New shoes and make them strappy

Jules, the winner of our Christmas Upper Street competition was definitely onto something with her design. Like her shoe, the fanciest and my favourite new pairs all seem to be sporting an ankle strap. I love little style shifts like this at this time of year when sales racks start to look tired, you're longing for something new and shiny and summer is a distant dream. It's a wonderfully practical trend too. If you're a totterer in heels like me, the ankle strap will help with the whole stabilising thing and it means I can dare to go for a slightly larger heel, like these sublime Betty shoes from Shelley (another delightful discovery, I'd no idea Shelley were still around). These come in red and black too and are currently reduced to £45, so you won't be strapped for cash (ho ho).

Another gorgeous use of an ankle strap. I managed to resist Whistles's Mai Tai shoes in red but, now they've released the bordeaux version, it looks like a vintage that's too good to miss. Another subtle style shift: shoes seem to be getting pointy again. These are the kind of shoes I'd like to wear when I'm a grown-up (and have a spare £125 to buy them with).

Foxy by name, foxy by nature: these Office Foxy shoes are worthy of a vintage vixen. In this case, the ankle strap makes a nice change from the traditional T-bar while the cut-outs on the toe makes them a little less school-marmy. These are £62.

Anthropologie's City Centre flats have used a double ankle strap to prettify a classic shoe shape. The bonus of these is that they won't embarrass you like a standard ballet flat, flipping off as you run for a bus or are attempting to mind that gap on public transport. A bonus worth the £118 price tag though?

I'm loving the metallic heel and the gold strap buckle on these ASOS Story shoes for a touch of glam on the sly. Mid-height heels that don't look too frumpy are a cause for celebration indeed. Available for a very reasonable £40, I think they'll have me point heeling until springtime.

Or for full-on gilt without the guilt, these Latin shoes from Kurt Geiger have the glamour of the metallic and all the practicalities of a flat. Perfect for the days when you're pretending you haven't really got dressed up at all. They're £95 and also come in black, white or silver, though my heart definitely lies with this delightful rose gold shade.