HAS a new era dawned in shoe fashion? Instead of dizzyingly high heels, many models are walking down catwalks wearing flat heel shoes. Designer Marc Jacobs picked trainers for his models, Oscar de la Renta chose flat pumps and fashion house Yves Saint Laurent sent its models out with ballerinas.

“That trend is going to make its way onto the streets this summer,” says Claudia Schulz from the German Shoe Institute.

There are several good reasons for the trend. Flat shoes are more comfortable to wear than high heels. They also reflect a certain amount of zeitgeist. “Especially in difficult times, shoe trends often tend towards flatter heels, so women can walk through life more confidently,” is Schulz’ interpretation.

There’s a big range of small heel shoes in the stores that match different types of outfit. Sandals in the style of orthopaedic shoes go well with shorts, Bermudas and even mid-length skirts.

“However, that only looks really good on slender women with long legs,” says personal shopper Andreas Rose.

“Sandals with ankle straps tend to make legs look shorter,” adds fashion consultant Ines Meyrose. “If you have larger calves, you should carefully consider what type of shoe you’re going to wear to follow this trend.” If you are going to follow the look, then it’s a good idea to pick nude and beige tones. These colours closely match skin colour and sandal straps in these shades are not too obvious. “As an alternative you could pick shoes with very thin straps,” says Meyrose. A sporty variation of the flat shoe is the slip-on. The shoe comes originally from the US and has its roots in the country’s skating scene.

“Slip-ons go very well with sporty outfits,” says Claudia Schulz.

“They can be an alternative to ballerinas.” Like sandals, slip-ons suit slender young women best.

The classic ballerina is a type of shoe that can be worn by any woman and matches almost any style. Ballerinas have been popular for a long time and they will remain so this summer. What’s new about ballerinas this year are the colours and styles.

“There are metallic nuances such as rose gold and silver-gold as well as pastel and nude tones.” says Schulz. “Along with the classic, round ballerina style we are also seeing ballerinas with pointed toes.” Sling pumps with small heels are also seeing a change towards pointed toes. “This type of shoe looks elegant and very classy, no matter what you wear it with,” says Andreas Rose. Ines Meyrose also thinks the small heel pump is a very versatile shoe that suits almost any type.

princess prom dresses uk