Reminder: London Underground Shoe Contest ending soon

If you haven’t already, this is your last chance to enter and win these London Underground Bread N’ Honey shoes. The contest ends tonight (it was extended by a day since we have clarification that the contest is open to international readers and all shoe lovers should have a chance to win) so go, go, go!!!

When last we spoke about London Underground, we went over some of the careful thought put behind the shoes. You already know about the raven that protect the crown jewels, but now we have detailed snaps to show you. These photos were taken from the inner lining of London Underground boots called Hit and Miss. Here’s the raven that circles overhead to protect the jewels and the boots. Sadly, as reader graymnnce has pointed out, you won’t see ravens flying at the Tower of London because the wings are clipped to prevent the ravens from floating away.

It’s a little less apparent, but the brass hardware is actually an imprint of a diamond.

Our guest shoe blogger, CH, had an opportunity to try out these Hit and Miss boots and here’s her review:

The London Underground Hit & Miss boots are at once sturdy and comfortable to wear. On day one, I was able to walk a couple hours in them without tiring. The style is quite straightforward, and the designs on the sides of the boots give them a unique quality. Note the velcro strap on the boot. It’s different yet functional because it gives my feet a more snug fit.

I’ve been pairing them mostly with jeans. I am eager to see the Bread N’ Honey shoes worn on the contest winner though. While the Hit & Miss boots are comfortable enough for everday wear, the Bread N’ Honey shoes look like they will be somewhat more trendy and dressy. There are also quite a number of appealing upcoming London Underground shoe styles that are less rocker band and have more feminine appeal.

And finally, here’s another fun tidbit about London Underground shoes. If you’ve ever wondered how designers name their shoes, for London Underground the answer is as interesting as the raven story. The styles in the collection have a secret meaning which is revealed through rhyming slang. According to the CockneyRhymingSlang website, rhyming slang are phrases “derived from taking an expression which rhymes with a word and then using that expression instead of the word. For example the word look rhymes with butcher’s hook“.

Okay intelligent and creative ShoeBloggers, can we guess what these London Underground shoes rhyme with?

The Hit & Miss boots are named because you might want to kiss them.

For our contest giveaway shoe, the Bread N’ Honey, those shoes were named because they are money and the color looks like it too.

These Double Dutch flip-flops, might they remind you of the word crutch?

There are also shoes which we can’t post images of yet because they are from upcoming collections, but if you see them remember that Read by Lips is named because it has double zips and a Bit of Romance (my favorite from the entire shoe line) are named because they have a legwarmer shaft like the Flashdance movies.

I’m sure this is enough shoe trivia for you to absorb so bright and early Monday morning so I will simply remind you one final time to enter the London Underground shoes contest to win a pair of Bread N’ Honey shoes from this most interesting and fact-filled shoe brand.

Natalie Portman Spring Shoes

Like Jitterbugbaby, I was a bit disappointed when Natalie Portman’s line of vegan shoes debuted at Te Casan.

Tonight, though, I visited the Te Casan website and found a few shoes by Natalie Portman which struck my fancy. While I’m fairly certain that I didn’t see the sandals before, did I overlook this pretty in pink pump? The pom pom carnation is utterly appropriate for spring which, I think, has finally descended on Seattle.

These lace up thong sandals were named “Paine” but they certainly don’t look painful to me. Simple, elegant and oooh, it’ll go with so many spring outfits! They also look like shoes Natalie might wear so let’s hope they show up in some candids over the summer.

Last, but certainly not least, what a great way to look sleek in snakeskin without being cruel to animals in these adorable faux snakeskin toe sandals.

This Week in Shoes

Hip natural shoes in celebration of Eary Day 2008 -Via Elle Tell All’s blog

More bad news for Crocs. Crocs is, again, the subject of safety warnings. -Via ICWales

It’s for the love of shoes. A sixth-grade teacher at Middleburg Elementary School, Ross prides herself on being “the cool teacher” with more than 140 pairs of Chuck Taylor sneakers. She only wears her sneakers on Fridays, so her students never see the same pair twice. -Via Florida Times Union

High heels are known to hurt your feet and cause medical issues, but they may also hinder a victim’s ability to defend herself during a physical attack.   -Via Daily Free Press

Gwyneth Paltrow’s shoes

It’s been a while since I’ve read or seen anything on former Oscar winner, Gwyneth Paltrow. However, recently the internet is abuzz with discussions not on Gwyneth’s latest movie (Iron Man) but her choice of stilleto stunners. They are quite the antithesis of what you would expect from the soft spoken actress, wouldn’t you say?

Reader Mike asked us to ID these 7-inch booties which were seen on Gwyneth.

Photo via JustJared.com

Originally, I thought they might be a hybrid of one of these shoes from the John Galliano Fall 2008 collection, especially due to the tassels, platform, and the bondage and outrageousness of the shoe, but I was incorrect.

Shoesense (thanks!) discovered that the Sun had identified them as being heels made by designer Guiseppe Zanotti. Apparently, they were so high that Gwyneth required support to help her balance and walk properly. Gwyneth has quite the gams to show off, but the mere thought of how painful these might be should, logically, deter any rational human being from getting anywhere close to these shoes much less shell out major bucks for them. Wrong again on my part. There is a wait list for these shoes now. Sigh.

Other sky high contraptions for pain seen on Gwyneth include (from top to bottom): Givenchy peep-toe boots, Burberry boots, and the more easily identifiable Christian Louboutins.

Photos from ThisIsLondon.co.uk

For more on Gwyneth’s crazy shoe selections, visit ThisIsLondon.co.uk.

The Science of High Heels: h=Q x (12 + 3s/8)

Yes, there’s a formula devoted to calculating the amount of inches you can tolerate in your heel and it’s been devised by Professor Paul Stevenson at the University of Surrey, UK. So, how high can you go?

The maximum heel height formula is based on shoe size and an elusive Q factor, which takes into account sociological factors such as how shoe stylishness increases a woman’s ability to tolerate pain.
h=Q x (12 + 3s/8)
h is the maximum height of the heel (in cm).
Q is a sociological factor and has a value between 0 and 1.
s is shoe size (UK ladies sizes).

There’s more to it, of course, and if you want to get technical and learn more details, read the whole thing here. An interesting factoid, though, from the same article: did you know that “a 100 pound woman in stilettos will exert pressure under her foot that is 20 times that of a 6,000 pound elephant“? Think about it next time you see that you left holes in the hot asphalt with you shoes and you get panic-stricken about your weight: those heels may look dainty, but they’re, well, literally, lethal.

(As an aside: I don’t think even Dr. Stevenson can explain how SJP aka Carrie Bradshaw can run in 5-inch stilettos, plus a bulky wedding dress, on the streets of Manhattan. That “Q” must be awfully high.)

I got the links and info via a MUST-READ article (no, really: compulsory reading for all you high or low-heel wearers alike) at Cocktail Party Physics, written by bona fide physicist and author Jennifer Ouellette. All the good, the bad, and the ugly about heels-or-no-heels* and an explanation of the science of heels, neatly packaged and humorously delivered. And I’m not talking only figuratively about the “good” part: apparently high heels can help you tone your abdomen and pelvic floor. Who knew? Ok now, off you go to read Jennifer Ouellette’s wonderful post. You’ll be a better shoe-lover for it!

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* Shouldn’t that be a reality show? “Heel or No Heel,” hosted by Sarah Jessica Parker. And we’re bidding on shoe-boxes containing shoes ranging from your cheapest knock-off Crocs to the most extravagant Loubous or Balenciagas. Just a thought!