It should come as no surprise to regular readers here that I love me some customizing options for my shoes.  Straps?  Check.  Ribbons?  Check.  Clips?  Check.

Well, here’s the newest one.

Stickers.

Yep, that’s right.

Sneakart has for sale sheets of adhesive decals that will spruce up any old pair of kicks.  Or, if you’re fine with your sneaker style, stick these on that old pair of Docs or the beat-up old pair of… well… any kind of shoe you want.  Bam!  Instead style update.

And the possibilities are kind of endless.

Take this sheet:

Cut it up how you like.  Peel it off its backing.  And stick it on where you want.  (If you’re feeling nervous, there are a number of tutorials to help you along.)

The store is full of these goodies.  Some are one complete sheet like this, some offer several patterns on one sheet.

There’s even the option to upload your own imagery and have it printed and sent to you, ready to go onto your feet.

There are a scrillion* different options, so get to it.

And then send in your accomplishment to the Sneakart folks, and you might end up in the gallery.

Need some inspiring photos?  Here are a just a few of the neat creations people have already come up with.

The catch is that, while these puppies are pretty cheap for getting a new styled pair of shoes (ranging from about £4-7), they’re only available in the UK.  For now.  So enjoy, Brits.  Or get your Brit friend to mail ‘em to you.

ETA: Aha! Turns out international folks are in luck.  Zoe from Sneakart has helpfully mentioned in the comments that you can pay £2.25/$3.75 for international shipping to anywhere in the world.  Sweet!

*May not be representative of an actual numerical value.

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December. Christmas in 11 days. We have all heard this time of year referred to as the Season of Giving.  So, what to do if you have a shoe-lover on your gift list?

Rather than suggest taking her on a designer shoe-shopping spree (and isn’t that a holiday fantasy to make any shoe-obsessive individual smile?), you might want to look at a custom charm bracelet or necklace from Juicy Couture that lets her proclaim her shoe obsession in a cute and attractive way.

It works just like any classic charm bracelet.

Decide on a bracelet or necklace style:

Starter Charm Bracelet $42.00 at Saks & Nordstrom.

Starter Charm Necklace $58 at Saks.

Charm Catcher Pendant 28″ Necklace $68 at Saks & Nordstrom.

Next, choose from various shoe-shaped charms to match many personalities:

High Top Sneaker Charm $48 at Saks.

Sneak Attack Charm $48 at Saks.

Edith Heel Charm $48$36 at Bloomingdales.

Ballet Slippers Charm $50 at Nordstrom.

Melissa Loafer $52 at Bloomingdales.

High Heel Shoe Charm in silver or gold $48 at Nordstrom.

Flippers Charm $48 at Bloomingdales.

High Heel Charm $48 at Juicy Couture.

Add gift-wrap, and Voila! It’s couture bling that proclaims her love of footwear whether she is dressing up or down.

Oh, and just in case your particular shoe-lover is a full-on fashionista and SATC fan, the following charms make a bracelet that pays homage to Carrie Bradshaw and all of her NYC friends.

Bloomies Gift Bag Charm $58.00 exclusive to Bloomingdales.

High Heel Slipper $30 at Nordstrom.

Engagement Ring Charm $52 at Nordstrom and Saks.

Champagne Flute Charm $48 at Bloomingdales.

Perfume Atomizer Charm $48 at Nordstrom & Saks.

Eiffel Tower Charm $52 at Nordstrom.

The wonderful thing about this a la carte system is that you can decide to purchase as many or few charms as you like, depending on your budget.

Just be warned - especially if you are like me; if you decide to start collecting these charms for yourself, this has the potential to be nearly as dangerous an addiction as shoe shopping.

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Audrey Hepburn, that is.  Synonymous with chic style.  And with the season of holiday parties fast approaching (and even upon us, for some readers), everyone can use a little chic style.

But since there’s this eensy weensy issue with the worldwide financial markets being in a constant state of turmoil, let’s take another page out of Audrey’s fashion book and go for our chic style without spending a whole lot of money to do it.

I turn, in these times, to creative solutions that will change up an outfit without requiring a whole new outlay of cash.  Solutions like boot bands or shoe clips.

Well, here’s another excellent entry on the shoe clips scene.  Absolutely Audrey.  The brains behind this company is a clever woman who has several lines of shoe clips she offers.

First off, there’s the vintage line, which repurposes vintage earrings, brooches, pendants, etc. into snazzy jewelry for your footwear.

Take, for example, the pretty robin’s-egg-blue Charm.

Or the Kate, which is totally perfect for a glam holiday party.  How fabulous would these look on a killer pair of pumps with that little black dress you already own?

Want something sparkly shiny new to be a super fab recessionista?  There’s the Chic line, which is all new products that still have a touch of vintage-style glamor.

Slip the red Laura clips on your shoes, and you’ll impress your fellow party-goers.

Or go for my total favorite of all the Absolutely Audrey clips, and pick up a pair of the Natalie clips (in green or blue).

There’s also a bridal line, which has offerings like the Penelope, which would look pretty clipped onto wedding shoes, sure, but can also glammify a non-wedding shoe right up.

But best of all?  Pricing!  These clips would only set you back $20-35 per pair, but the very kind enterprising woman behind Absolutely Audrey is offering Shoeblog readers a special holiday season discount of 15% off your whole order.  Just enter MYAUDREY at checkout, and walk away knowing you’ve made your money stretch that much farther.  These days, we could all use a bit of that.

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One of the sad facts of life when one goes to live abroad for a year is that one’s beautiful shoe collection (if this totally hypothetical “one” were to have a vast and much-prized shoe collection) must remain behind.

Yes, I’m separated from most of my footwardrobe by an entire ocean.

So when products come along that can spruce up my shoes and give them a new look, I’m all on board.

Faithful readers may recall one of our posts from back in March about boot wrappers.

That was about a company called Freckles N Fran and a stretchy piece of fabric that can layer over the top of your boots and change up their look.

Even more faithful readers may recall one of our posts from March of last year about Muleos, which are ties and straps that can switch the look of your backless shoes (or your boots, if you wear them like I do.

I have brought both those little goodies along with me to London, and am making good use of them.

If you’re interested in the next step from either of those options in terms of variety (and, sadly, price), then point your browser to The 2 Bandits, who have a collection of boot straps.  No, not the kind you pull yourself up by.  Much prettier than that.

These are fabric and brass decorative straps to be fit around your boots.  There’s a handy dandy video explanation here.

But the concept is pretty self-explanatory, and this California/Texas designing duo has a pretty little product to offer during boot season.

Deck out your stompers with the Napoleonic bee-motif Gypsy.

Rock an Egyptian scarab beetle and a Grecian style with the Athena.

Or forego the brass charm entirely and stick to the bright woven look of the Santa Fe.

Prices range from $48 to $78, which ain’t cheap, but hell, it’s still cheaper than a new pair of boots, and I’m completely sold on the versatility they add to your footwear (wear ‘em up, wear ‘em down, wear ‘em over tights with no boots at all… the options are many).

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Here at Shoeblog, we’re pretty much all advocates of spending a little more in order to get a pair of shoes that’ll last longer.  It does indeed work out to be smarter for the wallet in the long run.

But I’m also well aware that that means fewer opportunities for the excitement of a new pair of shoes.

What can you do to alleviate this?

We’ve talked about shoe accessories before: try Muleos, or Shoesmitten’s clips.

Well, here’s another entry on that scene.

Erica Weiner, who makes jewelry for the neck, ears, wrists, and fingers, also makes it for the feet.  Or, specifically, the shoes.  Her line of shoe clips are classy and flirty and fun, by turns.

She’s got a whole range of additions to make to your shoes, including red crinkle patent leather bows, tortoiseshell ovals,

white Art Deco style layered rectangles, and blue grosgrain rosettes.

That’s not all.  There are more.  And at $25 a pop, they’ll give your shoes a new lease on life and give you that flare of satisfaction in a new pair of shoes without the actual expense of… well… a new pair of shoes.

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