Camilla Belle in Fine Feathers

Camilla Belle

To kick off Oscar week Audi hosted a star studded party in Los Angeles. Amongst a sea of celebrities Camilla Belle was spotted strutting her stuff in a pair of Louboutins. The style of sandal Camilla opted for is called the Archidisco which features the signature Louboutin red sole, with a t-strap, adjustable ankle strap and a feminine double contrast bow.

The black patent leather Louboutins provided a stylish contrast to Camilla’s white feathered dress by Dutch Marchesa; the fabulously flirty dress was made from goose and ostrich feathers and Camilla completed her playful look with some very serious ice; showing off some delectable diamond earrings by Cartier.

Desperate Housewife star Marcia Cross was also attending the Audi bash wearing some statement chainmail sandals from the Balmain collection. The sandals feature spike studding and chainmail with a neat zip closure at the back. Marcia’s sandals are yet another nod to the increasingly popular gladiatorial trend.

D&G Floral Footwear

The key trend for Spring/Summer 2011 is Floral; and whilst the idea of floral prints no longer conjures up images of old ladies or tacky Easter bonnets the trend is still difficult to translate into shoes; that is until now!

D&G Floral Prints

Design masters at Dolce and Gabbana have produced these delightful Floral Print Pumps in Variante Abbinata. The print on the 4 ½ inch heels mixes splashes of yellow, green and white tones which allure to the clean fresh scents of spring.

The vamp is detailed with strips of material in multitude of textures making these pumps irresistibly tangible – you simply have to touch them!  And the ½ inch platform classifies these heels as comfortably wearable without compromising on style.

 In these pumps you will stand out when you turn on your heel and strut out of that trendy wine bar as the eye catching print commands attention even from behind!   

The D&G floral print pump is an essential element to any fashionista’s Spring wardrobe for 2011. 

Supermodel Liu Wen's Shoes Off and On the Runway

If you don't sit around watching FTV late at night when you can't sleep (like I do), you may not be familiar with the name, but Miss Liu is currently one of the most-booked runway models and is considered by many to be one of the new breed of supermodels. Born in Yongzhou, China, the former tour guide became part of fashion history by being the first Chinese model to walk the Victoria's Secret runway. She's set to become the face of Estee Lauder, making her the first Asian woman to achieve this. Vogue has recently named her as one of the people who influenced fashion in the year 2010. Now that's something to put on a resume!

Wen (her last name is Liu) has more than just good looks and great clothing - she has fantastic taste in shoes! Having walked the runways of Jean Paul Gaultier, Maison Martin Margiela, Chanel, Roberto Cavalli, Louis Vuitton, Chloe, and countless other purveyors of haute couture, she's had plenty of chance to test-drive the latest shoes out on the luxury goods market. For her first ever Vogue cover (for Vogue Portugal), she wore a pair of smokin' hot Christian Louboutin Fifre ankle boots in fire-engine red. When I saw these boots, I figured that if I could only buy one pair of shoes for the entire fall season, I'd probably invest in a pair of these boots: they channel military style with a sexy edge, thanks to gold-tone buttons and loop fastenings, a 4.5 inch heel and a concealed platform, and of course, the signature red sole. Pair them with anything and you can go anywhere. Lucky, lucky Liu!

A self-confessed shoeaholic, Wen's favorite song is "September High Heels." However, Wen often wears flats and boots, especially when she's out running around doing errands or heading to appointments and shows. Her black leather Jimmy Choo York motorcycle boots are nearly flat, with inch-high heels, and are generously embellished with gold and silver-tone studs and rivets. These boots look seriously tough, and Wen rocks them like she's supposed to, in a grunge-meets-high street ensemble consisting of a tailored jacket, plaid shirt, and black skinny jeans. Wen has also been photographed sporting awesome trainers by Jeremy Scott x Adidas. They're trainers… with wings!

I'm going to have to add the entire contents of Liu Wen's shoe closet to my list of celebrity shoe collections I wish I had!

Alexander McQueen’s Armadillo Shoe

Armadillo shoes 

Sometimes, couture shoes can be just plain spooky for the faint of heart. These days, shoes are becoming more and more edgy, not to mention their heels are also towering more and more. The weirdest/most beautiful shoe that has ever graced our planet is the Armadillo shoe. Count it on the late great McQueen to make the most eye-stirring, heart-pounding, killer shoes that might just literally kill you too.

The lobster-heeled Armadillo shoe made its debut on McQueen’s Spring /Summer 2010 collection and instantly got a flurry of attention. More than the typical “oohs and aahhs” heard on the rows of an Alexander McQueen runway show, fashion-forward enthusiasts scurried to find out what on earth this new creation was. Were these a gift sent by the avant-garde gods of fashion? Is this Lady Gaga and Madonna’s baby? Nope, they are simply Alexander McQueen artwork.

Only a few bold/bordering-crazy people have been able to walk in these shoes. Of course, Lady Gaga is on top of the list. Demi Moore was also photographed wearing them for a cover of Harper’s Bazaar. Note that she was just “photographed wearing them” and we don’t really have evident proof she was actually able to walk in them. Lady GaGa, on the other hand, was even able to dance like crazy in them for her Bad Romance video.

The aptly named Armadillo shoes are not readily available for those interested. It isn’t mass-produced, you see (fortunately). If you have spare $10,000 though, and willing to wait (years), then maybe you can have your own pair too (I wouldn’t count on it).  This obviously impractical footwear is impossibly hard to walk in and equally impossible to get unless you are a popular celeb or an iconic plastic doll – Barbie. Yes, she owns a pair too.

“Love” The New Ballerina Flats From YSL

Yes, that blissful sigh you just heard did in fact emerge from your own throat. Yves Saint Laurent has expanded their Love Ballerina line just in time for the holidays – wise for them, diabolical for the friends and family of shoeaholics. Originally, the flat only arrived in the standard black and beige, but now a multitude of unconventional yet subtle shades have been added to the lineup, including fuschia, salmon, indigo and forest green.

Made of patent leather to give it a sheen, YSL brings back the true meaning of the shoe with a square toe like traditional ballerina flats. Subtly incorporating the brand's quirkiness is the oversize logo on the insole and the tiny heart cutout on the toe box. With such cute details,  even staunch supporters of the heel would be tempted.

There are now twelve new flavours in the Love Ballerina collection, available at YSL boutiques for $485 a pop. Try to limit yourself to just one, or know how it truly feels to be a man and blow three months salary buying up every colour.

Coleen Rooney Opts for Louboutins

Style icon and footballers wife Coleen Rooney showed off her peep toe Louboutins at the annual Christmas bash for designer boutique Cricket. The fashion hot spot Cricket boutique is located in the heart of Liverpool and it’s regularly frequented by local celebs wishing to stock up on their designer labels.

Coleen opted for her classic Christian Louboutin No Privé 120 patent leather sling backs. The fabulous footwear offered a chic edge to her outfit with the signature red soles providing the perfect anecdote to Coleen’s muted colour palette.

Thank goodness Coleen is back on track in the shoe style stakes after being photographed wearing a less than flattering pair of studded toe cap boots last week it’s refreshingly reassuring to see that she has come to her senses  and is once again heading the fashion pack in her trusty Louboutins.

And Mrs Rooney isn’t the only celebrity opting for Louboutins; right now these shoes seem to be flavour of the month with Heidi Klum sporting a pair at an Astor cosmetics promotional event and Gossip Girl Blake Lively stocking up on multiple pairs whilst attending an invitation only sale in New York City.

Teva Takes A Second Stab At Reinvention

If you're into that kind of thing...

Known for their velcroed sports sandals, Teva is desperate to reach new markets. Remember that puke-worthy stiletto that they had the gall to charge $330 for? Perfect for the kind of girl who goes mountain hiking in a Vivienne Westwood dress.

That particular collaboration with Grey Ant received no love from the fashion or the sporting community – it even got skewered on the Conan show. A dismal failure, but it did get people abuzz about a brand that was pretty much on the brink of obscurity. Bad publicity is better than no publicity, I guess.

Now that the world is eager to pounce on whatever they come out with next, Teva has introduced the “Gnarkosi.” It's a mash between two of their existing shoes: the Gnar, a closed-toe sandal, and the Syrkosi, a water resistant slip-on that resembles a wetsuit for your feet. Though the company have made closed-toe shoes before, never have they done an actual, proper sneaker. With the sudden aggressive reinvention of their look, the brand seems to be targeting affluent city living professionals, wanting to abandon what they call a “granola” association.

Perhaps this was Teva's plan all along; to hustle us into paying attention to them with a feint, then rolling out a shoe that actually makes sense when we're all watching. It's still not the prettiest sneaker, arriving in some pretty garish colours like ultra violet and bright turquoise.  The Gnarkosi will probably cater well to their market, even if they are trying to reach less hardcore outdoor enthusiasts. According to Teva's Marketing Director, Joel Heath, the Teva sneaker is “aimed at people who live in urban areas and but takes advantage of public parks or other green space. The Gnarkosi was designed to be a shoe that transitions from athletic activity to street or workplace without sacrificing style.”

The Gnarkosi by Teva will be in stores February 2011 and retail for about $100.