Designer heels

Like most types of beauty tools, designer heels have become part of everyday life for millions of women across the world. How did one piece of footwear gain such a cult following worldwide? It's simple once you find the thread that holds the tapestry together: details. There are plenty of details that go into creating the perfect designer heels. This guide will show you how to choose designer heels that are right for your feet.

Learn and uncover...

The first thing you should do is figure out how your feet are built. Are you a dancer or a ballerina? If so, the muscles in your feet will probably be defined and chiselled. For high heels, this means that you should choose high heels that have wide toe boxes that do not cramp your feet. If you are petite, high heels that have a widened arch will be better for you. Once you know what style your feet are, you can progress to the next stage of picking designer heels.

Height

This is a part of the process that many women are unsure of. Are you the type of woman who prefers kitten heels? Kitten heels were always thought to be the type of shoes that women wore later on in life, however they are back in style because of the practicality they offer women. Victoria Beckham famously said that she does not wear flats, only heels. If you want an elevated platform without hurting your ankles, choose kitten heels. On the other hand, there is something extremely feminine about wearing heels that are visible. You can choose to wear shoes that have a two or three inch heel to make your presence known.

How to choose the right designer heels for you

This is where you need to plan and think thoroughly about what you want. Celebrities such as Beyonce are known for being dedicated to heels to the extreme: the singer's current favourite designers include Italian cobbler Gianmarco Lorenzi who makes sky-high shoes and French designer Christian Louboutin. If you are hunting for high heels, here are a few aspects that you should look out for:

• Flair - This means looking for edge and character in a shoe. Nicholas Kirkwood is a designer who understands this and he adds plenty of flair into the sliced heels that he creates for women. Danish designer Camilla Skovgaard is another person who uses flair in her high heels to make women look glamorous. The master of flair is undoubtedly Christian Louboutin. His lightbulb moment of genius came in the early 90s when he randomly decided to paint the soles of heels red. This stroke of flair has continued in every single pair of Christian Louboutin shoes since. From the minute you are walking down the street or in the office corridor and passers-by see the trademark red soles as your heels make that click-clack sound, you will be the person that they remember. This is what high heels are supposed to do. They should always give women character.
• Decadence: Yves Saint Laurent high heels are amazing for their decadence. While Yves Saint Laurent himself did not create overtly theatrical shoes, his current successor Stefano Pilati created decadent shoes such as the YSL Tributes. These strappy high heels look awesome with a dress because they are dripping with wild femininity. If you love to show off your body, do so with a pair of YSL Tributes whether you are wearing them during the day or night. The passion for decadence is continued in Yves Saint Laurent's focus on chunky, block heels. These types of shoes are some of the hottest picks for the year because they go against the grain of normal stilettos.
• Dramatic - If there is one designer who knows how to make dramatic shoes, it has to be Alexander McQueen. The British label has a knack for taking something relatively innocuous and turning it into a dramatic piece of footwear. Look at the various colours that you can get from Alexander McQueen shoes: these include fire-engine red, ebony and leopard-print. These are clearly not shades for wallflowers, but they are definitely for women who love to be the centre of attention. Dramatic shoes are statement pieces: what this means is that you should always pair them with quieter types of accessories and clothing. Alexander McQueen heels look best on block solid colours such as black, white and grey.

2 tips on how to walk gracefully in designer heels

The one key factor to remember when you purchase your next pair of designer heels is that they are not made in the same way as high street shoes. Sure, some high street shoes may be comfortable, but they cannot compete on a comfort level with designer brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, because designer labels are dedicated to making sure a woman is comfortable in her shoes. Take a look at some of our tips on how to walk in designer heels without breaking into a sweat:

Take care of your back: The old adage of sitting up and walking straight is back in the game. When you are wearing designer heels, nurture the muscles in your back by walking straight. It may be tempting to bend your back in order to look at your feet as you walk, but doing this means that the silhouette you form with your designer heels is not symmetrical. By keeping your back straight as you walk, you add some va-va-voom to your style.

Keep your feet aligned: Just like the stars in the sky, you have to make sure your feet are completely in sync with each other. What this means is putting one foot in front of the other in a straight line. Believe it or not, this is how runway models such as Naomi Campbell get their fierce gait from. You can apply this fashion tip to your daily life with your designer heels because putting one foot in front of the other allows you to pick up your feet quicker. Accelerate into the world of beautiful footwear by picking different designer heels for different occasions. The versatility of designer heels means once you have picked them, you won't ever look back.