Here we are—very nearly midway through March—and the city is wincing its way through another frightful burst of winter. But dwelling on it won't lure out the sun, so let's turn our attention to spring trends instead.

Steve Madden allegedly began by selling shoes out of his car, and was soon the name on everyone's lips for more than just his design savvy (a fact of which we were recently reminded in one of Wolf of Wall Street's funniest scenes). Shady dealings aside, the shoe brand shows no sign of slowing down, and for spring has embraced the sandal bootie shape wholeheartedly.

The NonStp shoe claims to capitalize on another key footwear trend for the season—the mule—albeit in a very subtle way, and adds an adjustable back strap. The 3-inch heel and open toe mean you'll want to wait for warm, dry pavement (as though any of us can even recall what that feels like) to don these, preferrably with a structured dress and sleek leather jacket. As an added bonus, they're affordable enough to justify purchasing in more than one colour, such as the pretty pastel blue available online that's ever so evocative of the promised sunnier skies. 

$124.99. Available online or in store at Steve Madden, 220 Yonge St., 647-351-7463