SERGIO ROSSI Ballerina flat Short heel wedge Square stacked heel
RELATED VIDEO Stepping out with fabulous footwear; Elsa Klensch reports Windows Media 28K 80K

In this story: Chunky soles or pointy heels Move along in mules Sporty sandal styles RELATED STORIES, SITES

March 3, 1999
Web posted at: 10:39 p.m. EST (0339 GMT)

From Style Correspondent Elsa Klensch

(CNN) -- For spring/summer, it's the flat sandal that stands out as the shoe for day. Feminine straps on geometric shapes make the strongest statement.

Evening is sexy as the heels go higher and straps get even thinner.

Three European designers are stepping out with the trends -- Omberline's Maud de Marco, Walter Steiger in Paris and Milan's Sergio Rossi.

Rossi plays with several themes including '70s color blocking, bohemian beading and touches of Asia.

"This collection is designed to fit with today's fashions -- so as the influences hit the clothes, they filter down to the feet," he says. "The flat and low heels are especially important. They're comfortable and go with long skirts for spring and summer."

Rossi does pancake-flat ballerina and slipper looks in super-soft napa leather.

He says while metallics continue to be popular, patent leather also shines, especially in the wedge -- one of his consistent best sellers.

"A wedge is sporty and looks great in all colors of the collection," Rossi says. "Our sandals are mostly neutrals: brown, bone, white and black."

MAUD DE MARCO

Platform thong Sequin flat Morrocan mule

For toe shape, the designer says it should be nearly a square, but somewhat slanted. Heels include a short heel on a sole that curves up at the toe and a square stacked heel. For evening, the look goes higher with a nail head stiletto.

"And the new strap is like lingerie," Rossi says. "It's nylon and caresses the foot around the ankle."

In Paris, de Marco says the super-flat sandal looks best with long skirts and straight pants. Hers sparkle with rhinestones, sequins and metallic suede.

"This season I'm using metallics in the greys -- very icy, the white and the beige, something like the color of skin," she says.

Other looks include the platform thong and mules.

"I did the Morrocan mule with a patchwork with every kind of material," de Marco says.

WALTER STEIGER

Sporty flat African print High heel plastic

Steiger says the return to flats is a reaction to the sleek stilettos of the past several seasons. But he sees the need for both.

His flats are sporty with elastic and Lycra-rubber soles. They are shaped to the foot with nothing exaggerated.

For a sculpted, higher heel, Steiger takes an ethnic approach with a stylized print.

"I have a group that I call African," he says. "They're also hand-painted or with straw in an animal print -- always with beige, brown and black."

Steiger takes a lighter approach with shoes of plastic.

"It's the invisible shoe in plastic," he says. "I made it on a high heel and I also made a chrome bottom heel."