One of the key trends of this summer has been the shorts suit (a tailored suit jacket with matching shorts), a look that is notoriously difficult to get right. Whilst she may have the unfair advantage of legs that go on for miles, model Abbey Crouch (nee Clancy) and her well-judged choice of ladies footwear offers some inspiring tips.

The model, who was married to her footballer beau Peter Crouch last month, stepped out this week in a very flattering khaki-coloured shorts suit. It was undoubtedly an outfit which showed off her glowing tan and surprisingly svelte post-pregnancy figure, but it was the shoes she chose to accessorise her outfit with that grabbed most of the spotlight.

Abbey went for strappy, black heels, in a style similar to the gladiator-style sandals that have been all the rage of a couple of summers now. This choice of ladies shoes was the perfect complement to the outfit, as well as exuding smart-casual summer style. The 25-year-old also managed to look quite formal and professional too, whilst not being quite so hot in the warm summer weather as if she was fully suited and booted.

The German-born actress Diane Kruger is heralded in fashion circles as being a fearless trend-setter, with flawless and imaginative personal style and the grace and beauty to pull off even the most daring or unusual of looks.

Needless to say, Diane doesn’t limit her outrageous choices to just her clothes. The actress, who famously starred as Helen of Troy alongside Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom, also has impeccable taste in ladies footwear. Her choices range from classic elegance to creative and experimental, as we can see by looking at Diane’s most memorable footwear moments…

• The turquoise suede platform sandals Diane wore to the premiere of her film Unknown in Germany. She pared the unusual-coloured shoes with a striking red/orange dress, ethnic-style earrings and a loose, wavy hair style – fashion critics raved over her look for weeks.

• The black slingback heels with adorable black bows on the back which perfectly complemented Diane’s sheer-panelled, lacy LBD at the Venice Film Festival Dinner in 2008.

• The pink, silver and black heels with decorative perforated edging the actress chose for the Chanel Haute Couture fashion week earlier this year.

• Shoe boots – Diane loves a pair of ladies boots, and she has managed on a number of occasions to make a casual or chunky, masculine pair of shoe boots look both glamorous and sexy.

The great thing about fashion is that allows you to be creative and express yourself, or even just express your mood at the time. Shoes are now much more imaginative and exciting than they used to be, and many celebrity fashion fans have made the most of the new trends.

If you need a little inspiration to be bolder in your ladies footwear choices, the wild and wacky shoes worn by celebrity figures in recent years should be a big help. Here’s a few of the most outrageous:

• Willow Smith. Despite being just 10 years old, the littlest member of the Smith family has turned out to be quite the innovator when it comes to fashion. Her wildest look was a pair of ladies boots that had been creatively decorated with lashings of gold glitter embellishments.

• Lady Gaga. Nearly every pair of shoes donned by Stefani Germanotta (aka. Lady Gaga) have been outrageous, but the most notable examples include the meat-clad shoes she accessorised her meat dress with, and all the PVC-coated pairs of huge platforms without heels.

• Jessica Alba. The actress normally plays it safe with her fashion choices, which makes the pair of blue-black shark fin inspired wedge heels she wore to the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival Party quite a surprising yet refreshing choice.

The US socialite Kim Kardashian is hardly ever photographed looking anything less than flawless, and her perfectly preened look usually includes a pair of killer heels. However, the glamorous 30-year-old now seems to have developed a fondness for flat ladies shoes, as she has been spotted out and about in them on numerous occasions recently.

Kim usually favours towering skyscraper heels with huge platforms, particularly chunky styles which balance out her curvaceous shape. Peep toe heels, strappy sandals and classic patent leather ladies shoes are all part of Kim’s usual evening wardrobe, whilst her daytime looks consist of wedge heels and strappy, elaborate shoe boots.

Fans of the socialite were surprised to see a more casual Kim emerging recently, as she strolled through LAX airport in a pair of delicate thong sandals. She pulled off a similar look when heading to New York for meetings, proving that you don’t always need 6-inch heels to look like a millionairess.

Kim’s new look also sends the message that as well as being stylish, flat ladies shoes can be much more comfortable and practical than heels for travelling, and it also means that the knockout heels can be saved for special occasions.

Brogues used to be seen as more of an autumn/winter shoe, but the number of celebrity fashion followers who have been spotted in them recently suggests brogues are one the hottest trends for the summer.

If you haven’t got your pair of brogues yet, take some inspiration from these famous fans:

• Alexa Chung, the former T4 presenter, may as well be known as the face of brogue shoes due the number of pairs she seems to own. Brogues form part of Alexa’s laidback, quirky and often boyish style, a look that she manages to pull off with a very feminine charm.

• Peaches Geldof, who favours a fashionably grungy look in her everyday wear, is often spotted in battered-looking, traditional brown brogues. Brown brogues especially complement denim and black tights or jeans, as well as floral-print dresses and multi-layered outfits.

• Heidi Klum, pairing her shiny black patent leather brogues with slim-fit black trousers recently, showed how brogues can be stylish office or business wear too. This is a step away from the grungy student look, in which brogues are glossy, sexy and maybe even glamorous.

For a great night-time look, why not try brogue-style ladies shoes with a heel? They are much more laid-back and comfortable than teetering strappy sandals, and possibly more fashionable right now.