By Melissa Singer
I don't know about you but my winter shoe shuffle goes something like this: brown boot, black boot, brown boot, black heel – ouch – sneaker. Hooray, weekend!
But as we approach the last (official) month of winter, it's time to inject a little sparkle into your shoe wardrobe.
You don't have to be walking the red carpet to make silver shoes work for you. The key is choosing the level of bling that makes you comfortable.Credit: Ian Gavan
Enter the metallic flat, the smart woman's alternative to the white sneaker when she feels like being that little bit more adult (ie at work) but not quite feeling like a boot or a black lace-up (cue school shoe vibes).
With styles ranging from brogue to mule and loafer, the metallic shoe – particularly in silver – is a great trans-seasonal staple, giving a high-shine contrast to neutral outfits and makes some brights pop, especially yellows, blues and greens. Personally, I would avoid wearing them with reds and oranges but this is definitely a shoe that warrants experimentation, so dive on in.
Metallic shoes look spring fresh with white, or with a metallic skirt for a tone-on-tone look. Credit: Frazer Harrison
Who's doing it
The silver sneaker is one of the favourite off-duty shoes for celebrities popping out for a coffee, or pounding the streets of Manhattan, in the case of Girls creator Lena Dunham. Jessica Alba has several pairs of metallic kicks, including a pair of gold Converse Chuck Taylors and the space-age Gerard Darel velcro numbers pictured here.
Dynamite with denim ... Jessica Alba wears a silver velcro sneaker by Gerard Durel with boyfriend jeans.Credit: GONZALO/Bauer-Griffin
How to wear it
Remember, a shoe that pops as much as a metallic flat is going to draw attention downwards. Keep that in mind when you're choosing your top – by all means go all out but people will be looking at your feet.
A metallic shoe is also a great pair with an ankle-length pleated skirt, like an exclamation point at the end of a long sentence.
And of course, it's the perfect shoe for a pair of three-quarter navy pants for the office, or your off-duty denim.
For something a little different, try wearing a silver flat with pretty ankle socks.Credit: Thomas Lohnes
Where to get the look
If you're new to the metallic shoe brigade, try a softer interpretation of the look, such as this trainer by Superga. If you're already comfortable with a bit of bling below the ankle, then why not experiment with a dressier style, such as this brogue from Kurt Geiger. Want to go the full mirror ball effect? Then these Alexander McQueen platform sneakers are your go-to shoe.