Fashionable shoes are a great way to update your style. While popular styles of women's shoes are plentiful, there's something particularly special about a great pair of heels. Fortunately, womens heels come in a wide array of designs and styles. Here are some of the more recent hot trends in womens heels.

Booties. Booties, a kind of modified ankle boot style, have been trendy for several seasons now. Their popularity shows no sign of waning; in fact, more and more bootie styles crop up in the fashion arena. Booties don't have to be high heeled, but the heeled bootie is definitely the strongest recent trend in this design area. Heeled booties are a great style because they give the wearer both height and coverage, while still maintaining a stylish and flirty look. High heeled booties look great with skinny jeans, cropped pants and even skirts and dresses.

Lace-up heels. You may associate laces largely with sneakers, but this year, heels with laces are all the rage. Think of lace-up heels as an offshoot of the bootie trend; they may not come all the way up to ankle height, but they sport a similar silhouette. This style became super trendy in the fall, and remains strong this season as well.

Wedges. Wedge heels are a popular trend with a long history. They were the height of fashion in the 1970s and are now back on the style scene in many materials and colors. Wedges remain a hot trend in womens heels because of their ideal combination of style, height and stability. Unlike a skinny stiletto, a wedge heel is easier to walk in and more comfortable to wear for long periods. The stylish shoe aficionado does not have to sacrifice style for comfort with the popular wedge heel!

Platform heels. Similar to wedges, platforms have been popular during other eras and provide a unique mix of stability and extra height. Because a platform heel offers additional height in the sole of the shoe, it allows a woman to wear a higher shoe that actually feels lower than it is. A five-inch heel, for example, can feel like a three-inch heel if it sports a platform sole. Platform heels are a recent trend that seems here to stay for a long time. Women love being able to create a long leg line without feeling as if they're going to topple over because of a too-high, unstable heel.

Vivid colors. Whatever the heel style, it's clear that colorful shoes are a trend that's going strong. Everywhere you look, you'll see pumps, high-heeled sandals and peep=toes in every color of the rainbow, including primary colors, jewel tones and pastels. This is a stylish way to add a pop of color to your outfit!