MUST HAVE SHOES FOR THE SUMMER

“I don’t know who invented high heels, but all women owe him a lot!” - Marilyn Monroe

Shoes...Shoes! Shoes! Shoes! I honestly can't even begin to describe my obsession. Above all other fashion necessities, the perfect shoe is the most important part of an outfit. No matter HOW much weight you gain (or lose if you're one of the lucky few), your shoes will always be there for you...I guess unless you're one of those weird ones whose feet grow? Wait...does that happen?

Anyway...back to SHOES! Besides fabulous sandals, for the summer I believe you need great heels. Heels really accentuate your legs aka they make you feel skinnier and make your legs look longer. Unfortunately not all of us have Cameron's legs-ugh! Okay, okay, my shoe picks that I have recently bought are below.

*I am a personal assistant, EVERYTHING on this page is affordable, I do not have the IBanker budget most of you recent grads do! I am also NEVER afraid of letting you all now how great of a deal I got, so I will always let you know where I purchased the shoes and about how much I paid. Some items will be more expensive than others and I'll explain my reasoning of why I decided to pay more!

OLD NAVY!!! $20 They are perfect because

A. They're cheap, duh

B. They have the braid in them which is pretty popular now

C. They're metallic which I think is SO fun for the summer

Jeffrey Campbell IBIZA. I got these at Shoe Inn, I think they were a little more expensive BUT I bought them last season and am still wearing them. Great because not only are they gladiators but they're not the high ones that only girls with super skinny calves can wear! (Is that the correct spelling of calves...) I think they're super cute.

Another Jeffrey Campbell IBIZA...great find. I got them at Lord & Taylor, super cheap. They have a hint of Slumdog Millionaire Indian theme to them and look great with white jeans and a simple top. Everyone needs a great pair of summer flats for the more casual events, although I don't think I'd wear these with a dress. But jean shorts, definitely!

I bought these Clergerie shoes at The Penny Pincher Boutique in Bedford, NY. (It's the most amazing consignment store in Westchester NY...we'll get to that later). Anyway, I had been in love with these shoes when I was younger and could never afford them. Ahhh the beauty of consignment stores...

HOW cute would these look when you're tan and have a little white or black dress-perfect. I think a great pair of non-fancy heels are perfect for beach-esque parties. They'll make your outfit look 10x better than flats without screaming "I'm wearing heels!"

Michael by Michael Kors (probably my top ten affordable shoe designer). I bought these in the winter at Lord & Taylor but am definitely carrying these into the summer. They're about 5 inches high and as comfortable as slippers-it's the front platform that gives you that comfort fyi. They're very geometrically stimulating, big and bulky-in this season. I usually wear them with black opaque tights so I'm going to need some new ideas!

The best thing that ever happened to me-my very first pair of Louboutins. (To anyone who's already mocking my "affordable" remark earlier-I got them on sale on vacation FYI!)

They're great not just because of the red sole that makes every outfit 100x better but because CL has really perfected the art of making the toes in the peep toe look so cute! They're high but you do not notice it! I've only recently gotten into espadrilles after borrowing a pair from a friend. Now they've made my top ten must have list for summer. I've paired these with a light, summery, white dress and it looked great if I do say so myself!

Ahh, the $40 Calvin Kleins (on sale at Bloomindales NOW-I convinced my best friend to buy them in black too!) I must admit I am very averse to any type of wood on shoes, I know everyone loves it, but I just can't for some reason. It was the very light pink leathery/animal skin-looking craftsmanship that I fell in love with. They will look great with tan legs this summer AND everyone always says how tan/cream colors make legs look longer so, shoes-work your miracles! Since I do not get that tan, in order to wear these I will need to make many trips to the tanning salon and beach.

Side note-I wore them with dark blue skinny jeans and they looked so great. Oh, and they are NOT the high shoes that are comfortable, I by accidentally had to take my shoes off at the restaurant-oops! So, they have their ups and downs. They're cheap, beautiful and will elongate your legs but your feet will pay the price.