10 Shoe Styles You Need RN (And How To Survive The Party Season In High Heels)

Shoes are something us women can never get enough of. In the words of Marilyn Monroe, “Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world.” Well, Payal Bathija, Creative Head of luxury footwear brand Heel & Buckle, couldn’t agree more.

“My aim was to bring together the finest products from celebrated brands around the world. Inspired by our customers’ love for international travel, we select products that are in tune with the latest fashion trends.”

We caught up with Payal, who took us through the must-haves of the season, the shoe trends that really need to burn, and how to survive the party season in your pretty high heels.

What are the five essential shoes every girl must own?

A pair of pretty flat sandals that can take you from day to night, a pair of stilettos that you can party in all night long, fashionable sneakers for the days you want to be super comfortable, wedges for work, and a pair of boots to give you that extra edge.

What’s the one shoe rule every girl must follow?

Always have a pair of classic nude or black heels in your closet.

What’s the most hideous shoe trend you’ve ever come across?

The clog Crocs and Birkenstocks have to be the most hideous shoe trends from the past few years!

How do you stay comfortable in a pair of high heels?

You can put insoles or gel inserts in your shoes to make them really comfortable.

The best way to take care of leather shoes — especially during the monsoons?

A shoe kit is important to maintain the upkeep of leather shoes and have them last long while retaining the shine and quality. For shoes you wear less frequently, you can use a cedar shoetree to help absorb moisture and maintain their shape.

To further avoid moisture retention keep sachets of silica gel in them. Also ever so often, give your favourite pair of shoes the day off. This allows them to air out, which dries out the moisture, so the leather lasts longer.

Always allow your shoes to dry at room temperature, away from a heater or blow-dryer. Heaters can cause leather to dry out and become brittle, and can also harm the adhesives in the shoe.

Don’t store your shoes in shoe boxes for long periods of time. Prolonged storage can cause certain footwear materials to deteriorate, particularly in humid climates.

What are the 10 must-have shoes of the season?

• Funky sliders
• Tie-up wedges
• Boots
• Block heels
• Gladiators
• Pumps
• Metallic slip-ons
• Flat sandals
• Ballerinas
• Kitten heels

Which celebrity’s shoe closet has the most lust-worthy shoes?

Kate Middleton!

What’s the biggest mistake people make when buying shoes?

Get yourself carefully measured before purchasing the shoe. Your foot size also tends to increase or decrease depending on the time of the day. Try to shop in the latter half of the day when your feet are a bit swollen, so the shoes don’t pinch you later on.