2011 shoes: the year’s trends

Actress Hayden Panettiere rocks the boots in the summer trend with a cool tank, denim shorts and tan legs.

CHUNKY HEELS: Great with flouncy skirts and tights, skinny jeans or the big jean silhouette this past fall: Bell bottoms! These espresso brown platforms from Trouve were my wear everywhere shoe this fall.

ANIMAL PRINT: A sort of organic extension of the wild colors, color blocking and patterned shoes and more evidence that the shoe was aiming to be the focal point of any outfit this past year. Animal prints appeared on everything from pumps (such as the earlier photo of my leopard-print spiked heels) to girly flats.

GIRLY FLATS: The bright color trend extended to these pretty woven ballet flats by Moschino, but the "girly flat" -- be-ribboned, bowed and pointy toed -- offered a stylish alternative to women not quite comfy in towering spikes and platforms.

POINTY TOE: If you only get one new pair of shoes this winter opt for a classic pointy toe pump in a wear-all-year color like this. Texture is also good and, yes, if last summer was any indication you can wear suede any season so long as it's not raining.

POINTY TOES: This classic toe -- perfect for the minimalist trend or the retro '50s, '60s and '80s looks of spring and fall -- began peeking through in 2011. It will probably be even more evident in 2012 because of the movement toward more delicate, no-platform shoes seen on the runways. Those are my feet in my Sam Edelman croc-embossed pumps.

SHINE: A Miu Miu glitter platform sports a curved heel and a rounded toe, a mini trend in pumps. But next year, it's all about the pointy toe.

LOAFER PUMPS: The sexy secretary shoe was perfect for feminine but unflashy fashionista looking for a sturdy shoe that wasn't a wedge. Great with high-waisted widelegged pants and a bow blouse or a cute kilt and tights, the chunky heel also became a staple for pumps.

LOAFER PUMPS: The opposite of the studded and spiked trend AND the delicate lady-like no-platform trend? Heeled loafer pumps were everywhere most likely because of the renewed interest in classic '70s silhouettes.

WEDGES: Big for summer and big for fall, this stunner is from Pierre Hardy's Spring Collection. That yellow? Big in fall for clothing, look for it again in 2012

Boots came in all shapes and sizes. This studded and strapped peep toe bootie rocks the wedge trend seen on everything from sandals to pumps. Gamine girls wore the clunky looking wedges with tights and cute dresses or rolled up skinny legged pants, anything to show off the shoe's innate chunkiness.

BOOTS (again): Flat boots like these, whether they were moto, military, work or utility style, became the go-to footwear here in Orange County. Walk through South Coast Plaza and you can't throw a rock without hitting a slim-legged fashionista in flat boots, skinny jeans or leggings and comfy top. The ones in the photo are B. Brian Atwood pony skins.

BOLD COLOR: Brian Atwood hits the 5 "Ps" ( pretty, pink, peep-toe, platform pump) in this fuchsia suede shoe. Note, the thin CURVED heel (two trends in one shoe!). Saturated hues like this popped up in the spring and sailed through summer into fall and winter during 2011.

BOOTS!: Boots were bigger than ever this year (here is an array of boots from B Brian Atwood at South Coast Plaza) with some women even wearing them in the summer!

SKINS: B Brian Atwood - Designer Brian Atwood's version of "affordable" shoes -- launced at Saks Fifth Avenue at South Coast Plaza on October 13. This drool-worthy platform sports the embellished heel style in a faux snakeskin.

... The "Scarlett". The pretty t-strap incorporates three trends: Spikes and Studs, no platform and snakeskin.

Sam Edelman's "Lorissa" pump (here are mine in leopard print) offset a classic peep toe silhouette with dangerous looking studs, rhinestones and spikes and set off a frenzy for the shoe which was produced in dozens of colors and eventually different styles such as ..

SPIKES/STUDS: 3-D wasn't just big in movies. Dimension was added to boots, pumps, platforms and sandals in the form of spikes and studs. The hardware (often concentrated on the heel) added edge and heft to softer styles and gave clean-lined clothes a fierce aesthetic.

Here, Walter Steiger's iconic convex curved heel references another 2011 trend: studded and spiked shoes.

THE NEW HEELS: High heels were no longer just thin and straight. In 2011 they came in chunks and curves. The so-called "Steiger heel" was mimicked and adapted on shoes from Miu Miu and to Jeffrey Campbell.

Or you can wear them with a contrasting pattern as I did here with my "cirque du soleil" leggings and Jessica Simpson color blocked sandals. A tad over the top, which is why I wore a plain black tunic and white tuxedo jacket on top.

COLOR BLOCK/PATTERNS: Yep, spring and summer 2011 brought a riot of colors and patterns to feet, like these yummy examples in this collage of Christian Louboutin shoes. The great thing about shoes like these? They can be THE statement for a simple outfit or ...

I went crazy for boldly colored shoes this year (OK, I went crazy for SHOES - again -- this year) and especially in suede. (It just seems to hold the color better than leather). I mixed the orange, green and peacock shoes with contrasting or complimentary colors to ride the color blocking trend, which brings us to ...