Beware when wearing high platform shoes this fashion season.

Heather Clark, of Blooming Prairie, was running into her house recently while wearing a pair of Steve Madden high platform sandals when she tripped and fell in the doorway, breaking her hand.

Heather's accident has not deterred her and her friends from purchasing high platform sandals, but they are walking more diligently in these shoes.

To pay for their shoes and clothes for school, most teenagers have part time jobs.

Blooming Prairie High School seniors Natalie Esplan, Rachel Long and Heather Clark all work at Prairie Manor Nursing Home and Kristin Lueth worked as a lifeguard at the Pine's Spring Pool. They enjoy shopping and are looking forward to wearing the new fashion trends for fall 2002.

"We look for sales all the time. I went shopping earlier at the Mall of America and I didn't find anything I liked." Lueth said.

The girls like to shop together and all like the fringe, detailed look of clothes and turquoise jewelry -- styles popular this season.

They feel differently about the trendy, low slung pants.

Natalie Esplan said, "(They) are hard to wear. The are often too tight on the wearer and their butt sticks out. They don't look comfortable."

The girls said you couldn't have too many jeans; they didn't even know how many each had in their closets.

Although they own many pair of jeans, the girls set limits on how much they will spend on each.

Rachel Long's favorite pair only cost her $30. The girls agree that they may have many pairs of jeans but usually end up wearing only their favorite few.

For more tips on fall fashion click on ‘Living.’

Sheila Donnelly can be reached at 434-2233 or by e-mail at :mailto:newsroom@austindailyherald.com