GETTING A STEP AHEAD

Shoe trends for 2018 are set to be better than ever with bold colours and funky embellishments

If the spring/summer 2018 fashion shows said anything, it was that shoes will be a statement this year.

Say goodbye to dressed-up crocs (thank goodness), and say hello to embellished kitten heels, colour, and a splash of glitter.

Remember those gloriously strappy heels and sandals that had a short life in 2014/5?

2018 will be the year where they make a massive come-back, adding straps all the way to the knees for some styles.

Pompoms and beading are also coming in strong, both as an embellishment for these funky sandals and for other footwear.

Slides also have no sign of disappearing in 2018, but instead are dressed up with bold colours and funky elements.

Think pompoms, clear plastic spheres, acrylic flowers.

A huge 2017 trend was sock boots — skin-tight ankle or full-length boots; the shoe equivalent of skinny jeans.

While these shoes have abated a tiny bit, they have been reinvented for 2018 with shorted heel and more sparkle — think sequins or glitter.

Another trend that has hit the runway for summer is replacing an ordinary heel element with a block piece of coloured acrylic, or clean acrylic embedded with dried flowers and the like.

An over-arching fashion trend for 2018 will be colour — think bold turquoise, red, purple, and pastel lavender, yellow, blue.

While this will mostly stick to other items of clothing, there is the opportunity to lash out in footwear with a pair of bold blue boots or slides.