Clear Heels See the Light of Day

I’m not sure exactly when clear heels pulled the reverse Pretty Woman (the transition from Cinderella to strip tease) but celebs have finally taken pity.

Blogger Shoebunny just spotted Claudia Schiffer in clear plexi sandals from Stella McCartney’s Spring 2009 collection. And they look cute. Truly.

Still unsure, I checked out the forum ModelMayhem where many a fun-loving model confessed to a love of barely-there heels.

The final straw⎯ShoeSmitten. She posted a sweet little pair of clear Mootsie Tootsies for summer.

So if you’ve been secretly wondering what it would be like to step out in something very, very see-through, now is the time. I suggest going the less expensive eBay route though, because this trend’s staying power is anything but transparent.

My picks:
Ease in with these blue peep toes from affordably chic eBay store Shop for Phree. They have a blue-to-clear gradient heel.

Lucite wedge mules by Nine West look perfectly polished.

Vintage Stuart Weitzman are definitely Cinderella-worthy.

Silver studs take these jelly heels from sweet to cool.

Green piping makes these wedges from Grandma Sofia’s Boutique summerlicious.

And my oh what the hell pick, big old platforms from My Shoe Addiction.

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Flower Power (and some not so flowery options, too)

After months of zipping into either black or brown wedge-heeled boots, day in and day out, spring fever for me spells anything but black or brown leather boots! Which is why I’m all too happy to jump on board the printed shoes trend shaping up this season.

Dax by Betsey Johnson

Blogger Planet Shoes heralded the graphic wave in a March 18 post: “J Shoes really takes their footwear to a new level. Artistic in design and inspiration, the Lucca is a perfect example of this gorgeous trend.” Other picks? Sam & Libby‘s Zees2 skimmers.

Zees2 by Sam & Libby

But pretty + pastel doesn’t have to mean dainty ballet flats. Nothing wrong with those, but even Keds — the go-to for squeaky-clean, timeless girly styles, rounds out its offerings with a collection of patterned wedges. The Tracy Reese Wedge features a summery espadrille-style heel and a fabric upper reminiscent of retro upholstery.

Springtime + prints tends to equal florals, which is why a rundown of Betsey Johnson‘s flowery pumps is so fitting. The Shoe Blitz blog touted Johnson’s cork heel and gingham upper Harley Sandal. Zappos carries the Dax, a rose bud print sandal reminiscent of Candie’s iconic pinup mules.

Keds' Tracy Reese wedge

Marciano‘s Firoella gladiator melds a casual boho flat with metallic hardware and elegant watercolor textile straps (the sandals come in a red/navy or black/white color scheme if the Matisse-esque gold/green/cream palette is too much).

But just because prints are big for spring, that doesn’t mean blossoms are all that’s in season.

Balence by Madden Girl

Madden Girl‘s vampy Balence sandals mix leopard fabric with pink patent straps. And remember Betsey Johnson? Her sassy Neema t-strap takes the animal magnetism one step farther with gold stud accents scattered across the sandal’s straps.