Trending into fall of this year, a whole new set of women's shoe fashions are beginning to emerge. Many of this year's top women's designer shoe trends carry on from last year, while a number reflect brand new social trends that have brought back fashions from the past.

Convenience is a key trend, as women are increasingly looking for comfort and ease of wear. Because of this, ballet flat shoes are as hot as ever. With a wide variety of different shoes available, flats are easy to take on and off, and can be accompanied well. Rounded toe styles are gaining in popularity, and fit with many outfits, both informal and formal alike. Jimmy Choo has a nice selection of flat designer shoes.


Flirty shoes are starting to get big this season, and peep toe shoes are at the top of the list. A growing number of dress shoe designers are incorporating peep toes which are versatile: you can wear peep toes straight from the office out to a date, without fear of being under or over dressed. The great part of peep toe shoes is that you can pair them with outfits to determine how well they work.

With lasting influence from Sex and the City, Manolo Blahnik shoes continue to be a hot trend among urban women. This year, look for straps and accessories to differentiate the shoes. In particular, double and thick straps are hot to accentuate your shoe, whether you chose to go with a heel or flat. Generally, flats are more popular this year for reasons of comfort.

Textures and patterns are becoming increasingly important, and none is hotter than quilted patterns. Both dominant, full quilt patterns as well as accents are showing up on a larger number of designer shoes this year. Quilt patterns fit well with fall, and integrate with most outfits. At the same time, we are still seeing popularity among select animal prints, although not all patterns are as popular as they once were a few years ago. Look for giraffe and leopard prints to be big, whereas zebra and cheetah prints were larger in the past.

This fall, colors are an important pairing with patterns. A number of new design shoes are using retro colors, many of which are vibrant and bright, while others are a bit understated. The combination of retro colors with strong contrast will be sure to turn heads on your new outfit. Retro designs generally are big, stemming from the Mary Jane trend along with a resurgence of the conservative look.

Make sure that when you're selecting your next designer shoe that you make sure the design blends well for you – use trends as a guide, rather than a rule. After all, your clothing is an extension of personal expression, and you are ultimately buying a great pair of shoes to bring out the look that you want to create.