When you go shoe shopping, are you overwhelmed by the all the choices? Can you tell the difference between a mule and a sandal, or a wedge heel and a kitten heel? If not, take this basic guide to women's shoes with you the next time you need a new pair of shoes. Flats Flats are shoes with no heel. They range from casual canvas skimmers, to patent leather ballet flats with a delicate bow on the front, to sturdy loafers or moccasins. They usually slip on, although some styles have a strap across the instep (Mary Janes) or tie like men's dress shoes (oxfords). Flats are versatile; depending on the style, they can work with jeans, capri pants, long or short skirts and dress trousers. Heels Heels come in many different heights and styles, but the most common types are pumps, chunky heels and stilettos. Pumps are simple dress shoes with a low-cut vamp, a mid-height (2-to-3 inches high) tapered heel, and either a rounded or pointed toe. Chunky heels have a thick heel that does not taper much and are more comfortable to wear than narrow heels. They come in every height and usually have a rounded or square toe. Stilettos have very high (4 inches high or more), extremely narrow heels, often with a metal support inside to stabilize it. Stilettos often have a very pointed toe. Other heel shapes are wedge heels, which is a solid heel that supports the whole shoe; kitten heels, which are low but narrow heels; and stacked heels, which are made of multiple layers of material sewn together. They come in varying heights in chunky and tapered shapes but are not narrow. Sandals Women's sandals come in casual and dressy styles. Casual sandals usually have a flat heel and can be utilitarian, like Birkenstocks, or fashionable, like strappy gladiator sandals. Dressy sandals have a high heel and satin or narrow leather straps. They are usually worn for an evening out or with formal wear, such as a bridesmaid's gown for a summer wedding. Mules Mules are backless shoes and are usually low-heeled or mid-heeled. If your office does not have a closed-shoe policy, mules are great for work, because they look good with skirts and pants and can be discreetly slipped off under your desk when your feet need to relax. Slides are a type of mule that also have an open toe. They go well with sundresses. Boots Boots for women can be practical, such as sheepskin boots designed for warmth, or flat riding boots designed for horseback riding. Fashion boots come in a range of heel heights and can reach just to the anklebone or all the way up to the thigh. However, black leather knee-high boots with a high heel are the ne plus ultra of a woman's boot wardrobe. Add them to a plain knee-length skirt, and like magic you have a sexy, confident look.

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Before you learn to ballroom dance, you need a good pair of ballroom dance shoes. These are shoes handcrafted by the world¡¯s finest manufacturers. A pair of ballroom dance shoes boasts of no slip soles with a metal shank on the arch of the foot for added support. These shoes are lightweight and flexible, enduring even the harshest of dance lessons. They can be worn by both amateur and professional dancers of foxtrot, tango, salsa, swing, Latin, and other ballroom dances. Stores that carry a high quality and large selection of ballroom dance shoes are usually online stores that ship the products to any destination for free. Dance students are major purchasers of ballroom dance shoes. These students need dependable dance shoes to last them through rigorous years of studying this art form. They learn about notation, or the ways of describing human movements through the use of written symbols and abbreviations. They also study about labanotation, a system of notation that makes use of symbols to represent the exact position of each body part. It describes all human movements, ranging from large patterns that move dancers across the stage to the smallest gesture of the dancers¡¯ hands. Some of these shoes can be purchased at a discounted price from dance shoe outlets that also carry a wide selection of dance accessories and dance clothes at the best prices. Discount dancewear for adults and children are also available in these stores. Men and women, dance individuals, and groups can also purchase great buys from these stores. These stores carry everything for both amateur and professional dancers, from Capezio shoes and tights, to ballet slippers and jazz shoes manufactured by popular brand names. Learning the five ballroom dances ¨C modern waltz, tango, slow foxtrot, quickstep, and Viennese waltz can be fun and easy when you buy the right pair of ballroom shoes to match your every dancing mood.

A major trade fair in China this week has seen orders dive as foreign buyers tighten their belts, state media reported, in a further sign the country is feeling the pinch from the global financial crisis. Contracts signed in the first five days of the ongoing China Import and Export Fair in southern Guangzhou city totaled $16.5 billion, down 10.8% from the last fair in April, Xinhua news agency said. The number of buyers from Europe and the U.S. were only two thirds of the last fair, event spokesman Mu Xinhai said according to the report, issued late Monday. Orders from the U.S. declined by around one third from the level in April to $1.6 billion, the biggest cut among all overseas buyers, it said. Evidence is mounting that the deepening global economic downturn is beginning to impact China's exports, a key growth driver for the world's fourth largest economy. The pace of expansion in exports in the first three quarters slowed down by 4.8 percentage points from last year, growing by 22.3% to $1.1 trillion, official figures showed. The Chinese economy also started to take a hit from the global financial woes, growing by 9% in the third quarter, the lowest growth figure since the second quarter of 2003. The government decided at a meeting last weekend to support exports in the fourth quarter, including tax incentives for labor-intensive products such as textiles and high-added value goods like electrical products. The import and export fair, which takes place twice a year, is viewed as a key indicator of Chinese trade activity. It opened on Oct. 15 and will run until Nov. 6.

By 2009 China will become the largest consumer market in Asia said Chinese Minister of Commerce Chen Deming. Speaking at the 12th Xiamen International Trade and Investment Fair on Monday in the east Fujian Province, Chen predicted entertainment, housing and tourism will expand their shares in the domestic market. "As one of the world's fastest growing consumer markets, China is a world leader in mobile phone sales, domestic tourism, and broadband network penetration," said Chen. He also noted China is the second largest seller and buyer of gold and automobiles in the world. The country ranks third in consumption of luxury items and health care supplies. The average per capita GDP reached 2,456 U.S. dollars last year, said Chen. He added that consumption had bigger shares than investment for the first time in the nation's economic growth. For the past five years, China's annual consumption growth rate had been 13.1 percent. If the growth rate continues at just 10 percent, China's consumer market scale will exceed 30 trillion yuan (4.38 trillion U.S. dollars) by 2020. Chen predicted China will top the global luxury market by 2014,with a market share of 23 percent. He also said by 2015, the country could become the world's fourth largest provider of outbound tourists. Currently, China is the second largest consumer market in Asia next to Japan. That is predicted to change by 2015. According to areport by the Boston Consulting Group, done in 2007, China is likely to become the world's second largest consumer market next only to the Unites States.

Vietnam on Tuesday criticized the European Union's continued antidumping tariffs on some shoes, saying they would hit 500,000 workers in the Southeast Asian country's footwear industry. The European Commission has effectively continued two-year-old levies of 10% on leather-capped shoes from Vietnam, and 16.5% for such shoes from China, which had been due to expire Tuesday. The tariffs stay in place while the commission reviews whether the shoes are below-cost imports, aided by unfair state subsidies, that hurt European shoe makers concentrated in Italy, Portugal and Spain. Vietnam's Deputy Industry and Trade Minister Nguyen Thanh Bien said the decisions had an "adverse impact" on Vietnamese shoemakers and European importers and customers, speaking with the state-run Vietnam News Agency. "Vietnam is disappointed with the decision," he was quoted as saying. Bien urged a "fair and swift" review to "help enterprises from both sides to stabilize their production and business and give E.U. customers the chance to buy Vietnam-made leather-capped shoes at reasonable prices." The Vietnamese footwear industry has suffered a sharp revenue drop from exports to the E.U. market over the past two years, he said.

BRUSSELS -- The European Commission may extend anti-dumping duties on shoe imports from China and Vietnam, as it prepares to start a review that could last more than a year, a spokesman said Monday. The commission will decide by Oct. 1 whether to start a review to assess if the duties are still justified, and "the duties currently in place will continue" as long as that is being done, said Peter Power, spokesman for Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson. The commission aims to conclude the review "as quickly as possible," Power added, but he acknowledged that "it is impossible to predict the timing." It usually takes 12 to 15 months to carry out such a review.

China expressed regret over the European Union's (EU) decision to launch a sunset review of anti-dumping duties on leather shoes from the country, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said on its website on Friday. It opposed the extension of the anti-dumping measures inflicted on the made-in-China shoes by any means, the ministry said. A split EU decided two years ago to levy anti-dumping duties up to 16.5 percent on imports of Chinese shoes from Oct. 7, 2006. The original measures should last two years and expire soon, but the review would decide whether to extend them. The ministry said the measures were not based on legal foundation or fact. They were even controversial within the EU. Considering the strong protests within the body, the EU slashed the years effective from five to two. The measures should be halted after the punitive duties have served for two years, the ministry said. Long protected by import quotas, the EU has already completed its industry restructuring with the help of those anti-dumping measures. There is no need to extend the protection as the EU is quite competitive and enjoys sound prospects on shoe exports, according to MOC. In addition, the EU is not in head-to-head competition with China as it excels in design and innovation with an eye on mid- and high-end markets. China, however, remained dedicated to manufacturing. That makes the anti-dumping measures meaningless, the ministry said. The ministry noted the decision was opposed by many European importers and retailers. This reflected their strong desire to resume the normal trade of footwear. The MOC hoped the EU could end the anti-dumping measures in response to the call of the public. Sunset review is a system ruled by the World Trade Organization (WTO) Anti-dumping Agreement and generally implemented by WTO members. If the review confirms the cancellation of anti-dumping measures result in further dumping and damage, investigation institutions may decide to implement anti-dumping measures for another five years.

BRUSSELS (AFP)--The European Union will extend anti-dumping tariffs on shoes from China and Vietnam into next year, an E.U. source said Monday. The anti-dumping measures were introduced in 2006 to combat an influx of leather shoes into Europe from the two Asian countries that the E.U. said was boosted by unfair state aid. The measure has been strongly attacked in Asia and, at the time they were imposed, the tariffs were supported by the smallest majority of E.U. states, with 13 of the 25 nations in favor. The tariffs were originally imposed for two years and are due to expire next month. Now, the source close to the dossier said, they will be extended into 2009 or beyond. The E.U. anti-dumping measures involve import duties of 16.5% on Chinese shoes with leather uppers and 10% on the same kind of shoes from Vietnam. The step provoked strong opposition from Chinese shoemakers and the government in Beijing, which said the measures did not conform with E.U. and World Trade Organization regulations. Asked about the possibility of a tariff extension, a spokesman for E.U. Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson refused to comment. However, a report in the London Sunday Times cited a senior official working in Mandelson's department as saying that the commission would call for a review when the current tariff period ends next month. That would in effect extend the tariff period for a year or more after Mandelson tells his fellow commissioners about his decision this week, said the official.. The original two-year tariff period was a compromise to get the measures passed after the European Commission had proposed a five-year penalty. The main vote fault line ran between Europe's economically liberal north, hostile in principle to anti-dumping measures, and the more protectionist south, sympathetic to the views of E.U. producers. The tariffs were imposed after a commission investigation found that shoemakers in China and Vietnam unfairly benefited from state aid in the form of soft loans, tax breaks and cheap rents.

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