This season's new height (or lack thereof) started at Haider Ackermann's S/S12 show. It's not often that the word 'trend' and 'Haider Ackermann' are used in the same sentence, for he's amongst the rare breed of designs so attune to his own vision that tapping into any big trend is never more than a mere coincidence. Nevertheless, the backless brogues that he showed alongside his low slung masculine trousers last season has had a serious ripple effect. The fact that Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have rarely been spotted without them is a pretty good indicator too.

Don't get me wrong, flats aren't anything new. I mean, what woman doesn't own a ballet flat or three but these styles are different. The feeling is far from conservative and is definitively not only the preserve of women who work in the city or want to be 'taken seriously'. Just like the clothes for fall, it seems that designers are becoming more attune to what women actually need, as opposed to simply pumping out killer heel after killer heel as has been too often been the case. With the world out there being tough enough right, being held back by your shoes of all things doesn't make sense anymore.

While I've always been a sucker to heels - I blame Victoria Beckham's book 'That Extra Half Inch - the idea of a good pair of flats has been growing on me. What with the shows just around the corner, the need to find something practical that takes me from shows to appointments and the odd event or two has become my mission and thankfully, there's a lot of good styles out there. Christian Louboutin, who has been one of the major influencers of the ever increasing height of heels, has even succumbed to the charm of the flat offering a really fun, quirky pair in tartan with studded black toe caps. Charlotte Olympia's kitty loafers have persuaded even the most die hard heels fans to go low and even Chloé have created a great fringed pair that are the perfect nod to this season's masculine feel. My style of choice? A pair of gold chunky brogues from Marni that will I know I'll wear to death.

As the above names show, everyone is doing it and it isn't just the big labels either. ASOS probably have the best selection around from the more classic ballet flat styles to cool loafers and timeless brogues.

Are you convinced?

SHOP THE EDIT: 1. Tartan loafers, £545, Christian Louboutin at Net-A-Porter; 2. Fringed loafers, £505, Chloe at Net-A-Porter; 3. Glitter loafers, £295, Jimmy Choo at Net-A-Porter; 4. Velvet covered leather loafers, £420, Miu Miu at Net-A-Porter; 5. Metallic leather brogues, £370, Marni at Net-A-Porter; 6. Leather and velevt creepers, £310, McQ at Net-A-Porter; 7. Loafer shoes, £38, ASOS;  8. Tassled loafers, £110, Bass Washington at ASOS

See more after the jump

Khloe Kardashian

Yesterday InStyle hosted their 11th annual summer soiree party at The London Hotel in West Hollywood. All of the usual faces were there, like Ashley Tisdale who arrived wearing ERIN by Erin Fetherston and Twilight's Nikki Reed. Those two didn't deliver the best outfits from the night but that aside, the looks were really good.

Khloe Kardashian looked incredible and svete in a black leather dress and simple Christian Louboutin pumps and so did Christa B. Allen wearing Giorgio Armani. My favorite look, though, came from Jaimie King who looked so feminine in tht red one-shouldered dress from the pre-fall Marchesa collection.

See what everyone wore after the jump

Marion Cotillard was lucky enough to be the first celebrity to sport Raf Simons' Dior couture debut on the red carpet and last night, Rachel Weisz became the second.

The actress stepped out at the premiere of her film, 'The Bourne Legacy, in New York wearing a black strapless calf-length dress with a high side slit from the collection and everything about it works. While Weisz may not always set you alight with her magazine covers, her classic approach to red carpet styling generally goes down really well and the simplicity of the dress is the perfect match for her. She finished the look off with Charlotte Olympia's 'Pandora Domino' clutch and Christian Louboutin's 'Bow Bow' sandals.

It's going to be interesting to see which other celebrities get the chance to wear it on the red carpet. Something tells me there won't be many.

Kanye West wearing Christian Louboutin

Christian Louboutin already has two stores in London but in November the brand will open the doors to its first boutique in the UK dedicated to men's shoes and accessories.

According to reports, the store will stock the largest selection of its men's pieces in the UK and will be situated on Dover Street, a stone's throw away from its women's boutique on Mount Street. But this isn't the only men's store the brand is opening. Last September it opened one in Paris and are currently busy working on another one in New York's Meatpacking District, which is set to open in August.

Read more after the jump

To celebrate Christian Loutboutin's anniversary earlier on this year, the brand worked on a short video with Dita von Teese. In the short clip she revealed that red soles have become the standard in the burlesque industry, so much so that girls have resort to painting their soles red to get the look and if recent reports are anything to go by, that's becoming the norm.

Reports Homebase confirmed that sales of gloss red pain have increased by 40 per cent, as female customers are reportedly buying the tester pots to paint their soles of their shoes. 'There was no way I cold afford to buy a pair of Louboutin heels. but I had my heart set on them and felt the pressure to be fashionable at the occasion,' 24 year-old Claire Stevenson revealed. 'I bought a £20 pair of plain black shoes and a tester pot and recreated the designer look at home. I carefully painted the soles, let them dry overnight, and by the next day they were ready to wear.'

Read more after the jump

The promotional tour for the new Spider-Man movie seems to have been going on for a lifetime but despite that, Emma Stone hasn't taken a step out of line as far as her wardrobe is concerned.

For the film's latest premiere held at the Regency Village Theatre in Hollywood last night she sported an ultra feminine white dress with red velvet Rococo embroidery from the Chanel resort 2013 collection. She finished it off by teaming the dress with a pair of 'Just Picks' silver Christian Louboutin heels.

Are you a fan of her look?

Earlier on this week a judge in France's final court of appeal upheld a 2011 decision in favour of Zara allowing them to sell red-soled heels despite claims of copyright infringement made by Christian Louboutin. Today the designer released a statement to clarify that they 'still very much own the trademark to their Pantone-18 'Chinese Red' soles despite the court's conclusion that the 'the terms of Louboutin's trademark registration were too vague'.

'We would like to respond to the recent commentary in various articles from newspapers and blogs regarding the French court decision in the Zara case. Much of the discussion either implies or states that through this ruling we have lost our rights to our world famous Red Sole Trademark,' the statement says. 'We would like to clarify that what has been disputed and canceled is only one French registration of said red sole trademark.' It continues: 'Christian Louboutin continues to own valid and enforceable trademark rights in its Red Sole Trademark, including in France itself as well as throughout the world.'

Read more after the jump

If there's one thing you can say about Christian Louboutin, it's that he fights hard. Anyone that has paid attention to the headlines over the past year will know that the designer has fiercely but unsuccessfully battle to protect his red soles against Yves Saint Laurent. Sadly, a court decided against him again in a case against Zara.

Today France's final court of appeal upheld the June 2011 decision in favour of Zara, allowing them to sell red-soled shoes. Just to put salt into the wound, the judge also ordered the brand to pay £2,000 compensation for the legal of bills of Inditex, the Spanish retail giant that owns Zara.

Read more after the jump