Here at Upper Street we’ve got our eyes firmly fixed on the lower heel trend this season – when the catwalks suggest that we should walk around in style and comfort all day, we’re not going to disagree.

As seen at Valentino, Richard Nicoll and Moschino Cheap & Chic, a fabulous shoe that you can walk, run and skip in should you desire is very appealing to any shoe lover. Most of our core shoe styles are available with a low heeled options so take a look at some of our favourite lower heel designs below for inspiration…

The 3 inch demi heel gives added height but you can walk comfortably in it – courts and peep toe styles are both practical choices for AW12.

Natural snakeskin peep toe

Natural snakeskin is a great way to wear neutrals and when it comes to accessories, its a perennial classic. These natural snakeskin peep toes with a black snakeskin heel and silver metal buckle would make the perfect heel to take you effortlessly from work wear through to the evening. This design is also available with a 1.5″ and 3.75″ heel height – just select your choice at the checkout stage.

Camel gold patent round toe court

This elegant glossy camel patent round toe court design is given a luxe update with a gold snakeskin heel and asymmetrical panel of gold snakeskin and leopard print. We’d wear these with dresses and skirts by day but they’d also look amazing with skinny jeans for an evening out.

The kitten heel is a classic shape and back in updated form for AW12. At Upper Street you can put your own personal style stamp on this design and don’t limit your options to pointed courts – try a round toe or sandal option too.

Black and gold pointed court brogue

We love this pointed court that takes a classic brogue design and adds an Upper Street twist by contrasting stunning gold leather with black patent. This design would work beautifully in a host of contrasting or tonal shades – take a look at our extensive range of colours and materials for more inspiration.

Violet satin round toe court

Be a vibrant vision in violet Italian satin with this elegantly designed round toe court with its violet leather heel and Swarovski jewel cluster embellishment. A beautiully sophisticated shoe for glamourous evenings out…and with the lower heel, you can dance until dawn a la Audrey Hepburn!

Snakeskin kitten sandal

The classic kitten heel is re-designed by Grazia’s Deputy Fashion News and Features Editor, Hannah Almassi. Hannah used natural snakeskin on a simple front and easy back strap design then put her own stamp on the shoe with a red snakeskin bow and heel – we love!

Go low without going flat. Our 1.5 inch peep toe option gives an elegant lift – great for a more sophisticated shoe when flat is simply too casual.

Burgundy peep toe

This rich boozy hue is still a big hit this season to these burgundy patent leather peep toes with a snakeskin counter back and bow make for the perfect AW12 shoe. Wear with chic tailoring to the office or pair with a little black dress right through the party season.

Whether you opt for the grown up classic demi heel, the sophisticated chic of the kitten or the loveliest of lows, at Upper Street there’s something to tempt every shoe lover. Check out our lower heel option design guide and shoe galleries for more design inspiration.

Come and visit our Upper Street Studio in London. Whether you’d like to try shoes on before ordering, view our samples and material swatches or need help with designing your shoes, we’re help to help you.

To book a free Studio appointment, email iloveshoes@upperstreet.com or call us on 0845 680 9365.

You can also order the full range of luxurious materials from our Swatch Store. Whether you’d like to experience the richness of our suedes, feel the silken quality of our sumptuous Italian satins or visualise our glossy patents as a shoe, you can order as many swatches as you want!

Upper Street – the made-to-order luxury shoe label where you can design your own shoes and have them delivered right to your door.

Image source: Style.com

As any woman who has experienced pregnancy will know, the effect it has on your body can range from the minor inconveniences to the major discomforts. One key point is to make sure that you feel your very best throughout – maintaining your sense of style helps retain a sense of self as you embark on the journey to motherhood.

We’ve teamed up with Vanessa Knox, the fashion designer and stylish mum whose eponymous label specialises in affordable luxury and classic silhouettes for maternity and beyond. Together with some uniquely fabulous Upper Street  shoe designs, we bring you our guide to head to toe pregnancy style.

It’s important to look after your feet whilst pregnant – some women experience an increase in the size of their feet so the decision to wear heels or not is a very personal one. If you choose to forgo heels for a few months, you don’t need to sacrifice style with an Upper Street design. Leopard print is a perennial favourite and this classic ballet flat with metallic leather bow and counter back makes a for a chic alternative

Large bow leopard ballet flat

Avoid compromising style for your maternity wear by choosing a few good key pieces that will take you through your pregnancy and beyond. The Colette portrait neck maternity top in soft jersey is both feminine and versatile – wear with Gigi Capri or Alexis maternity trousers and your Upper Street ballet flats!

A nude heel is always a versatile shoe to have at your disposal – these nude patent platform courts are a justifiable, feel-good investment as not only will they go with your entire maternity wardrobe but you can wear them with everything else post pregnancy too! You can choose the lower heeled option at checkout stage – the 3.5″ heel and 0.25″platform may be more comfortable during the later stages of pregnancy.

Nude patent platform court shoes with bow

This clever Floria dress is a faux wrap design that gently swathes your bump to create a sleek silhouette and is the perfect dress to take you from the office on to the evening. We love the nude heels worn with the rich emerald shade of the dress – perfect for this season and beyond.

Being pregnant doesn’t have to mean being mumsy – hang on to your inner rock chic with these cobalt suede ballet flats with their subtle sprinkling of stud embellishment. Perfect for a weekend lunch with the girls or dressing down your office look.

Cobalt suede studded ballet flats

As well as looking fabulous with heels, we think the Lucia body con dress would work really well with these cobalt ballet flats. The flattering scoop neck and peek-a-boo shoulder detail lift this dress out of the ordinary and it’s sure to become a go to piece throughout your pregnancy.

The 3” heel on these natural snakeskin peep toes provide a comfortable height and with a smart silver buckle, this shoe design would provide the perfect finishing touch for so many outfits. For a more playful feel, design your mid-heel shoes with a bow or add a contrasting counter back.

Natural snakeskin peep toe shoes

Just as we like to customise shoes at Upper Street, you can customise the Hallie dress by experimenting with the soft jersey swathes. Wear open or tie to the front or back – a truly versatile piece to help boost your maternity wardrobe and make you look and feel great.

We think these four looks with their clean lines and fabulous footwear would cover so many occasions. Give some thought to your normal routine and daily activities then plan what you’re going to invest in – this way you’ll get the most mileage from all the key pieces in your maternity wardrobe.

Take a look at the myriad of Upper Street shoe designs and explore the fabulous maternity clothing on offer at Vanessa Knox to ensure you and your bump step out in style!

Come and visit our Upper Street Studio in London. Whether you’d like to try shoes on before ordering, view our samples and material swatches or need help with designing your shoes, we’re help to help you.

To book a VIP appointment, email iloveshoes@upperstreet.com or call us on 0845 680 9365.

Upper Street – the made-to-order luxury shoe label where you can design your own shoes and have them delivered right to your door.

All Upper Street shoes come in a huge range of sizes from the petite 33 (UK 1.5) to the generous 43 (UK 10) with 4 width fittings. We also offer free alterations to fit and we’re so confident that you’ll love your final design that we’ll refund you if you don’t!

Something we frequently hear from our customers who have larger feet is that it’s very difficult to find shoes that not only fit well but are beautiful and stylish too. With many brands not stocking anything over a size 41 (UK 8, US 11), it can be really disappointing to be unable to walk away with a shoe that makes your heart beat faster.

At Upper Street you can design your own fabulous shoes up to size 43 (UK 10, US 12) in our full range of shoe styles, materials and embellishments. To help assist with any shoe style dilemmas you might have, take a look at the most frequently asked questions from some of our previous customers.

Silver leather round toe court shoe

Design a shoe in tonal shades of the same colour and experiment with our asymmetric panel or counter back and toe cap features to help break up the design. We love this silver leather round toe court shoe for simplistic elegance. Visit our shoe designer and experiment with blocks of different colour that will also help to break up the line of the shoe.

Neutral snakeskin platform sandal

Steer clear of fine strappy detailing and instead choose a broad strap design such as these neutral snakeskin platform sandals for sunny days. Horizontal straps have an amazing effect as they create a mid-line across the foot thereby bringing focus to the width as opposed the length.

Ultra purple peep toe shoe

A heeled silhouette breaks up the line of a larger foot and the extra inches on the heel appear to shave inches from the length. If you’re not used to a higher heel then choose our elegant 3″ heel in the form of a round toe court shoe or opt for a peep toe shoe such as this one in ultra purple satin with a structured bow front.

Burgundy patent pointed court shoe

Darker shades have a slimming effect – try navy, forest green or chocolate brown or any of the other rich hues available in our huge range of colours & materials as a welcome alternative to the standard black. We love these boozy burgundy patent pointed courts with their triple strap detail and think they make the perfect day to evening shoe.

Violet satin gem ballet flat

Yes! Choose one of our ballet flats and add striking accents such as a gem cluster, studded toe cap or matching small bow and ankle strap. These violet satin ballet flats are perfect for partying in style and comfort with their turquoise bow, piping and thin ankle strap and added sparkle from the Swarovski crystal gem.

We hope that’s inspired you to get creative and design your own unique shoes, whether you’re after the perfect everyday heel or something for a special occasion. For more inspiration take a look at our feature on designing shoes for larger feet.

Come and visit our Upper Street Studio in London. Whether you’d like to try shoes on before ordering, view our samples and material swatches or need help with designing your shoes, we’re help to help you. And if you book for July or August 12, we’re offering free Pimms and strawberries with appointments.

To book a VIP appointment, email iloveshoes@upperstreet.com or call us on 0845 680 9365.

If you can’t make it the studio but still want to see our full range of luxurious materials, visit our Swatch Store. Whether you’d like to experience the richness of our suedes, feel the silken quality of our sumptuous Italian satins or visualise our glossy patents as a shoe, you can order as many swatches as you want!

Upper Street - the made-to-order luxury shoe label where you can design your own individual shoes and have them delivered right to your door.

In this Upper Street masterclass we turn our attention to the problems faced by those with petite feet – finding the right shoe design without it looking too cutesy can be something of a challenge.

You want your shoes to look elegant, stylish and grown up, so why not add unique into the equation and design a shoe to flatter your small but perfectly formed feet? Take a look at some dilemmas faced by previous dainty footed clients and take inspiration for your own ideas…

Marine snakeskin T-bar sandal

A T-bar sandal is the perfect grown up shoe shape and manages to combine sexiness and elegance whilst the strap down the middle of the foot gives an illusion of length. These metallic marine snakeskin T-bar sandals with Swarovski crystal embellishment would make the perfect evening heel and can be worn all year round – a worthwhile investment for your shoe wardrobe!

Camel black patent round toe court shoe

A mid heel height is perfect for small feet as the proportions of a high heel can make the foot look even smaller by shortening it. We think this D’Orsay cut round toe in camel and black patent leather is a classic design with a modern contemporary twist and one that would liven up work wear tailoring.

Cobalt suede pointed court shoe

The bonus of having smaller feet is that you can afford to be bold with your choices and where better to experiment with colour than our Upper Street shoe designer? Take advantage of tiny tootsies and design a shoe with a pop of colour like these pointed court shoes in cobalt suede with their striking asymmetric front in yellow patent and snakeskin.

Zebra ballet flat

With our ballet flat options, the sky’s the limit when it comes to material, features and embellishment! Animal print and studs bring your shoe stylishly into grown up territory – take a look at the extensive choice on offer at Upper Street. These zebra ballet flats are turned into a real statement shoe by the addition of a large emerald green snakeskin flower.

White patent peep toe

Why not try a mid or kitten heel? Browse our Shoe Styles Guide to see the heel height options available, design your perfect shoe and simply select the heel of your choice at the checkout stage. These white patent peep toes with a blue structured bow and red heel would make the perfect summer shoe for every social occasion.

Don’t forget Upper Street shoes are available in sizes starting at 33 (UK 1.5, US 3) so even petite feet can now step out in bespoke style! For more inspiration and shoe design ideas, take a look at our feature on designing shoes for smaller feet.

Come and visit our Upper Street Studio in London. Whether you’d like to try shoes on before ordering, view our samples and material swatches or need help with designing your shoes, we’re help to help you.

To book a VIP appointment, email iloveshoes@upperstreet.com or call us on 0845 680 9365.

If you can’t make it the studio but still want to see our full range of luxurious materials, we’ve now opened our Swatch Store. Whether you’d like to experience the richness of our suedes, feel the silken quality of our sumptuous Italian satins or visualise our glossy patents as a shoe, you can order as many swatches as you want!

Upper Street – the made-to-order luxury shoe label where you can design your own shoes and have them delivered right to your door.