I love the steampunk look, and shoes are just getting tougher and tougher by the day. Industrial underpinnings, from buckles to studs to metal heels, gird shoes to your foot like some sort or giant rolling machine these days. Boots are more popular than ever, it seems, being worn year round. And though the steampunk look has been around for a while, because it’s classic it will always work. The key is accessories and adornments. Keys, pocket watches, chains, hats, vests, gloves, and glasses are very important. Without the adornments, you’re just vaguely Victorian.

There are a few different steampunk looks, and I admit to not being deeply entrenched in the culture, but from what I can deduce, there seems to be a dark, classic look that’s refined and traditional. Boots are leather and look Victorian. There are pocket watches and metals, but it seems to stick to fairly light, delicate looks.

I prefer the male look to the female look. A smart pair of trousers with a vest and a hat — sometimes I wish I could dress like that every day.

The other look seems to be a sort of heavier, more industrial look. It’s more futuristic, in the style of H.G. Wells. There are more heavy chains and machinery-looking things.

The company PUREVILE makes jewels that would be perfect for your steampunk couture. My photographer pal Jake Alper took some photos for me of PUREVILE’s goods for sale.

As far as shoes, clip on earrings or vintage shoe clips are a great way to jazz up already Victorian looking shoes. They are mostly one of a kind, so it’s best to search on EBay for “vintage shoe clips” or “vintage clip on earrings.” Absolutely Audrey and Shoeworthy are other good places to look for vintagey looking clips. If you’re going for steampunk, stay away from the rhinestones and glitteriness and stick with bronze and gold metals.

Any man who can pull this look off is on my amazed list forever.

These Candela shoes would be great to jazz up with chains and shoe clips.

Anyi Lu and Chie Mihara would also be great sources for imitation Victorian shoes. Aim for leather, lacing, and a slim fit.

These vintage boots on Etsy are fantastic. For $68, snap em up if they’re your size!

Happy steampunking!

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This year I attended a Halloween Edward Gorey ball called “The Dwindling Party,” put on by the lovely organization Dances of Vice. Putting on Victorian, Edwardian and other period parties, Dances of Vice makes life in New York just that much more interesting by bringing out all kinds of interesting characters in intense period-modern mashup costumes.

The setting, a loft in Carroll Gardens, was ornately gorgeous and the hosts including the foxy Shien Lee were incredibly gracious.

Photos are all by my fantastic photographer pal, Jake Alper, taken specially for ShoeBlog.

Benjamin Ickies and This Ambitious Orchestra, who runs in the same circus circles as yours truly, was the highlight of the evening for us, with his fun arrangements, voice and accordion regaling.

There were some dramatic dance performance art pieces.

Ah, the outfits. Mashups, indeed. There was a strange and interesting mix of steampunk, goth, Victorian, creepy Gorey, typical skeletons and Halloween stuff, New Orleans, bowler hats, cravats and drag.

And now for the shoes. Which were, of course, dramatic. And there were men in corsets and high heels. No complaining here. Now they get to know what it feels like. And some of them looked better than I do in them!

Pilgrim shoes go dark and goth!

Senor below had quite the Senorita look going, and it was impressive how evenly he stood on those stilettos!

These look like they could be on ModCloth!

Those sock-boot straps are so big right now.

I was impressed with Madame below, who was already tall, but with these platform pumps, towered above most men there that night, and still was graceful. The fake blood was a nice touch to her sexy referee look.

Hope it was a fantastic Halloween for you with some great shoe sightings!

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By now, many of you will have seen the new Skechers “Shape Ups” walking shoes:

Skechers Shape-ups ‘Motivation’ $110

These look very similar to the MBT (Masai Barefoot Technology) ‘anti-shoe’ - complete with rocker bottom and enthusiastic claims to health benefits:

MBT ‘Sport 2′ $245

From all I have read, people who buy MBT’s love them. Similarly, people who are trying Shape-ups are also loving their new Skechers.

So, MBT or Skechers?  MBT definitely has had time to work on their technology.  But, at $150-$350 per pair, many people are unable to justify even trying the MBT’s without some guarantee that the footwear will work out for them.

At an average retail of $110 for the Skechers (I saw them at an outlet mall for about $60 right after they were released) they are considerably more affordable to the average consumer; Skechers has a good chance of gaining solid market saturation to a degree that we never saw with the higher-priced, niche-marketed MBT’s.

Of course, the obvious questions to now ask are how the two brands actually compare in quality, fit, function, and technology. So far, in actual comparisons of the two brands, Skechers fair very well as the low-priced, effective alternative to MBT’s.

You can also read more reviews of the Skechers Shape Ups here, here and here. While MBT’s website as well as Zappos are both filled with positive reviews of the MBT brand.

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Okay, so this one is from several weeks back:

- Hundreds of shoes from Imelda Marco’s infamous collection were rescued from rising floodwaters by dedicated museum workers at the Marikina Shoe Museum.

- In shoe-throwing news, a shoe is thrown at the former Australian Prime minister John Howard, while Sikh shoe-throwing journalist Jarnail Singh is honored in Canada.

- Jimmy Choo is interviewed by Roya Nikkhah - c/o NY Times

- Shoes continue to sell well despite recession. Apparently shoes are a luxury many of us refuse to do without c/o NY Times.

- A touching and Stars and Stripes article about two shoe bins marked ‘Left’ and ‘Right’. A story that brings home a sense of immediacy that although we are able to medically save many more military lives than we were able to in years past, the price is often a missing limb.

- Also touching, a Saks Fifth Avenue shoebox ‘full of New York’ care-package arrives in Afghanistan:

Lastly, and on a much lighter note:

-Cracked.com has the best version of the “women’s shoe-shopping dilemma” flowchart that I have yet seen. The after-commentary is also wickedly funny. Especially note the differences in the flow charts for men vs. women (as caught by Shoes N Booze)

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For those of you who love Louboutin’s Eugenie pumps, but either cannot or will not pay big $$$ for a pair of shoes - no matter how fabulous - Pella Moda has yet another entry in the category of designer-inspired near-knockoff’s with their “Vinessa” bootie.

Pella Moda ‘Vinessa’ open-toed, rhinestone-embellished, suede booties $214.95;

available at endless.com in black, brown, purple, or red suede.

While these haven’t quite managed the same ‘Wow’ factor as the uber-high and glamourous Louboutin’s that are their obvious inspiration, these Pella Moda’s are definitely more friendly to your bank account. Particularly if the current recession has you singing the budgetista blues. Plus, if you are like me, you will actually wear them more if you aren’t afraid of them getting scuffed the first time you wear them.

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