Some fashion rules never change, even in a pandemic. The big one, and also the easiest to follow, is Feet First.
Winter or summer, high or low, footwear can make or break your look. A dowdy shoe will hobble a great outfit, while a great shoe can raise up that old thing from the back of your wardrobe and invest it with contemporary glamour.
And while fashion has got pretty fluid in many respects — this year you can wear a mini or a maxi, straight trousers or wide — when it comes to shoes, there’s always one ‘bang on the money’ look. And for now it’s flat, or flattish.
That’s the first message: Melania Trump’s high-maintenance heels and pencil skirts are out and Kamala Harris-style relaxed trouser suits, jeans and blazers with Converse sneakers are in.
Shane Watson takes inspiration from Kamala Harris (pictured) for embracing this year’s trainers trend
The vice-president-in-waiting likes those shoes so much she’s wearing a black pair on the cover of U.S. Vogue’s February issue. Harris does wear heels, on formal occasions, but the rest of the time her go-to is sneakers (as in trainers you’re wearing for everyday, not for sport) — never anything too high-tech or ugly.
In the few months since we’ve been paying attention, her footwear — usually black, grey or white Converse low tops (£51.99, office.co.uk) — has become a talking point because it’s in step with the way modern women dress.
Right now a woman needs heels like she needs a fur tippet. They look like something your mum insisted you wore — the shoe equivalent of a stuffy bridesmaid’s dress.
Note: please don’t panic if you love your heels. That’s fine, so does Kate Middleton, and there’s room for both.
If you like flats, but think you’re too short to wear them, all the brands do flatforms, including Converse (£69.99, office.co.uk). Or try Russell & Bromley’s white version with a navy heel tab (£195, russell andbromley.co.uk).
Which brings us to the second rule of footwear 2021: go practical but pretty. Not pretty as in rainbows and stars, although Marks & Spencer has a cute star pair (now £9, marks andspencer.com), but lighter, neater and flattering.
Those trainers with ugly splaying soles and mesh uppers are a fashion most of us over-40s have struggled to get our heads around.
We love the attitude of trainers, but only when they’re elegant, or fun. Secretly our hearts lift every time we see the Gucci trainers embroidered with bees and cherries.
So it’s a genuine joy to discover that the old-school styles we were wearing back in the 1990s — modern interpretations of retro track and tennis shoes — are the ones hitting the spot.
The new Gucci canvas 1977 tennis shoe (£435, gucci.com) is the fashion girls’ summer must-have. As was the case in the 1990s, these sneakers are for wearing all the time with everything. Jeans and jumpsuits now, skirts and dresses in summer, and trouser suits should we ever have reason to put them on again.
Shane suggests opting for flatform Vans or Converse, if you need height. Pictured left: Michelle Obama, Pictured right: Jessica Biel
Iconic sportswear brands have as much fashion clout, if not more, than the big fashion labels, so you can look right on the money for the price of a pair of Adidas Gazelles (£69.99, office.co.uk) or grey suede Pumas (£65, jdsports.co.uk).
Veja is still the trainer of choice for women who thought they didn’t do trainers (£115, net-a-porter.com).
Likewise, there’s something about a white sneaker that can instantly freshen up any outfit, providing it’s clean, so if you wear nothing but, it probably pays to have a couple of pairs.
This year I’m going for a plain style from Hush (£50, johnlewis.com) and a retro 1970s Adidas design with red and blue flashes (£25, office.co.uk).
Converse just aren’t comfortable enough for me. Too much canvas, not enough sole.
Instead, I’d opt for slip-on skater shoes from Vans, Kamala Harris’s other favourite brand, in suede (£26.99, schuh.co.uk).
Don’t you wish everything in fashion was this easy?