Over 40 Style

Not too tall, not too casual and not too bare, these shoes are just right for summer.

Sandals
Wedges

I haven't been able to wear my all black outfits with any regularity for a long time. For one thing, it's a hard look to pull off without looking like a ninja or a holdover from the "Addicted to Love" video. I've been a little more successful with wearing all-camel, or all navy, but any time savings from not having to match an outfit is made up for in the fifteen minutes I spend trying to find the right accessory to make my outfit a little less boring.
Which is why I'm excited to see the new trend of color blocking in shoes. One thing is very clear: these shoes are not meant to match even a thread on your clothes. Instead they're meant to contrast in a Pop-Art kind of way or, as in my case, to wear with monochromatic outfits.

Pumps
Sandals

A reader, who works from home and is the mother of twins, recently wrote to ask for shoe suggestions. I think this is a pretty universal question for most mothers today: what shoes do I wear when I want to look put together, but need to be active at the same time? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Driving moccasins. Perhaps they were designed for a Ferrari driving playboy years ago, but they are definitely the suburban mom's shoe of choice now! Most of my shoes are worn on the outside back from where my heel rests on the accelerator. This style, with it's pebbly bottom and reinforced back, minimizes that while still keeping the sporty Euro style.

Pebble Calfskin Driver Shoes

2. Ballet Flats (with modifications). I love ballet flats! So feminine! So classic! But after years of wearing them all the time, the one thing I've learned is that unless they come with a slight heel and a padded insole, ballet shoes are not practical for all day wear. These Puma's are not quite ballet shoes, but for a busy mom, they would be more practical.

Puma Women's Zandy Sport Flat - Black

3. Tennis shoes. You would think, with at least two athletic shoe stores in every mall, that finding sneakers would be easy. But unless you're looking for actual gym shoes; the kind with swishes and stripes and space technology, the choices are pretty slim. Which is why I've given up and just gone back to good ol' Converse. In white, and without laces, this kid classic is all grown up.

Jack Purcell Low Profile Slip

4. Loafers. For business casual outfits these are the alternatives to pumps, which can look dated and overdone. With a one or two inch heel, these shoes can be worn with dress pants, or trouser style jeans.

Audrey Brooke Preppie Loafer - Black

5. Espadrilles. They won't last longer than the summer, which is why this is the ideal style for the sand, dirt and wear of the season. An inexpensive way to add color, and maybe even a little height to your shoe wardrobe.

TOMS Canvas Espadrille Wedge

In my search for comfortable shoes I can wear all day, I've gotten stuck in a rut: loafers or flats with everything. Now, loafers and flats are great---but there are alternatives, especially when I'm reminded of how much better jeans look with a little heel:

Boots by Aigle
Boots by Indigo by Clarks

The British fever continues....here's Pippa Middleton wearing her red London Sole ballet flats, and a few look for less alternatives:

Flats by Nine West
Flats by All Black

A statement necklace, shoes with a twist---a single item is sometimes all you need to refresh a winter wardrobe.

Day Dresses by Lauren Ralph Lauren
Pumps by Franco Sarto

Reese Witherspoon and Whitney Port show how they wear the jeans-tucked-into-boots trend.

Boots by David Tate
Boots by Zigi

Perhaps it's just me, but one way I am definitely 'old school' is in the way I expect immediate gratification when I go shopping. You get in your car, go to the mall and come home with actual shopping bags filled with actual clothes. Just like 20 or 30 years ago. Now you log in, pay...and wait for a brown truck to bring your clothes.

Of course, (obviously!) I love online shopping. The selection is better, I can comparison shop, and in terms of instant gratification, I don't have to wait for pesky things like the store opening it's doors. But sometimes, when the first cool day of Fall unexpectedly appears, and I'm in the mood to wear boots, or tweed, I do wish I could just have a new outfit in the time it takes to drive downtown.

This year, I'm going to try and avoid that by ordering the things I know I'll really want ahead of time, like boots:

More Annie...

Wedge pumps are an ideal shoe for women over 40. There is no denying the leg-lengthening and slimming effect of heels, but oftentimes, I'd just as soon wear flats! Wedge heels solve this problem by being (relatively) comfortable enough to wear all day, and low key enough to tone down a form fitting dress or skinny jeans.

Day Dresses by LOFT
Mules & Clogs by Daniblack

Fawson

$100.00$49.98 at Aldo

An update from a basic black pump, this shade of taupe goes with difficult-to-match colors, like the green print worn by Lauren Conrad, above.