I have a tiny shoe addiction… but you would barely notice it next to my bag obsession. Shoes and bags are among my favourite things to buy, probably because they can be worn with so much, totally change the OOTD and also, no matter how you’re feeling about your size, shoes and bags will still look great. Anyhow, I lost the run of myself slightly recently, and bought a lot of shoes within a few days. By writing this post I can share my super shoe picks with you and assuage some of the guilt in the name of research!

Buffalo shoes

I was on the hunt for black suede stilettos to replace my well-worn pair from Office.  One of my best friends and fellow dedicated shopper, Erica, told me about a pair of gorgeous gold shoes she had bought for a wedding outfit in Buffalo on Exchequer Street for €109. I had completely forgotten about Buffalo for shoes and was very keen on her pair, especially when she told me that they came in every colour – so I tried her gold pair on & loved them!

I’m a very impatient shopper and decided to see if they were available online and they were, and in so many gorgeous colours. They were €99.90 online and €9.90 for delivery, so around the same price as in store…but if you’re getting more than one pair, you’ll only be charged for delivery once, so I was pretty much saving money when I picked out a pair of red patent heels as well!

I’m old-school about heels, so I prefer a no-platform, stiletto heel. I find they suit me best and they’re the most comfortable to walk in for me, which is why I love the Buffalo Party Pump range. However, they do have platform (plateau heels) and sling-back sandals with various heel heights if that’s what you’re looking for. They also have ballerina, sneakers, boots and bags. The pump prices range between €69.90 and €119.90.

You can also get the black ones in patent and these in suede… as well as blue, pink, silver… you get the picture. Here are the choices in red pumps, just to show you the level of choice.

The next pair on my wish list from this gorgeous range are:

New Look Shoes

LifeStyleSmile.com was lucky enough to feature in Xposé magazine this month and I got to style my take on the stripes trend for their “How we wear it” page. I decided to wear a bright orange River Island top with my stripy Lipsy skirt. The shoot reminded me it was time to start adding more colour to my wadrobe for the summer and bright orange is super on trend right now, so I picked up these shoes in New Look for €27.99.

The shoes in New Look can be hit and miss for comfort but they have a wide range at a very reasonable price. If you need yellow slingback stilettos, they will probably have them and you can probably afford them! The comfort factor wasn’t really an issue here as simple court shoes are always fine for me, they have a nice heel height and they also come in bright pink, pale blue and stone; you can’t go wrong.

Dorothy Perkins Shoes

I picked up these mink shoes in DPs for €22, reduced from €32. They look darker in the picture than they actually are; they’re more nude-like mink and therefore go with tons. They aren’t super high but so versatile and were so cheap I couldn’t leave them behind! I like Dorothy Perkins for their low-price work courts and kitten heels. The other brands they carry, Paper Dolls and Head over Heels, have lovely occasion/going-out shoes, I have bought a couple from their ranges for weddings. Bear in mind though, if you buy from those brands online, they are very tricky to return, in that they can’t be returned in store like DP’s own brand.

I am thinking of adding these to my basket as I write this post…oh dear!

Happy shoe shopping!

Claire x