Casual Friday: New Look houndstooth trainers

Loving the craze for houndstooth chic but don't want to pay the full whack? New Look are going in for the look with gusto and have brought out a range of shoe styles featuring the print, either in black and white as above, or black and red.

Casual shoes in smart fabrics can often work well (think David Tenant in his pinstripe converse!) so I rather like what they've done here. Ease yourself into the look with a pair of the versatile trainers for £10 at New Look.

Topshop magenta 'slash' platforms

Magenta is not a colour I tend to associate with shoes. In fact, like cyan it's one of those shades you only really expect to see in its purest form on a computer screen, but Topshop have gone all sci-fi with their choice of the colour for their daring 'Slash' gladiator platforms.

You'll certainly attract attention in these cosmic purple platforms, which do look a lot better on the feet, hence my inclusion of thier model photo above. Great choice for transition-wear too, as you could get away with wearing them tights-free on balmy summer evenings before revamping them for a more glamorous look come Autumn. £70 at Topshop.