This week, Monday 7/28 through Wednesday 7/31, I attended the WSA (World Shoe Association) in sunny Las Vegas along with Allison Abrams, our fabulous Boston Stylist. The largest shoe show by far, it’s held twice a year in Spring and Fall and showcases the footwear that will appear on store shelves a little less than a year from now. For instance, at this particular show brands and designers were finalizing their Spring 2009 lines. For you dedicated readers, you may recall I visited FFANY in early June where I saw many of these same styles, but the lines that appear at WSA are even more refined.  I was also excited to get a refresher course in many of the brands’ Fall product now that it’s later in Summer and I can actually start thinking about buying it! (Ok I said “start”…I’m not rushing Summer by any means).

The show was split between two locations; The Collections, which included those brands that fall under “luxury and style”, were held on various floors of the Venetian Hotel and Casino, an extremely ornate and beautiful place for those of you who haven’t been. The Las Vegas Convention Center, situated about a 10 minute bus ride away,  was where the rest of the exhibitors were located and it included such categories as fashion, comfort, men’s and more.

Over the three days Allison and I visited as many brands as possible, met and even interviewed designers, and generally just tried to soak in as much as humanly possible! Overall it turned out to be an incredible experience and we met some truly amazing people, saw some really extraordinary shoes, and even partook in some pretty awesome nightlife, (more of that here!). For now though, let’s talk about the shoes…even though it might be a liiiitle early to start thinking about Spring of next year, it never hurts to be ahead of the fashion curve!

The Trends:

• Color – Color is big which is no surprise. Bright orange, purples, lavenders, shades of grey, pinks, and metallics were hot. Don’t be surprised by eye-searing neons that are reminiscent of last spring, but look for them as accents so that they’re not overwhelming, á la Farylrobin.

• Tribal Accents – Beading reminiscent of American Indians, (and moccasins I remember having as a child), will make an appearance, and fringe will be a continued presence from Fall.

• Gladiators – They’ll be back, with updates to this year’s styles as well as with various heights of heels,  although with the influence they have on Fall will they have ever really gone anywhere?

• Thick Heels – Think Marc Jacobs from Spring ‘08 as well as even thicker and funkier shapes. I also really liked the demi-wedge, ( basically a wedge heel with an upside down ‘V’ cut out).

• High Heels – Elevate your look with heels that are high and even higher. Hope you’re not afraid of heights!

• Platforms – They’re still here although not as severe as what we’re seeing for Fall. What you can look for as a carry over though are the ‘tiered’ platforms.

• Cutouts – Another trend that will stay strong through Fall, intricate laser-cut styles will appear from Spring boots all the way to Summer’s strappy sandals. (The new brand Velvet Angels stole the show with a fantastic pair of laser-cut boots).

• Huarache – Woven textures both tight and loose will be weaving their way into Spring. Look for Corso Como’s metallic pumps and flats.

• Materials – You’ll see a lot of mixed media like canvas and leather side by side, as well as ultra-soft leathers and more patents. A lot of brands are also using printed fabrics and textiles. Probably the strangest thing we saw were shoes made from scuba gear material (spotted at multiple brands like Donald J. Pliner and Report Signature).

• Skins – Get your pyth-on. There’s a whole lotta snakeskin and it’ll come in all the colors of the rainbow, like at Sam Edelman and London Sole.

• Details – Yes, it’s all in the details. Unique elements like stitching, braiding and piping are found in unexpected places, and leather wrapped heels like at Modern Vintage were super chic.

• Flats – Yup, flats are back too, but the typical ballet flat is getting updated, i.e. mini-wedge heels and pointier toes.

• Comfort – Yes, I said comfort. There are lots of brands who are already doing it right like Sofft, Corso Como, Cole Haan and Asgi, but there are more and more brands joining the crusade to make us comfortable without having us sacrifice the fashion. One of my absolute favorites was La Fenice, debuting next Spring.

• Embellishments – Luxurious, opulent gems and rhinestones will catch the eye, as well as studs and grommets, another carryover from Fall.

• Honorary Mentions –
  • Peep toes, sling backs and mules
  • Architectural and artistic shapes, especially in the heels
  • Sequins, (yes, sequins)
  • Retro styling ('50's, '60's and '70's influences)

So if it seems like just about every trend you can think of made an appearance, it practically did. One of the reasons for this was something we kept hearing from numerous brands; that after the past few years where designs and elements such as color were pared down and minimalistic, there was a certain amount of boredom felt among designers. So, what to do but spice things up?! And voila, we have a smorgasbord of styles. This of course means that we the customers end up lucking out. The result of all this creative output is a freedom to pick and choose what we really like and what really works for us. We don’t have to be forced into wearing something or suffer as a slave to the trends because of the wealth of choices available to us.

Perhaps at the core of Spring’s fashion is the freedom of expression and individuality. In my opinion, this is something we should each relish and enjoy because, as we all know, fashion will always rotate in circles. A Spring like next year’s may not come around again for a long while. And really, what better way to express yourself than through the all important accessory, shoes? Especially when you're given a selection like next Spring's.