Here in Wyoming, our toes are itching to get out of all of our closed toe boots that characterize our winter months. A little sunshine and warmer temperatures, and you’ll see us digging out those summery shoes – even if it means cold feet! And when the summer shoes come out, it’s time to start thinking about the latest shoe trends and whether some new shoes might be needed for the season.

In this blog post, I wanted to share some of the most wearable shoe trends for Spring 2021. You can watch my Wednesday Wardrobing Video here for more info and a live explanation of these trends.

1. Woven: This trend is defined by the fabric and or fiber used to create the straps of the shoe. Natural fibers such as woven fabrics in neutral tones are an important trend in shoes this season. I love this trend because any flesh toned shoe is effortless to pair with clothing, as they will work well with most items as long as the style of the shoe is a correct choice for the outfit. Since natural fibers do tend to be more casual, keep that in mind as you are making pairing choices. Also, some natural fibers are warmer and some are cooler. Consider the tone of the fiber as you are putting your outfits together and keep it consistent: cool with cool and warm with warm.
2. Animal Prints: Those animal prints will just not go away, and you’ll continue to see them on shoes this season. Whether it is an all over animal print tennis shoe or just a touch of animal print as an accent, leopard, cheetah and zebra prints are strong for the season.
3. Funky Tennis Shoes: We love our comfy tennis shoes, and they continue to be a strong trend. Keep them funky and as a statement piece in your outfit to stay edgy. An example would be the all over animal print tennis shoes pictured here. When wearing a shoe as a statement piece, keep the rest of your look toned down and let the statement piece be the true star of the show.
4. Platforms and Embellishments: Platform bottoms are coming on strong in shoes. If you don’t know, platforms are an obviously thick sole usually between 1 to 4 inches in height. The wedge styles pictured above qualify as platforms. In addition to the thick sole, these shoes also have metal studs as embellishments, another key trend in shoes this season.
5. Outdoor: I honestly had a chuckle when I came across this trend. Here in Wyoming, the capital of the outdoor shoe, what we consider outdoor and what style trend setters consider outdoor are not the same! But for the sake of language, I will stick with the term. What shoe trend bloggers called the “outdoor” trend is really Birkenstock sandals or shoes that look like Birkenstocks. I even saw one picture of a gal wearing turquoise fuzzy socks with red Birkenstock sandals and a skirt! That is a bit too edgy for us conservatives here in Wyoming, but the basic concept of a Birkenstock sandal is something we can definitely get behind, bare footed, of course.
6. Mixed Metals: Shiny metals are a key trend in clothing this summer, so it is not surprising to see that trend in shoes as well. Look for metals like copper, gold and pewter to be used in shoe designs. What I love about metal tones is they are neutral and are easy to pair with a multitude of looks.
7. Loafers: If you want a comfy summer shoe, look no further than any of the multitude of loafer styles that are popular this season! These shoes are characterized by no lace or fastener and by the fact that they just slip on your feet.

All of these styles work very well with the ankle length trend. Make sure your hemline hits an inch above your ankle bone for the correct look. Try loafers or tennis shoes with dresses for a younger looking style. Wedge sandals have the added bonus of elongating your legs and so are an excellent choice for dresses or shorts.