What woman does not appreciate a nice pair of shoes? This is one necessity that doubles as an accessory. Shoes should make a woman feel beautiful and comfortable. 

Whether you wear heels with a nice dress, a pair of flats with skinny jeans, sneakers for an active lifestyle or sandals with straps and designs; it is the one important part of an outfit that finishes off your look and makes you stand out.

When I go shopping, my favorite places to go are shoe stores. I came across a pair of heels just last week that made me do a double take.  I personally love high heel shoes, boots especially. I have seen footwear with all sorts of decorative materials glued and sewed on them, giving a standard looking shoe a little dazzle. 

When it comes to stepping out in style and in the right direction,  please don’t settle for do- it- yourself iron on appliqués,  tacky snap-on rhinestones and those awful dyes that bleed in the rain.  You could seriously risk an embarrassing and sloppy looking wardrobe malfunction, if they fall apart while you are strutting your stuff.

The hottest shoe designers got you covered but sometimes the price is just too expensive for your budget.  When it comes to quality and satisfying that need for the perfect pair, you would be surprised that you can find name brand high end shoes at places like T.J Maxx and Ross.  But what about those hard to find patterns and designs? There has to be someone out there that makes shoes to order.

Since I am a size 8-8.5 (depending on the brand) I have to order straight from the company. For example, Timberland has a great website for getting the right pair of boots. I have also noticed other shoe makers offering custom made shoes as well. That is a perfect service for a shoe lover.

Men should not feel left out of the shoe department or be afraid to show a little personal style.  I am seeing more men outside of business who are getting into the dress shoes too. I found a variety of shoes for the classy gentleman with a taste for decorative applications on footwear. One such celebrity that I notice being just as stylish as his wife is, Soccer superstar David Beckham. He is not afraid to try edgy fashion and unique footwear.

Another celebrity that has an interesting and large shoe collection is Mariah Carey. She actually has one whole section of her house dedicated to her footwear.  This new mom is one that likes to put the bling in her shoe collection.  I can’t wait to see what kind of shoes she puts on her twins.

Custom designs and decorative application is a form of unique style and Fashion art, with many different usages. This fashion technique does not have to be limited to shoes. Handbags, clothing and even hair accessories are becoming more popular these days.  

You can find a variety of ideas, designs, patterns and colors that can be applied to almost anything.  Just see what the celebrities are wearing in magazines or on TV and even observing at events and parties that you attend. I’m sure you will notice all the great ways decorative application is used.