’10 Kisses’ insoles by Scandalush (Part 1)

Last week I received a surprise in my mailbox….a little white envelope from the recent, woman-owned, small-business start-up ‘Scandalush’:

Yay! I bet you can guess what this means – something new to try out and review for you….

So, wanna see what  was inside?

Two pair of these cute, 2-piece, repositionable, lip-shaped, gel insoles-cum-heel pad-cum-ball of the foot cushions:

These are the Scandalush ’10 Kisses’ insoles which have been blogged about here & there. As an arch-insert obsessive who is always looking for new products to increase heels wearability, I am very excited to have a chance to give these little lips a real-world workout.

Wear-testing, here I come.

Wish me luck. I’ll let you know in a couple of weeks how these work out for me.

Shoe Poetry by Edward Monkton

Does your shoe collection sometimes leave you feeling whimsical about shoes in general?  Do you find yourself looking at shoe-themed decor for your closet?

If so, the poetry and art of Edward Monkton may be for you.

I was lucky enough to trip across the gift-sized (6.1 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches ) Shoes, Chocs, Bags, and Frocks(penned by Edward Monkton) sitting forlornly on the clearance rack at my local bookstore. This is a fun and fluffy literary indulgence for anyone passionate about shoes, bags, or chocolate; obsessions in which many women indulge with more than a twinge of self-conscious, guilt-wrapped pleasure.

Contained inside it’s pages are quirky poetic gems that, happily,  do not take themselves too seriously. With such titles as “The Beautiful Frock”, “My Chocolate Kingdom”, and “The Killer Heels”, this is poetry made to make women smile.

In addition to this and other  titles available at Amazon.com, a visit to Edward Monkton’s website  yields note cards for sale (such at ”My Killer Heels” shown above) as well as limited-edition prints of “The Shoe of Salvation” (£599).

This is a hand-pulled, 195-copy, silk-screened print that is float-mounted in a transparent box - perfect for any shoe-diva’s decorative splurge.

Hosiery Trend at Fashion Week

A very prominent trend at fashion week this season was interesting hosiery. We were definitely in luck with the weather this year; the temperature was above freezing almost all week. However, hosiery (or tights, as the kids call them today) is the best way to deceive yourself into thinking that the little dress you’re wearing is actually warm.

On the runway at Carlos Campos, I saw some of the sexiest hosiery that’s been around in recent times:

I admit that the super shortie romper is not something that most women can pull off, but the hosiery would definitely make the wearer feel sexy, whether it was completely visible or not. Even looking at this still photo right now, I can see that the impact doesn’t transfer. In person, these suckers just radiated sensuality. There was an audible silence as all the men in the room collectively caught their breath when this model strutted down the runway.

At the Barbie runway show, (I know, I keep going back to that one, but it was FULL of material) we saw the be-hearted little girl princess tights that I know at least half of you had when you were young. Admit it! I’m on to you!

There were Wicked Witch of the East tights at Erin Featherston and pretty patterned paillettes at Custo Barcelona.

And those were just the tights on the runway! Off the runway, it was clear that the hosiery trend has already swept the New York fashion elite.

I’m am curious about whether this trend is New York-centric. I know that even outside fashion week, the streets of New York are littered with ladies in Jewel Toned and pattered tights. Not to mention the leggings (which are NOT pants, ladies) and stirrup tights that are all over the place. Is this trend prevalent where you live?

Sneaker Art… Customizable and Cool

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.

Shoe Charms by Juicy Couture

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.