Spring in your step Pump up your wardrobe with eco-conscious shoes

By Samantha Critchell The Associated Press

The season's shoe news is all about the materials, with the natural look of wood or cork embracing the sandy color palette that dominates this spring.

Spring shoes also are complementing the crisper nautical styles and offer toned-down alternatives to dark leather stilettos in a season with so many mini-dresses.

They also seem to embody the whole movement toward green fashion, as in eco-conscious, not the color. (Not to say that the shoes are necessarily environmentally friendly -- they just look that way.)

For many women, shoes are the easiest way to tap into the trends when their clothes are more real-life than runway.

And that's easy to do this spring. A banker could wear patent peep-toes with a suit, and a creative type could wear metallic ballet flats with her loose shift dress over capris.

A new mom can feel more pulled together in espadrilles -- comfortable enough to go the distance with a stroller -- with long, lace-up ribbons around her legs.

Medium-height heels can be as sexy as towering ones, says Jessie Randall, founder and creative director of footwear company Loeffler Randall. She says her most popular heels are about 2½ inches high.

"They're a small heel by fashion standards, but they'll give you a lift."

She also is offering cork-covered shoes dotted with metallic flecks that end up working as a versatile neutral color. Randall is particularly interested in shoes that are easy to wear since she's an expectant mother. She thinks she'll continue to wear her leather boots with a slight wedge heel even as the seasons change.

But spring boots -- and you'll see more of these this year too -- shouldn't look heavy, she says. Look for lighter colors and fabrics, and steer clear of clunky heels.

Other shopping hints:

• Artistry equals high fashion, says Michelle Scobie, lead merchant at ShoeMall.com. Interesting patterns are being woven into rope heels, and platforms are sculpted and curvy.

Manufacturers also are experimenting with textured patent leathers, adding funkiness to a traditional look.

"With all the neutral clothes, you can pump it up with shoes. There's not as much of an investment in a wild-print shoe than a wild-print pant," Scobie says. "And it's easier to digest too."

But there is still a place for shiny patent. Salvatore Ferragamo has a notable patent-leather slingback with a chunky cracked-mirror heel.

• Clear acrylic heels and metallic embellishments create an unmistakable modern look.

"The other side of natural is futuristic. Metals and Lucite are matching up with the '80s revival," says Jennifer Gosselin, vice president of merchandising and planning for Piperlime, the online shoe store from Gap Inc.

Lucite is a trend worth trying, says stylist Gina La Morte, known online as "The Style Doctor," although you need to wear these shoes with the right attitude.

The clear wedge looks best with a simple outfit, perhaps a white trumpet-style dress, chunky silver bracelets and oversized sunglasses, she suggests.

Beverly Gordon, head of the environment, textiles and design department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, thinks the interest in Lucite, first big on shoes in the 1950s, could be a commentary on the modern attitude toward privacy.

"We might not articulate that, but we're interested in transparency. ... We're open to be seen -- with blogs and people using Web cams on themselves. A sense of privacy has really broken down," Gordon says.

Peep-toes also tap into a bit of voyeurism.

There were open-toe shoes before the 1940s but that's when they started to be called peep-toe shoes to imply a sexual overtone, Gordon says.

Plus, she says, women are spending huge amounts of money on pedicures, hoping someone else will notice their toes.

• Peep-toes can also be a practical bridge between wintery pumps and too-bare sandals, says Scobie, and they meet most social (and office-attire) standards.

Plus, you can wear them with hosiery.