Hobbs ‘Alana’ court shoes, £149

Never has there been a better time to be a fan of the mid-heel court shoe.

Well, RARELY has there been a better time, anyway.

Up until fairly recently, shoe shoppers had two basic options: super-high heels, or very, very low ones. Sure, there were a few styles in that tricky, mid-heigh range, but they tended to be the kind of frumpy, “sensible” shoes that you might buy if you absolutely HAD to, but which wouldn’t exactly set your heart a-racing. Over the last couple of years, however, we’ve been noticing a steady increase in the number of shoes in this particular style, and many of them are very far from frumpy.

Take these Hobbs ‘Alana’ courts, for instance. They may be “just” a standard pair of black shoes, but look at the attention to detail: a sophisticated low vamp, a cut-away side, a curvy heel and an elegantly pointed toe all point towards the kind of shoes that could become an indispensable part of your working wardrobe – and no one would ever use the word “frumpy” to describe them, either.

How would you wear these shoes?

I found these in the occasion wear section, but although they would work perfectly well for evenings out, I actually think they’re the kind of shoes that would take you just about anywhere. For this look, I’ve shown them as part of the type of casual-but-smart outfit you might wear for a bit of shopping, or a smart(ish) lunch with friends. I’ve used classic, basic pieces like a pair of black trousers and a stretchy top, dressed up with a gorgeous silk scarf (Which has now found its way on to my Wish List) and this amazing coat, in the current must-have powder blue colour:

What to wear with mid-heel shoes:

Bag | Coat | Scarf | Jeans | Top