But at least it got me thinking and doing a little research. What are the trends this year? Are there any brands that are more comfortable without sacrificing style?

Trends: Wedges, Platforms, Flats and Uber-High Thick Heels
Shorties, rejoice! Heels are higher than ever this spring, and the best part is, they’re reasonably comfortable. With platforms, wedges, and thick heeled pumps as the dominant trends, you can fake 5”8 without sacrificing the ability to walk properly. Unlike the wobbly stilleto heels of summers past, thick heels and wedges are better at distributing your weight evenly, so you can strut with confidence knowing you won’t get caught in sewer grates or worse, wobble like an amateur.

Metallics, animal prints, patent leather and round toe (vs pointy or square), are the current trends.

Thick Heels:

I love these Burberry Prorsum platforms. Not that I could actually afford them, but I love the style, the patent leather and the glamour. Spotted on Style.com







These Charles David Sandals are elegant, simple and pick up on the animal print trend.






Wedges:

I adore these ones by BCBG Max Azria. Very sophisticated and chic.






These ones from NineWest are adorable and very reasonably priced.

They’d look amazing with a sundress or short dress shorts.







What to watch for: If you are shorter than about 5”2, it’s better to stick to no more than a 2” heel to avoid looking like a kid playing dress-up with Mom’s shoes. I like to call it the “heel to leg ratio”. The taller you are, the more you can get away with.

Flats
Everyone looks good in flats and everyone should invest in a pair. It’s a good idea to have varying heights of heels and alternate so you don’t damage your calf muscles or put too much pressure on your poor toes. Bunions look awful on everyone.


I love these animal print flats by Charles David. These would go with everything.







These Nine West Flats pick up on the metallic trend







What to watch for: Just because shoes are flat doesn’t mean they’ll be comfortable. You should still look for the same cushioning in flats that you would in heels. If the arches are totally unsupported your feet will hurt almost as bad as a day in pumps.

A few tips for the road…
1. Aside from breaking your shoes in for a day at home before you head out, make sure you wear padded band-aids on your heels and/or baby toes the first few times you wear a new pair and always keep a few bandaids in your bag. Even the most comfortable new shoes can cause blisters and there’s nothing worse than developing a blister half-way through your day with no reprieve.

2. If you do develop a blister on your heels, put a little tissue under your heel to elevate it so you don’t continue to rub the same spot raw.


3. Avoid synthetic materials. They don’t stretch, don’t breathe and will therefore make your feet sweat and/or smell.

And finally, brands like Enzo Angiolini (sold at Nine West), BCBG Girls, Steve Madden, Feet First, Hush Puppies and Geox are just a few of the brands out there that have styles with a lot of padding on the soles without sacrificing style.