LK Bennett Marlene Sandals from Zalando

The end of the summer sales are hotting up so it's definitely time to take advantage of those bargains around the web. Zalando are in the ladt few days of sale and have a huge range of items - shoes, clothes, accessories and sportswear for men, women and children - and lots of designer brands.

I have found this gorgeous pair of LK Bennett heeled sandals, which are perfect for those warmer evenings which are surely to come, despite the current changeable weather.  They come in stripey black (reduced from £175 to £125) or red (reduced from £175 to £140).

I see them being worn with a classic, box pleat, A-line skirt for daytime or evening elegance and a simple blouse or silk t-shirt.  Add a cropped cardi to keep warm whilst sipping cocktails outside!

It's worth noting as well the current sale, until 31st Sepember 2014, customers can ger 5% all items (excluding sale) with the code ZAAUGSEP5 on orders over £50 at Zalando.

A Great Cause: Ribbon Pink Patent Leather from Office for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

I do like a charitable purchase.  And I do like a pair of killer heels.  So I am doubly excited when the two worlds collide to produce an amazing pair of stilettos like these Ribbon pink patent leather shoes from Office.  The colour is stunning, a simply perfect fuchsia pink.  Wear to work to brighten up monochrome office chic or wear out in the evening with a gorgeous dress.  They'd work for any special occasion.  They're £55, which I think isn't too bad - but a massive £40 plus VAT from each sale is going to Breast Cancer Care.  Brilliant!

Fantastic Footwear: Whistles Barbara Ballet Shoes from Atterley Road

I do love a quality ballerina pump and these black suede Whistles ones with an ankle strap are simply divine.  They are stylish and elegant, but will be comfortable and practical for wearing during the day - perfect for the office teamed with a smart skirt suit.  I think they could also be worn with ankle skimming jeans for a more casual, but still chic, look.  They are available from Atterley Road in sizes EU 36 to 40 for £110 and, until midnight on Monday, customers can get 25% off with code PAYDAY25, meaning they're £82.50.

Fantastic Footwear: Karmel Colour Pop Wedge Sandals from Kate Kuba

I feel like I've been really practical and sensible in my posts lately, so I've found some fabulous and funky wedges to keep a nice balance.  Although, thinking about it, balancing may be tricky with these gorgeous heels from shoe store Kate Kuba!  They take this season's neon trend and then some, with a fantastic colour pop combination.  I'd wear these with a short, denim skirt or shorts and t-shirt and maybe add a statement necklace or similar.  Originally £155, they've been reduced to £74 and come in sizes 2 to 8.

Kate Kuba offers free delivery on orders over £50, plus there's up to 70% off in the sale at the moment, so definitely well worth a look.

Fantastic Footwear: Senso Xavier Heeled Sandals at Allsole

I've been focusing on sensible shoes lately, so it's time for some less practical but gorgeous shoes!  Another sale I have been browsing is the Allsole shoes one, who've got some great brands on offer at fantastic prices.  I am taken with these Senso Xavier heeled sandals in neon yellow.  The whole package is bright, edgy and daring, from the fluorescent neon yellow colour, the leather and perspex material combination and the killer stiletto heel.

These could be worn for an evening out and I'd team with fairly neutral, darker colours and let the sandals do the talking.  I'm thinking a black pencil dress would look stunning and elegant - and maybe add a necklace and fab handbag.  The heel height isn't too massive and the ankle strap means that they should stay on the foot well, so they aren't completely impractical nor should be impossible to walk on!  And they will look sensational.

Originally £110, they are now £85 and still available in sizes 4, 5 and 6.  There's also free gel comfort pads with these by entering the code GELHEEL at the checkout.

Do you love these?  Do you hate them?  Let me know in the comments below!

Fantastic Footwear: Steve Madden Nanncy Buckle Ankle Cuff Wedge Sandals from Dune Shoes

Steve Madden is a US shoe designer who produces some amazing, unique and stylish shoes and boots.  I have been coveting these Nanncy ankle strapped wedge sandals for a while and, as luck would have it, they are available from Dune Shoes, who are currently running a promotion where there's 25% off selected styles - including this one!

These wedged sandals are smart and a decent height so they would be perfect for work.  I'd wear them with a pencil skirt and blouse for sophisticated summer office wear.  Alternatively, some tailored shorts and a light silk shirt and blazer would work equally well.

They also come in silver and white which I think would be lovely for summer celebration outfits whether they be bright and colourful or muted pastels.  Wedges are better than heels for outside events as one is less likely to get stuck in the grass!  

With the discount, these wedges are reduced from £65 to £48.

Fantastic Footwear: Colourblock Points from Boden

There is 20% off selected, new season styles at Boden at the moment and I am coveting these navy blue and coral colourblock pointed shoes.  The flat heel means they will be comfortable to wear, but they are still chic and elegant enough to wear for work or a more formal occasion.  They could also be worn with jeans or a more casual skirt, so totally versatile!

The code Q248 for new season styles works till tonight, so hurry to take advantage!

Putting my money where my mouth is: Review of SecretSales.com

So as I blogged at the time, I took the plunge last week and made my first purchase from private discount website SecretSales.com.  I have to say, I am very impressed!  My Lucky Brand sandals arrived today - they are superb and will be perfect for the warmer weather.  They fit beautifully, feel comfortable, look amazing and the quality is excellent - and I paid a fraction of the recommended retail price!  I'm also pretty impressed with the delivery time, as I was expecting it to take longer.  So thumbs up to SecretSales.com - highly recommended as a means for major savvy chic and canny style!

Fantastic Footwear: Pour La Victoire Nasha Coral Patent Sandals fromSarenza

I haven't done a shoes post for.... oooooh.... about 3 days so how about these fabulous coral patent sandals from Sarenza?  I was looking for something that resembled some neon pink Stella McCartney Jezebel wedge sandals that I love, and these came closest and nicest, without breaking the bank!  Super-high and fairly impractical, they are simply gorgeous and great quality.  There's 30% off these shoes at the moment, so they are £132.40 (with free delivery and returns) and are available in sizes 4 to 7.5.  They also come in a patent cobalt blue, which is also delightful.

Fantastic Footwear: Shellys Natural Basked Embroidered Pumps from Debenhams

Debenhams is one of my new favourite online stores at the moment - they have a great range of products and brands, frequent deals, sales and discount codes and there has been free delivery and returns as standard for ages now, even though they state it's for a limited time.  All in all, a brilliant and convenient online shopping experience and I am really impressed.

These natural basked woven embroidered pumps by Shellys London, available from Debenhams, are super cute and perfect for Spring!  I love the ribbon detail on the ankle, which will look great with shorts or a mini skirt.  They are made from a natural woven material so should keep feet cool too.  And the face motif is simply adorable!  They come in sizes 3 - 8 and are £55, but there's 10% off with code TK94 until the 7th May.

Putting my money where my mouth is: Lucky Brand Covela Leather sandals from Secretsales.com

When I started this blog, I signed up to a variety of different 'private' discount websites as a way to keep an eye on what's available, what savings can be made and if they are truly as economical as they seem.  So far, so good, and I have been particularly taken with Secretsales.com.  They offer a good variety of items for men, women and the home - including designer goodies - and they do seem to provide excellent value for money.  I'd never actually bought from one of these sites.... until now.

I have made my first purchase from them, ready for the sunny weather and bought these Lucky Brand mint and silver sandals which were less than half the recommended retail price.  I also checked other sites and these were definitely a bargain in comparison.  The colours are perfect and I'm loving the metallic element, which brings them up to date for SS13.  I'll be able to wear them with almost anything, most of the time.  Items from Secretsales are dispatched once a sale closes - which is after the Bank Holiday in this case - so I should get them towards the end of next week.  I am very excited about these and will update as to progress!

Fantastic Footwear: Saffie Peeptoe Ankle Strap Studded Sandals from Boohoo.com

The sun has come out and it's definitely time for some new footwear!  I know, I've highlighted loads lately but there are so many fantastic styles out there and there are so many Bank Holiday deals available right now.  Boohoo.com are no exception with 25% off footwear today with the code FTWRGB.

With that in mind, I have found these black and gold studded ankle strap sandals.  The studs give a kind of punky, 90's grungy look which is still on-trend right now and yet they are still fairly simple and practical for every day.  They are available in sizes 3 - 8 and are usually great value at £22, but this price is reduced to a mere £16.50 with the discount.

And, just to reiterate.  The sun is out!  It's a Bank Holiday!  Suitable shoes are needed!  (I'll stop shouting now.  Just make sure you don't pay full-price.)

Fantastic Footwear: Emma Go Romeo Ankle Strap Sandals from Spartoo

I admit, I've been obsessing over focusing on wedge sandals for a while now, so I thought it was time to find something lovely and summery, but perhaps a bit more practical for every day use.  I have found an online shoe website, Spartoo.co.uk, which sells a great range of shoe and boot brands and there are loads of unique and delightful finds there!  The other bonus of the site is that it operates a loyalty points scheme, so you can collect points to convert to a gift voucher for future purchases.

I've chosen these flat Emma Go Romeo ankle strap sandals in tan and pink.  The two tone colour block design is very current and the pop of neon adds the wow factor to prevent these practical flatties from being boring.  They are 100% leather, so should be great quality and they should last.  They have been reduced from £110.99 to £88.79 at Spartoo and are available in sizes 6 and 7.

It's worth adding again that there are loads of lovely flat sandals on the site - some of which are reduced and some are still full price - and I had some difficulty choosing just the one pair to showcase!  But there are discount codes available for full-priced items, so do have a look at my discount voucher page if you wish.

Fantastic Footwear: Petula Wedge Platform Sandals from Moda in Pelle

Now that the weather seems to be improving, it's all about getting that spring and summer wardrobe sorted and what better way to do that than get a pedicure and invest in some fantastic sandals?

Tribal prints are very current and these orange wedge, ankle strap sandals from Moda in Pelle take the trend in a subtle but lively way.  They'll look great with almost anything and of course, the benefits of wedges over heels is that they're more comfortable and they won't sink into the grass during those garden parties!  They are available in sizes 3 - 7 and are £99.95.

New customers can get 15% off at Moda in Pelle until the 31st May with code NEW15 and existing customers can get 10% off with the code SEASON10 - but that expires today so be quick!

Fantastic Footwear: Zign Turquoise Wedge Sandals from Zalando UK

With the sun finally showing its face, I'm obsessed with finding fabulous wedges at the moment and these gorgeous turquoise and black ones from Zalando UK are no exception.  Not too high, they should be fairly comfortable and practical without compromising on style.  They are also good quality leather, so should last well.  Stylish and beautiful, they are versatile and will go with almost anything - but for Spring/Summer, I'm thinking a sleeveless blouse and denim shorts.  Normally £60, they have 25% off at the moment, so they are £45 and come in sizes 3.5 - 8.  Zalando also offer free delivery as standard, which is always a bonus.

In addition, I need to wish Zalando UK a Happy 2nd Birthday!