Fashion put bows back on our heads in 2017 and this year you’ll be wearing them on your feet. Simple vamps without adornments are the norm. Our pumps, flats, boots, and sneakers have been without complication for many years and we have to give some thought to wearing a bow, buckle, flower, or troll doll on the front of our shoes.

For one thing, it’s important never to follow a trend just to be fashionable. Shoes are meant to keep our feet safe, warm, and comfortable first and foremost. You really have to make sure they’re up to the task. The same is true of any shoe with or without a bow. Having made that choice, we can select a shoe that makes our feet and legs look their best, a shoe that brings a little something to our posture, too. If a shoe does all that besides making you feel good, if it makes you happy to look down and see it on your foot, that’s a shoe you just can’t pass up. But, if the shoe isn’t right for you, you’ll never wear it no matter how cute it is, no matter how much you paid for it.

Make choices that you can live with
Choose shoes you want to see every day or at least once a week. They’re a lot like good friends and you like to see your friends looking good not stuck in a fashion trend that ended months ago.

Consider for how long you might find that bow interesting
A wild rainbow or thin ribbon bows are going to be great fun this summer but will you like them next year? Ask yourself some tough questions about the bows before you buy the shoe and, if you feel like this will last more than a season, if they won’t fall apart in the rain or fade in the sun, then these are the bows on the right shoes for you.

The good news is that there is no doubt that you can find the right shoe with the right bit of bow to suit your style, to fit your foot and articulate the statement you want to make. It’s out there.

A product is a promise made, but a brand is a promise kept. A brand name is often a signal of quality and consistency in construction and durability from product to product. Although there are always exceptions to this rule, quite often brands that perform continue to perform. Brand names on our list tend to score higher in the brand score.

With a legacy and history of quality product, brand names tend to use better materials, create and incorporate innovative technologies into their products, and provide the buyer with excellent performance. A brand name will usually be more durable, as well, bringing down the overall cost of the item over the lifetime use of the product.

A higher score in the "brand" criterion means that online reviewers and buyers judge the name to be of high quality and is effective, stylish, supportive and durable.

Yellow, pink, blue, rainbow, and tie-dyed there are no limits. Plastic, silk, and straw are all fair game for bows on shoes. But something you really want to consider when choosing a shoe with bows is just how well that bow will hold up over time. Some of that will be a matter of fabrication. There are bows and there are bows. Each fabrication presents a challenge:

• Silk and Cotton: Silk and cotton are beautiful choices but they’ll need some maintenance now and then. These more fragile materials may wear quickly leading you to the need of different shoes with bows.
• Velvet: Velvet bows are a great but really traditional and require brushing to stay smooth. If left uncared for they will start to look matted and dingy.
• Plastic or Synthetics: Plastic works well if the shoe, itself is plastic but it can also work on a tennis shoe. The problem with plastic is that, if it tears it can’t really be repaired, only removed. The same goes for other synthetic blends. While they are easy to care for they are not very durable.
• Leather and Suede: The use of Leather for bows is great but may need spot cleaning or weather protection to maintain its overall look and appeal. The same goes for Suede Leather. While they use different types of cleaning methods, they do require more care than most other bows. When looking for a product that will last, Leather is exceptionally durable and will endure for years if well cared for.
• Satin: Satin needs to be stored to prevent fading and wrinkling. It seems that satin is more difficult to care for and stains easily. It adds amazing elegance to an outfit but may not be for everyday use.
• Straw: Straw is cute but not very durable depending on the type that is used. If you are looking for a pair of shoes with bows for a specific event that you want straw it can look great and make your outfit really stand out. Know that during the test of time straw is not going to hold up as well as many other materials.

There aren’t really any rules about what will make a good bow. If it suits your purpose and makes the shoe look better or just more interesting that should be good enough without any rules. You can wear bows on your toes, your ankle, or heels as long as you like how it looks that is the most important piece. There aren’t any rules here except this: if the shoe makes you happy, you’ll wear it happily.

The perfect bow is going to add something to the shoe it adorns. There is nothing wrong with a tidy, discreet, or petite bow to add just a touch of class on a sophisticated mule or a flat or even a flip-flop. It can make an enormous statement in the right setting for an appropriate occasion and it knows exactly how to make a peek-a-boo appearance from under a long skirt or business trousers. We love them peeking out under a longer jean cuff, too but sometimes you want to make a louder comment. A giant, cotton polka dot bow or a long, floppy swath of burlap with spiky beading is just right for some days and events. The trick is to make sure the size of the bow is going to work with the outfit you have in mind. And, let’s face it, the more clothes you can wear them with and the more situations where they will be suitable makes your choice a smart one.

The right bow size is the one that doesn’t get in the way, doesn’t make the shoe disappear entirely and doesn’t get in the way of what you’re trying to do.

• Tennis shoes: 1”-4” bows on toes or vamp, tiny bows only on heels
• Loafers, Kitten heels, Pumps: 1”-2.5” bows on toes or vamp, not heels
• Boots: 1”-4” bow could easily cover the toe or vamp, smaller on the heel and should never touch the floor
• Mules, Clogs: 1”-4” bows on toes or vamp
• Stilettos: tiny to HUGE, there are no rules except to make sure you won’t trip on the bow.

If you opt for a 4-inch bow on a pair of super tall heels then you are very likely limited to wearing them to specifical events. That’s fine if you’ve got a budget that allows for a little excess. Otherwise, you want to make sure your weekend wear can walk off the beach and into a store or a casual lunch. Your most reliable business shoes are even better if they can do from the boardroom or courtroom into a club or restaurant. And the bows they are sporting will play a big part in where they belong.

Shoes make the outfit and you want the outfit to make sense. As with any shoe adornment, a bow has to work well with the kind of clothes you’ll be wearing. A giant, structural bow under a full-length business trouser is probably going to be more of a curiosity than a nice touch with your work attire. If you ever find yourself trying to adjust the pants so the bow doesn’t show then you are definitely wearing the wrong shoes.

Some types of shoes typically go well with certain clothing and it is likely that, even with a bow, these will continue to pair nicely.

• Tennis shoes: jeans, shorts, sportswear, athleisure wear, casual wear
• Loafers: business suits, jeans, skirts, casual wear
• Boots: business suits, skirts, jeans, evening, casual wear
• Mules: business suits, skirts, jeans, evening, casual wear, shorts
• Kitten heels: business suits, jeans, evening, skirts, casual wear, special occasion
• Pumps: business suits, jeans, skirts, casual wear, evening
• Stilettos: Evening, special occasion, jeans (for fun if you dare)
• Clogs: business suits, skirts, jeans, evening, casual wear

You want footwear that makes the right statement without constantly requiring attention to make it work. A sparkly, rhinestone encrusted bow is great for a prom, wedding, or evening out but the gems are likely to snag the hem of your pants at work. Perhaps worse than that, the eye-catching sparkle may have your boss wondering why you’re wearing a Saturday Night Shoe on a Monday Morning rather than thinking about what a great job you’re doing. The right shoe for the right place deserves the right bow for the occasion.