The Next Big: Footwear Face-Off

Ladies and . . . well, ladies: In this corner, we bring you the heavyweight wedge. Height! Glamour! Versatility! Style! And in the other corner, we have the lightweight flat: Stamina! Comfort! Casualness! And, yes, style! So which is this summer's sure-fire shoe? "That's a hard one," says Emilie Blaze, co-owner of Ruxton's The Little Shoebox. "The wedge is adorable with sundresses—fun and flirty," says Blaze. "The flat is reminiscent of Katharine Hepburn—feminine and casual." A smart woman, she says, will have both in her closet, "because a woman changes her mind every other minute." (And her feet get tired.) If she had to pick a winner? Hands (er, feet) down, it's the wedge, says Blaze. She loves the ribbons that tie around the ankle, the height (four and a half inches, gulp!) and the cork heels. But . . . but . . . but what about those yummy sunflower colored Italian leather ballet flats? Looks like a split decision.