To all you shoe lovers with smelly, sweaty feet, this is your final chance to enter the Fragrant Footings giveaway. Trust us, you’ll save yourself the embarrassment of retched foot odors if you win.

If that isn’t enough to convince you to give these scents a try, your faithful shoebloggers had an opportunity to test these scented insoles out.

Jitterbugbaby: Sadly (oh, so sadly), the weather hasn’t quite gotten warm enough for me to bring out the fun summer shoes. It’s been socks galore for me recently (though some of those socks are pretty damn fun), so I haven’t gotten to the part of the year where my feet get unfortunately sweaty and yes, on occasion, stinky. But after checking out the Fragrant Footings around the apartment, I have to say that they’re making me look forward to the possibility of foot odor for the first time in… well, ever.

The scents are indeed fresh and light, not very cloying and perfume-y. I’m particularly partial to the mint, though the lemon and jasmine scents are also nice. In other impressive news, the advertising is true; it’s the rub and wear of your feet that release the scent. It’s not there constantly, so you won’t be walking around in a permanent air-freshener.

Overall, I’d say these are a great go-to idea for insoles for summertime. And even in non-summer times and climes, I’d certainly use these as insoles to snug up a pair of slightly loose shoes. Who doesn’t love fresh smelling tootsies?

Shoesense: If I could only have one word to describe this product it would be: awesome! I am of the especially foot-conscious persuasion, which is to say, I do NOT tolerate any slips in foot hygiene, which is why I almost never, ever, wore closed shoes without some kind of socks, precisely to avoid potentially embarrassing foot odor. In fact, I always wondered how other women did it so glibly (ever since I saw “Disclosure,” remember when Demi Moore sexually harasses Michael Douglas in mile-high stiletto pumps worn on bare feet? I cringed then and I cringe now). “Perhaps,” I thought to myself, “they know something I don’t! Perhaps my body chemistry is just not made to wear closed shoes on bare feet! Perhaps I can never wear my office skirts without stockings!” Such was the dire destiny I had resigned myself to until…Summer Soles! Finally, an inconspicuous and fragrant insole that cushions as it freshens and allows me to escape the tyranny of socks and stockings in the summertime. Trust me, you’ll want this for yourself. Your vocabulary will swap “foot odor” with “foot fragrance” in a heartbeat. And that’s a good thing.

Shomore: Out of the box, Fragrant Footings had a nice scent yet I remained unconvinced. Sure, a lemon fragrance was great, but combined with my chronic stinky feet what would the overall result be? I was convinced my smelly feet would conquer any feet fresheners….Well, I’m happy to report back that the insoles absorbed the smelly feet portion quite well. My feet AND my shoes actually smelled nice after a 3.0 miles jog/walk around the park. It wasn’t an overpowering scent like the cologne or perfume you smell when you are next to someone in a small elevator either. It was a refreshing, light, and clean smell.

Other features that I liked:

• The full sized trim-to-fit footings and the three quarter length footings are as thin as a credit card.   The thin nature of the insoles means they fit rather inconspicuously on sandals and also can be layered over existing insoles (inside my jogging shoes).
• The ball of feet cushions were nice mini pillows for my feet. Much better (and cheaper) than thousand dollar Sculpa foot pillows.

• Packaging was simple and relatively eco-friendly. I’m used to Dr. Scholl’s packaging, which used to come in a clear, plastic container that is absolutely child and Shomore proof. Fragrant Footings comes with a paper covering that is easily recycled.

Unknowns:

• Since I haven’t worn Fragrant Footings for very long, I do not know how long the adhesive material lasts. Initial feedback is quite positive though. On my jogging shoes, the insoles stuck well and there was no slippage during my run.
• Inevitably, the gentle fragrance must wear out. When they are replaced, I assume they won’t stick onto your shoes like super glue and will leave minimal sticky residue behind.

Overall, Fragrant Footings gets our two thumbs (or should I say toes) up. They are an inexpensive way to feel good about foot odor and offer different scents and sizes to work with different foot and body types. But as Levar Burton from Reading Rainbow always said, you don’t have to take my[our] word for it. Here are other testimonials from Daily Candy and Oprah or you can try yourself when you enter and win the Fragrant Footings giveway. Right now, with 2 lucky winners, your chances of winning are quite high.

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Hot off the heels of our last giveaway, Shoeblog has yet another contest to announce (we know, you are complaining, right?). This latest product we are giving away is perfect for the warm spring/summer months.

The hot weather brings an unfortunate side effect - sweaty, stinky feet. Summer Soles aims to fix those embarrassing problems for us. Fragrant Footings by Summer Sole is an absorbent air freshener for the foot. They keep your sandals dry and help you avoid the annoying squish sound that you hear after too much moisture has accumulated in your shoes. The insoles come in your choice of three fragrant flavors - lemons, mint, or jasmine. And what’s great is they are available in lots of shapes and fabrics that will smell, feel, and look good with any shoe. By my last count, I saw mini-foot pads for open toe shoes, full sized-soles, animal prints, and even extra soft and color neutral suede insoles (see images below).

For the Fragrant Footings by Summer Soles giveaway, we will randomly draw TWO winners. Each of the winners will receive 2 sets of Fragrant Footings. To enter, simply leave your comment on this blog entry by Thursday, May 8th midnight PST.

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We just drew the winner of the London Underground Bread N’ Honey winner. However, our first attempt was rather unsuccessful. You see, our winner was a man, which by itself wouldn’t have been a big deal if he was entering for a significant other. However, the deal breaker was that the entry was left by none other than the actual designer of his shoe, Paul. (Incidentally, the comment he left was to feel free to leave any questions/comments. I know firsthand that he is readily available to answer your questions so feel free to ask away if you want.)

Anyways, we had a second drawing since the first one wasn’t valid. This time (whew!) we had a winner. Congratulations to Huda. At entry #62, she is the new owner of these fun mary-janes from London Underground shoes! Today is hump day so we hope that winning these shoes carries you over to Thursday and Friday.

Update: For those that didn’t win the contest but wish to purchase the Bread N’ Honey shoes, they are available at Shoe.com for $109.99.

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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.

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Got the Monday morning blues? Well, ShoeBlog has just the thing to cheer you up. We’re excited because we have two back-to-back contests for you this month.

Our first giveaway is the Bread N’ Honey shoe by a new brand called London Underground, which launch in Fall 2007. These triple buckle mary-jane shoes are a neutral putty color that pairs well with jeans. Can’t you imagine going to a rock concert in these? The decorated, printed stacked heel is also spot on with this season’s trend of decorated heels except they aren’t razor sharp stilletos that will give you intense pain at the end of the day. The winner of our latest giveaway will receive the Bread N’ Honey, which retails for $100, in their size.

Before I go into contest entry details, I thought it would be fun to mention some of the subtle originals of the shoe, which is by designer Paul Kaufman. During a meetup with Paul and the London Underground team (Hi Tamara!) at WSA I discovered the brand was named after the London underground transportation system. What’s even more interesting is the purpose of the raven and brass hardware resembling diamonds or jewels on all the shoes. In London, ravens protect the Tower of London and the crown jewels. According to legend, if the ravens ever left, Britain and the monarchy would fall. Similiarly, the raven logo on London Underground is meant to protect the shoes and the jeweled hardware. Didn’t think you would get a history lesson with this post, did ya?

Okay, by now you’re itching to enter this contest. It’s pretty simple, actually. Just submit a comment to this blog post by midnight PST on Sunday April 27 Monday April 28th (due to clarification on international entries). Good luck!

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