July 7, 2014

How to know what type of shoes will suit you perfectly

Every woman wants to look great, unique and beautiful from head to toes. We spend a lot of time choosing the clothes that we want to wear, just because we know exactly what will look good on us and what will not. searching for perfect shoes

Shoes are picked as accessories, something that matches the color of a dress, looks good with the shorts etc.

But, If you will pick shoes that will emphasize the best qualities of your legs and hide the worst, you will stop choosing shoes by default, as accessories and start hunting for shoes that will suit your needs. 

Perfect your shoe making skills: What women need?

No matter if you are a shoemaker, making shoes, designer or a woman you always search for perfect shoes. When you will know your clients, the women for whom you make or design shoes, you will create the footwear that will match its target and guaranty your sales.
When you know what type of shoes will fit your body structure perfectly, you will know what to look for.

So in this post, we will examine what type of footwear and design, match certain types of legs.  By the end of this post you will know, which footwear will match your feet, and if shoe making is your passion this is must know guidelines to make shoes for yourself or for clients.

Four types of legs

There are many types and shapes of legs, but I divided it on four. I chose the most common structures of women legs and for each of them what will be the best shoe designs to emphasize their beauty, by hiding not such “perfect” areas.

The first type – Ideal

Perfect legs

Actually, I talk about 3 types, because the first type of legs is the “ideal”, straight legs, where knees and ankles touch each other when you standing.

This is most “boring” legs because they are not inspiring to create something interesting and outstanding, any cheap shoes will look well on them. So if you are women, who have this type of legs, I am sorry, this post is not for you.

Second type -“O” shape.

Curved legs, which I call “O” shape legs, where only ankle bones touch each other when you stand. Actually, no classic shoe type will fit good for this type of leg.

Choose ther shoe

If you, my dear women, the proud owner of “O” shaped legs, don’t cover it with long clothes or pants, don’t worry, here is what you need.

*  You need to find or create the design of shoes, whatever it will be (ballets, pumps, oxford shoes or any other shoe type) with design element above your ankle bones ( the problem zone) to create the visual illusion of a straight line. The asymmetrical top line of the shoes will upgrade your legs even more: make the inner side of top line higher than outer side. 

flat/pumps shoes

*  Ankle boots – Instead of shoes with laces (oxford, derby) wear ankle boots, where the top line is above the ankle bones. It must be wide (not tight) with free entrance.

Ankle boots
For summer season you can make or find ankle boots from light materials (fabric or leather upper without lining) with opened toe or heel.
*  Sandals Don’t wear sandals with a top line that reach your instep line, but sandals, which cover your ankle bones as well, this is kind of a mix of sandals and ankle boots. 
It’s important that these sandals won’t have central seem, central details or horizontal straps, but vertical or asymmetrical design, divided into many colorful details 

Sandal perfect

*  High boot – It must be a boot with a free entrance, so it will lay loose on the leg to cover the gap between knees. The length may reach the knee or higher. 

High boot making

 

The third type – Keyhole

Very similar to the second shape, but there is a curve only between knees and ankle when you are standing straight.  It’s O-shape only below your knees. 
If you have this type of legs construction, the best footwear for you is:

* Boots with free entrance, which not tightly cover your leg and lay freely on it. The ideal length of boots is until the knees.
For summer they can be of fabric, thin upper leather without lining with opened toe or heel. 

Knee boots making

* Cowboy boots with the low cut top line. This low cut on the top will cover the problem zone from the sides and emphasize the straight line of your leg construction 

Cowboy boots making

High sandals –boots. This is mix of sandals and boots with horizontal, diagonal or asymmetrical elements of design will emphasize the beauty of your legs and cover the gap between knees and ankles.

Especially in sandals, it will be perfect if they will be with an asymmetrical cut in top line: closed and semi-loose in the inner side of your legs and opened and tight in the outer side of your legs. 

Boots

 

Fourth type X-shape

Where ankles are apart but knees touch.

You can hide this X-direction of your legs using design and the way to do it, is by creating the visual illusion. 
The trick is simple, you should cover the outer side of your legs and open the inner side. 

Ankle boot making

Boots with length a little bit above the middle of calves.

Boot

Sandals- knee boots: This hybrid of gladiators sandals and boots. Here is important not to create a too narrow central stripe, because instead of improving the look of your legs it will emphasize the X- a direction of it. 

Gladiator sandal making
In all these shoe designs the footwear can be with low heels as well as with high heels. Of course, the footwear with high heels visually will create the illusion of long legs and most of the women prefer them more.

 

Understand your unique physical qualities and upgrade them using right footwear.

There are many other parameters, but in this post, I have concerned only with the shape construction of the legs, but you have also take into account the dimension and the length of your legs.
Here as well the design will help you to use the best qualities of your leg construction and hide the worst.

For example:

*  If you have very thin legs you can visually enlarge them by adding volume to your shoes.

Knee boots to make

*  If your legs are short, wear shoes with platforms, where the platforms are one piece with the upper. Where is no visual line dividing the upper and platform, it will create the illusion of long legs.  

*  If you blessed with full legs, you can wear ankle boots with hidden platforms (as in the point above).

 

Conclusion

If you are buying shoes, making shoes or selling shoes it all comes to satisfaction.
Understanding who is your client, you can create footwear, which will suit most of your potential buyers. That’s mean that you will increase your sales.
Look for right design for yourself, not by test and error. You should know what shoes will fit you perfectly and will make you look great. The awesome thing is that if you can’t find your perfect shoes in stores you can always make them by yourself.

What type of legs you have?

Let me know if this post was helpful for you in the comment below. 

 

 

 

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About the author 

Sveta Kletina

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  1. Sveta , is found this interesting . I will be I will be looking to see how many women follow what you suggest .it makes sence to me.. Just like with anything a designer creates, shoes or cloths of any kind, that’s what I ment I ment when I said what a compliment when you would see some one wearing your creation and feeling that they make it look good. Of course it can always go the other way when you see someone wearing something that just looks awfull on them. You know that’s not what the designer had in mind when they designed if. But to me to see someone wearing something I designed , enjoying it, and making it look good…….. I would be wowed……. What a compliment to see someone making my design look good.

    1. You are absolutely right Mike. I feel the same way and everything I wrote in this post is based on my experience working with my clients. In the end women love the shoes that fit them perfectly and not the trend.

  2. Dear Sveta,

    Thank you for your post. It is an eye opener and i learn a lot out of it. However, i observed that you focus more on boots design for different shapes of leg which might not exactly be applicable to some regions. e.g. Nigeria. I need you to talk and show more drawings on other types of shoes design that will be good for different leg design and occasion.

    Olusola

    1. Olusola ,
      It happened to be that I leave in the warm weather country as well, so I understand your needs. But please note, that I did mentioned sandals and even in boots what I suggested is using fabric and upper without lining. There are many solutions, most of them must be creative. I’ll love to hear yours.
      Sveta

  3. Wow…very much interesting.i am still a newbie in shoe design. many things…i should learn from you. I am feeling lucky, to read this article and thankful for you to share it.

  4. Sveta, I hear women say that they buy shoes for fashion and they don’t care if it is comfortable or not, while I have heard others say they buy a shoe only for comfort. I guess it would depend on where you want to wear them also. So many women in my opinion make bad choises any way you look at it. A style I really like and focus on ,just because I like it and have so many designs for is the ballet flat. I hear women all the time saying stuff like ballet flats are boring, or they just don’t have any support. Well, the shoe is very versatile ,and can be plain. Everything doesn’t need to be highly decorated with a bunch of studs,sparkly or dangling things , or big oversized bows that to me look like air plane wings to be cute and attractive. I do understand there is a place for for these kind of designers, if that is a look you are going for. I just like to keep things plain and simple. Some women to me just over dress period. Too much jewelry,perfume,makeup ect. Whear as they may be just as beautiful with only a little extra attention to these things hear or there, or maybe none at all.Oh , another thought on this is a lot of these same women whear flip flops or sandels all the time. How can you make a poorer choise than that for wearing something with no support?

  5. Really interesting post. presentation and illustration are very informative. thumbs up for your hard work.

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