Shoes for the new season

With the promise of spring in the air, it's about time to wave goodbye to knee-high boots, ankle skimming shoe boots and those ever-reliable Uggs.

Vowing to conquer Chinese consumers, the National Association of Italian Footwear Manufacturers chose Beijing last week to release their 2009 footwear trend report.

Square toes, crocodile skin, triple-buckles, and bohemian fringing are just some of the things you might see back in fashion this year. Shoes brought in by Italian manufactures are not going to have a plain look, with contrasting straps or heels and two-toned or multiple colors, very likely to make a splash.

Four main styles will dominate women's footwear this year - urban jungle, bio design, sport chic, and hyper deco. Urban jungle styles will come in platform and wedge heels-- in spite of stilettos returning, thick heels are always kinder to feet. Bio designs feature floral, bark, stone and fruit prints, besides embroidery and embellishments of every kind imaginable. Sport chic focuses on a luxury touch for shoes of leisure, combining leather, suede and metal. Hyper deco, as the name indicates, is all about exaggeration, with heavy embellishment, such as handmade embroidery, manmade diamond and crystal, and silver and golden patterns.

While there aren't too many changes in the designs for men, the look is definitely getting more elegant, with more Rococo patterns making an appearance. Elongated Shoes will continue to dominate the market. Oxford shoes, slip-ons and even summer boots can all be found in elongated styles.

Taken From : China Daily