworth Little Luxuries Pamper Night next Thursday. There's still time for a sale party - it's another 3 weeks til my Autumn stock arrives, so grab a bargain while you can! If you have a late break in the sun booked, this is especially useful. And if you are already eying up the autumn style guides, then book a new season party now to make sure you don't miss out on the biggest range of sizes and colours. They sell out quickly!

New styles for June

Just ordered all these yummy shoes - all under £50!

In a lather - 2009 Soap Awards

The 2009 British Soap Awards. I admit, I'm not a soap fan and many of the "stars" could be next to me on the train and I would have no clue who they were. But as always, there are shoe lessons to be learned from a red carpet event, so I have been taking a close look at what was on show.


Top marks for colour creativity go to Samia Smith from Coronation Street. Her brave combining of aegian blue with lilac works because she is restrained with her accessories. She looks sophisticated and fresh, with a twist of individualty. Her lilac peep toes heels are a grown up choice without being boring. I like the twist detail at the front.

I'm a bit worried about Hollyoaks' Ashley Slanina-Davies. She looks like she could disappear at any moment. I know that some women are naturally very slim, and perhaps she is one of them (I have never watched Hollyoaks, this is the first time I have seen Ashley). She has a gorgeous face that her pixie crop is just right for. But I'm not convinced by the strapless dress. Maybe it is the position she has been photographed in, but I am not a fan of bones. The black shoes are very heavy in style and just serve to accentuate her petite frame. This may have been the idea, but I feel they are too much for her to carry off.

Another Hollyoaks person now. Hollie-Jay Bowes steps out of the wild west saloon for a night at the awards, in what can only be described as unflattering shoes. The black, the platform, the ankle strap - maybe on someone else, but I'm afraid they are not working here. Ankle straps can be very elegant, but if your ankles are anything less than delicate you should probably stay clear, unless you are wearing an ankle-skimming skirt or trousers. On Hollie-Jay they make her legs look short and chunky, which is a shame, as I don't think they really are.

Another person with the black shoe blues is Kym Marsh. I can't bring myself to comment on her dress, but here is a perfect lesson for all of you who believe that black shoes go with everything. They go with Kym's hair and her ankle tattoo - is that the kind of co-ordination we want? The style of the shoe definitely accentuates Kym's killer pins, but I can't understand why she chose black. Shades of blue, silver, gold, bgronze...so many options. Lack of confidence in combining colours can kill your outfit!

Kara Tointon from Eastenders went for complete co-ordination, with her dress, bag and shoes all in the same soft gold tone. The fluffy skirt is an interesting idea that is probably only an option on the red carpet (and I do think it gives her far bigger hips than she actually owns!), but the outfit works because the colours really do match. Her shoes seem to be scrunching her toes slightly at the peep toe, but that's just me looking for faults!




Now, it's time for Gladiator School. No, we're not picking up spears and shields, I just want to show you how to wear them - and how not to! They are still a big fashion trend this year and there were a few pairs in evidence at the awards. Let's look at how not to do it:
Saira Choudhrey from Hollyoaks looks every inch the star...until you get to her knees! I'm afraid a dress that finished below her knees would have flattered more, but look at those glads! She has them so tight that you can see the straps digging into her flesh. That is not a good look.

So here's someone who got it right: Zoe Lister, also from Hollyoaks, looks amazing in her fun and flirty yellow dress and glads that fit! Her legs appear to go on for ever, and this a look that mere mortals could carry off too! So Zoe wins the Shoe Lady Style Award for this event!

I've said it before, and it definitely bears repeating - you may not have the cash to splash or a personal stylist, but if you know a few simple tips you can look stylish and pulled together on a very small budget. Avoid some of the mistakes here and try something new - because the Shoe Lady knows you're going to look amazing!

Red carpet style for everyone!

When you have a special occasion, you want to make an great impression, right? And we know that the devil is in the detail - a knockout dress needs the right accessories. You and I may have a budget to stick to, but for celebs on the red carpet, this goes out of the window - many outfits are borrowed. So how did they do at the BAFTAs this year?


Here's Michelle Collins, looking amazing for her age (I'm around that age, I'm allowed to say that!). Her dress shows toned arms, her hair is soft and glossy...I just think the whole thing is too, well, black! She has red earrings and a red bracelet, but the high neck of the dress with the big handbag and heavy shoes is just too much. Red and black can look stunning, but it doesn't have the Wow Factor here. A different highlight colour, carried through to the shoes would have had more personality. Maybe even a less obvious red - more of a garnet colour would have worked.

Next up we have Joanna Page. She looks young and fresh, which certainly matches her image. I wonder though whether she really wants to perpetuate that or whether she would like to market herself for some more grown up roles? The dress is pretty, though not very daring in black. She just about pulls it off against her pale colouring. Joanna's sandals are the epitome of understatement, certainly in photos looking nude. On someone as young and fresh-looking as Joanna this works, but it can be an aging look, so beware!


Gina McKee looks absolutely stunning in this green satin gown, I absolutely love it. Her clutch bag is understated and elegant. She has taken a brave step and chosen deep red sandals, which echo her lip colour. They have a platform sole, making them easier to wear. The only thing that I would change is the shoe size - if you look carefully at the foot bearing her weight, her toe is overhanging the front of the shoe. But this is, I admit, nitpicking!




Next we have model Karolina Kurkova (image - Getty). Well, I suppose if I was a model I would also rock this dress! Stunning, stunning stunning! And look at those silver gladiators! They fit like a dream, they are elegant and accentuate her enviable ankles. Really, I'm not jealous at all.


And here comes Thandie Newton (image - Daniel Deme, EPA) looking cute and sassy in a vintage frock and strappy sandals. Most women would give in to the urge to add a choker, but Thandie (or her stylist) knows that less is more! Even her gold bangle is a subtle tone. She lets that stunning dress and her petite frame do the talking! Her shoes are in perfect proportion to the dress, and complete the vintage look. I really think she has got it right.

The interesting thing about the outfits and shoes on show is that you cannot pick out any one trend. It demonstrates that style is personal rather than something to be dictated to us by the Fashion Gods (whoever they are!). The things I love, you may hate, and vice versa.

Shoes Galore celebrates this difference. If you have a special event coming up - wedding, christening, prom - then you should take a look at our range of occasion shoes. They look high end - but the price tags realistic! Red carpet style for everyone, that's what I preach!

Davina's Comic Relief Challenge

I was glued to the first part of Comic Relief on Friday. Partly because of the divine Mr Tennant, but partly in a strange fascination at Davina's shoes. They were incredibly high, so much so that she could barely walk in them. Like a true professional, she managed brilliantly, but they obviously weren't comfortable.

I'm guessing that she has quite small feet. When your feet are tiny, the effect of any high heel is magnified. A 3 inch heel on a size 40 looks very different to a 3 inch heel on a size 35, just because your foot has to be at a steeper angle to get from your toes on the floor to your heel in the air! Davina's were so extreme that as she trotted to the Mastermind chair, she looked like a ballerina en pointe.

So petite-footed ladies should take this into account when shoe shopping. Those skyscraper heels just might not look so good on you. And the slightly lower heel will automactically appear higher on you than on your bigger-footed sisters.

Ready and waiting!

This morning we had blue sky and sunshine. The shoots are appearing on all sorts of things in the garden - flowering currant, honeysuckle, amelanchier. I was singing a happy tune and looking forward to skipping through the blossom in my gorgeous new summer shoes.

But outside my window now I see grey skies. You know the colour of nothingness when it is feeling miserable? Yeah, that's the one. It is pretty chilly too, so much so that 2 jumpers and sitting next to a hot radiator isn't preventing my from shivering. Do I think flip flops or peep toes are appropriate footwear today? No way!

But I do think it's a good thing to be ready for when the weather does warm up. (It can't be long now, surely?) There's nothing worse than realising that spring has sprung and you have nothing but winter boots and woolly jumpers to wear!

So get planning, and get ready! If you've lived in jeans or boots all winter, review the leg-hair situation; the same applies to underarms, because when you peel off those layers you need to know what's lurking there! Book a pedicure and get your feet ready for the more revealing foot fashions of spring and summer. No more tights to hide your flakey feet!

Check over last year's sandals and you may find that they are a bit tattier than you remember. Did they get a bit mucky on that end-of-season stroll on the beach? Did you try to hold onto the summer season a little too long and trash them in the mud of autumn? That's why I've already introduced some summer styles to my Shoes Galore range - so you can be ready when the sun does come out. My diary is getting pretty full, so don't hang about!

The disappointment of Oscars fashion

So it's all over for another year, and everyone is picking over the frocks and the frills. But do you know what I'm upset about? That in most pictures you can't see the shoes! Who knows what's going on under Miley Cyrus's big pouffey dress? I reckon she's wearing scuffed-up trainers! And stand up straight girl! I really don't understand why commentators are raving about this dress. To me it is over the top, lacking class and too old for her.

Anyway, back to the shoes...

It can be a challenge to find shoes to complement a long gown, especially when the gown is a real statement piece. Do you go for statement shoes? A contrast colour? Or do you try to tone your shoes in and let the dress do the talking?

I've scanned the pics and picked out all the shots I can find which show the shoes, and my overall opinion is that Hollywood ladies need some shoe advice urgently!

Take this one: Lara Spencer, a TV host from the USA. Her dress is beautiful - demure but sexy and an attention-catching navy blue. The sparkling trim raises it from matronly to marvellous...but those shoes! No, no, no! Firstly, the silver stands out too much and draws your eye from her beautiful figure and smile. But from what we can see from the style of the shoe, they are too heavy and, well - clumpy. There you are in an elegant, chiffon dress - why would you put great big heavy shoes with it? What a shame.

Next up? Virginia Madsen, an actress with a string of film credits to her name, but possibly not anything you would admit to having seen. Now, she's looking pretty hot for a woman born before me (!) and she obviously wants to show off those sandals...I can see that she wants the dress to do the talking, so her shoes are more subtle, but with a split like that, the shoes need more pizazz. They may be designer label (I'm not getting into that in this posting), but she looks like she rushed home from the beach and forgot to change her sandals when she wriggled into her gown.

Amanda Seyfried (from Mamma Mia!) went the other way. Her sandals are too dark for her dress, and too detailed to sit well with that statement dress.

Now maybe it's not fair to comment on the non-celebs, but this one can't go without comment. Danny Glover is accompanied by a lady who obviously feels she is too tall. Fair enough, and she scores points for making a feature of her striking silver hair. But am I alone in thinking those shoes look like something you'd buy for £9.99 in Shoe Zone?

So how should you do it? Well, ignore the dress (let everyone else slag it off, I don't think it was the worst thing on show on the red carpet), but Heidi Klum has the right idea with her shoes. They match the dress, so don't distract from it, but they aren't so insipid that they underwhelm you. It's a difficult balancing act to pull off, but I really think Heidi does it.

Beware though - matching shoes and dress won't always save you. I confess, I don't know who these people are (please leave a comment if you can help), but that black dress swamps her and the clumpy black shoes do not add anything in the elegance stakes. She looks happy though!

Finally, despite all the criticism of her flesh-toned top, I really love Tilda Swinton's shoes. They are just right for the outfit - quirky, stylish and beautifully proportioned. I know I usually say that black shoes are the coward's option, but these work.

Shoes for a special occasion can be a minefield, and having endless pots of money doesn't mean you always get it right. However, with some thought and the chance to try on a range of styles and colours your shoes can enhance your outfit rather than ruin it.

Please note, to respect copyright, I have linked to the pictures rather than including them directly. I know the blog looks less exciting, but it was the right thing to do!

Who is the Shoe Lady?

The Shoe Lady (also known as Lisa) is me! I'm the Mum of 2 girls, aged almost 7 and completely 3 and I live in Letchworth Garden City in North Hertfordshire. I am a woman of many parts, which you will come to know through this blog, but I'm called the Shoe Lady because I spend a great deal of my time visiting women's homes and offices with my travelling shoe boutique.

That's right, I'm a Shoes Galore consultant, the UK's first and best shoe party company! What could be better than a night in with your mates trying on fabulous shoes in fabulous colours? I get a buzz out of every event I attend, because people have so much fun.

But this blog isn't just a sales pitch for my shoes! It's about family, style and living in North Herts. It's about the trials and triumphs of running a small business and it's about all the bits of life and experience that come in between. I expect there'll be a lot of cookery related stuff, some things about charity shops & a whole load of comments about shopping.

I hope you enjoy the ride!