Simple Tweaks: How To Repaint Shoe Hardware

Every now and then I fall in love with a certain shoe only to find out something needs to change on it to appeal to my taste and style.  Usually the reason is because the hardware on the shoe is an ugly gold or cheap looking brass.  Obviously I'm not going to attempt to change out the hardware, but after much trial and error in painting materials over the last few years I have found a very cheap and sure-fire method to change those metals into my preferred silver.  How, you ask?  Simple.  Nail polish.

Take this bootie, "Sari" from Paper Fox.  I loved these shoes until they arrived.  The photo makes the gold look considerably better than it does in person.  It's a really brassy bright gold which I despise.  I found a bottle of Sinful's "Heavy Metal" which is a somewhat matte silver with some super-fine glitter in it.  Granted, I am an artist, so the painting part of this is a bit easier for me.  However, I spent time here and there over a couple of days building up coats on the buckle and the grommets to cover up the gold.

Here's what they look like now:

Another pair that I painted was "Elisabeth" from ShoeDazzle.  It was the heel this time that made me crazy - this too was a TACKY bright gold.  I used the same nail polish mentioned above to paint the heel because the shoes have a glitter effect to them.

The after photo, and I think the repainted heel matches the shoe better too:

The things I would recommend for a successful shoe hardware repaint would be the following:

1. Look for polishes that have more of a matte finish.  They're more forgiving if you don't feel you have a steady hand. 2. Take your time in painting, even possibly investing in tiny brushes from a craft store.  Nail polish doesn't easily come off of areas you don't want it to be on, so be careful. 3. I've used paper (standard printer paper) as painters tape, wrapping it around the shoes and securing the paper with tape only on the bottom sole when this method is needed.  This way no sticky residue stays on your shoes. 4. I usually do about 3 coats for full coverage. 5. Make sure to leave a couple of hours in between coats and/or areas that touch (such as buckles) to make sure they dry completely. 6. This also works for things such as a chip on a colored stud, or an area of hardware that unfortunately wasn't fully painted.  I've used this method for both - the key is to make sure the polish matches as closely as possible, and to only build up paint on the area which isn't painted.

Good luck with your shoes, and happy painting!

A Shoe In The Hand

I don't watch many award shows but I do make a point to watch the Golden Globes and the Oscars.  I don't care as much for the awards as I do seeing Hollywood dress up for the occasion - dresses, shoes, hairstyles, the works.  There were a few looks I loved - Uma Thurman in Versace, Jessica Chastain in Givenchy, and Jenna Dewan-Tatum in Roberto Cavalli.  I would even go so far to say Jenna Dewan-Tatum stole the spotlight from her husband in her stunning black and white gown.  I am also quite curious to know what shoes she paired with it.

As far as my favourite moment of the show (or maybe EVER on a Golden Globes broadcast), it was Emma Thompson presenting, hands down.  She comes onto the stage barefoot and holding her shoes in one hand, a martini in the other.  First she points to the signature bottom of her Christian Louboutin open toe pumps saying, "I just want you to know, this red, it's my blood."  Then, a few minutes later, upon realizing she has no hands available to open the envelope to announce the winner, she tosses her shoes behind her.

I am guessing she's someone who isn't used to wearing heels, and in that case, I can't say I blame her for throwing them.  Although if I had spent my hard earned money on those Louboutins (I found a very similar CL shoe - "Palais Royal Trepointe" for $975 at Barneys.com), I certainly wouldn't be doing that.  Would you?

Winter Wear

Although I LOOOOOOOVE wearing my high heels, there are days that dictate the heels stay put in the closet (such as in this past week of frigid arcticness across North America).  Being a girl who loves a more goth/rocker look, I have some closet staples that I turn to in times like these.

First up we have a pair I am wearing now...
"Brett" by Leila Stone
($25.00 VIP, $59.95 non-VIP, from ShoeDazzle)

I love these boots so much, I bought 2 pairs!  They do run about a half size large - even with thick winter socks - so make sure to take that into account if you would like a pair.  The calf measurement is on these is 14.5", perfect for those with a small to medium calf.  I wear them over both leggings and skinny jeans.

"Colton" by JustFab (currently sold out -  purchased from JustFab.com for $39.95, also sold at heels.com for $54.99)

The two reasons these combat-styled boots made me purchase them: 1) they're a bit taller than the standard combat boot, and 2) it's all in the details - the buckled ankle straps and the tiny studs on the back of the heel. They're pretty versatile too - they go just as well with shorts in the summer as they do with rolled up boyfriend jeans in the winter.

"Rock On Tall Boot (Black)" by Abbey Dawn (currently sold out - purchased from JustFab.com for $39.95, retailed at $114.99 from heels.com)

These were a STEAL through JustFab at $39.95, and are a pair I tend to wear mostly with dresses in warmer weather.  They also work nicely over leggings for the winter so they made an appearance this past week.  I have smaller calves (13.5") and the 6 in these (whole sizes only, size down a half size if you're in between sizes) fit me like a glove.  There's not a whole lot of room to adjust them either so thankfully they did fit as well as they do.  They also come in a tartan plaid, and there are some 5's and 6's in the red plaid still available through heels.com.

Last but not least... "Starlight Fugg Boot" by Iron Fist (purchased from punk.com, no longer in business.  $40.00 from amazon.com)

I'm not a big fan of the Ugg Boot style, but these were too cute to pass up!  I rarely wear these outside of the house - I consider these more to be my slippers.  They keep my feet incredibly toasty on these cold days, and who doesn't love an adorable star print?  These come in whole sizes only.  I'm a 6.5 and I wear a 6 in Iron Fist shoes.

Do You Know Them All?

There are many types of heeled shoe styles, and they all have their own special names.  My personal favourites are the pointed toe mary jane, the pointed toe pump (with or without ankle strap/detail),and a platform pump.  Though I don't wear them very often, I do like a kitten heel.  They're perfect for the times you want to be a bit dressy but know you can't max out the heel, such as running through airports.  I'm not a fan of the wedge heel or the heel-less shoe style, but that's something to discuss on another day.

How many of the styles pictured can you identify without looking at the names underneath them?

Tuesday Trend: Pointed Toes

One of the latest shoe trends has been a return to the non-platformed sole coupled with the pointed toe - my preferred shoe shape.  I've seen a lot of pumps in this style, but also a lot of shoes with ankle straps or ankle decorations, something I really like to make a standard pump into something unique. I do think that this pointed style looks and feels best on a smaller, average to narrow width foot, but if you like them, who cares?  Wear them!

Some of my favourite and more importantly, affordable shoes in this trend:

Iron Fist's "Skull It Out Heel" ($45.00 at ironfistclothing.com)

These lacey skull cutout pumps are already in my closet.  The skull pattern is subtle, which is nice for those places you want to be you but you can't shove it in their face.  They're decently comfortable and easy to walk in for the heel height.  Iron Fist shoes only come in whole sizes.  I'm normally a 6.5 but order a 6 in Iron Fist shoes.  These 6s are just a tad big on me, probably due to the pointed toe.  Some heel liner inserts took care of that issue.

Truth or Dare by Madonna's "Skalecki" ($99.99 at heels.com)

I love the ankle corset tie closure and triangular studs on these shoes.  I only wish that the pyramid studs were silver and not that other metallic color.  Something to note - I own a few pairs of Truth or Dare shoes, and in the pointed styles I have needed to go up by a half size, so a 6.5 to a 7.

Pleaser's Heat-08 ($50.95 at inkedshop.com)

These edgy faux patent shoes are on my wish list.  I love the studded ankle strap, the shiny stiletto heel, and the metal toe cap on the vamp.  I'm not sure how adjustable the ankle strap is, and this might be a problem to those with thicker ankles.  Pleaser's shoes only come in whole sizes, and I have to go up to a 7 in their shoes.

Walking In A Winter Wonderland

Seven years ago I moved away from a climate which has a lot of snow.  Besides my health being so much better and being a summer girl at heart (I now have 6 months of summer!), the next best thing is that I don't need those "sensible winter shoes" anymore.  I know you know the ones - the ugly, non-stylish snow boots you must have to trudge through foot high snow drifts just to pick up a gallon of milk at the grocery store, and those flat, clunky, rubber-soled shoes that don't do anything for your outfit but you won't skid on the ice?  I'm so glad that's all behind me now.

A friend of mine posted this photo of what I would call "shoe snowplows" on my facebook profile the other day.  It appears that you strap these little plows to your shoes as the strap goes around the back of the heel and the toe goes into the back of the plow.  The question is, if these accessories were actually functional, would you put them on your shoes?  Nice idea, but I can't say I'd want the opportunity to use them.

New Shoe Review: Hello Kitty Meets T.U.K.

I was so excited when I received an email that the Sanrio site was selling limited edition Hello Kitty shoes from T.U.K. - a brand of shoes that I love.  There are 4 "Hello Kitty x T.U.K." styles, and they are all "creepers".  They range in price from $90 (the mary janes) to $100 (the mondo creepers).  I love them all, but which one to choose??

I had a little extra holiday cash to spend on myself this year, so after much contemplation I decided to treat myself to a pair of the black mary jane creepers via Sanrio (they are also now available for purchase via the T.U.K. site, Amazon, Sourpuss Clothing, and a couple other sites).  I even had a coupon for free shipping, making this deal all that much sweeter.

When I opened the box, I swear I let out a squee.  They are just too cute!  I adore a mary jane to begin with, and a mary jane with hello kitty on it?!!!?  You cannot go wrong!  The inside is adorned with a red and white bow pattern - just too cute!  I unbuckled them to put them on, and all my happiness went out the door.

I normally wear a 6.5 shoe, and I have to go up to a 7 in T.U.K. as they only produce whole sizes.  I ordered a 7 and these were HUGE on me.  I was able to put my entire thumb behind my heel.  I don't even think going down to a 6 would work in this case; possibly the 5 would work but I would want to try them on in a store before I would decide to purchase them again.

My other disappointment with the shoes is the weight of them.  They're very heavy, almost 4 lbs for a size 7 pair.  The nearly 1.75" platform is nice to have for someone who loves heels, but for the weight of them I'd prefer to have a much smaller sole.

They ended up getting returned and sadly Sanrio did not have a smaller size for me to exchange them with.  Due to that weight I mentioned before, it cost me a lot to return them - nearly $20, and the cheapest method I found was UPS ground.  I wanted to save others from having to be in the same predicament that I was with these shoes, so I even spent the time to write a detailed review for the Sanrio site.  I don't think they liked it much because almost 2 weeks later it still is not published.

If you decide you want a pair to join your collection, I would strongly suggest that you find them in a store to try on before buying them (if possible).  Luckily I already have an adorable pair of Hello Kitty heels (style name "Louisa") that I obtained through JustFab in 2012.  These are more my style anyway. ;)

New Year, New Month, New Shoes! - January 2014

I look forward to the first of every month because that is the day I get to see all the new shoes at the two shoe clubs I am a member of - ShoeDazzle and JustFab.  I think they're both great companies, but in the last year JustFab hasn't been as good as it was in the past for me.  Their shoe styles seems to have gone more average (shoe styles you'd find at Target) and the quality seems to have suffered a bit as well.  Also in the past year - and maybe Rachel Zoe's arrival helped it become this - ShoeDazzle has soared to new heights for me.  Their shoes are unique and edgy and cool, three things I look for before adding a pair to my wardrobe.  I don't have any shoes from JustFab to share with you this month.  Maybe they'll surprise me with something that is more my style next month.  Until then...

My top 3 choices from ShoeDazzle are Tanika, Telisa, and Nafessa, all shown below.

Tanika by Beau+Ashe ($45.95 VIP members / $49.95 for non-VIPs)

This shoe remind me of the union jack and mid century modern art at the same time.  I love the cut outs and ankle strap, and the PVC gives it an edge.  My word of warning is in the pin closures for the ankle strap.  If it's not flush to the foot, it might not look so good and might cause issues while walking because the shoe might flop around.  I'll at least try these with my next order because it they are quite the unique addition to my wardrobe.  If it doesn't work, ShoeDazzle does free returns.

Telisa by Beau+Ashe ($49.95 VIP members / $54.95 for non-VIPs)

I adore anything black and white striped, and this certainly fits that bill.  The black "stripes" are also of contrasting matte and patent textiles, a detail which I really like.  My only concern is the ankle strap because it's not adjustable.  If you have larger ankles, this might be a shoe to avoid.

Nafessa by Scene ($39.95 VIP members / $49.95 non-VIPs)

This shoecomes in a black and white version as well.  Purple is my favourite colour, so therefore I'd have to pick the purple; it's not often you find purple shoes, let alone a pleasing snakeskin print!  Both the back/heel and the front tie are in the snakeskin - fabulous detail!  I also love a caged style that this is.  It's a great transition shoe from winter to spring.  Come on warmer weather!

Not sure if you want to join a shoe club?  In the next few weeks I will go through the pros and cons of joining one, so make sure to check back for more information.

Happy new year, and happy shopping!

Happy Shoe Year!

Wishing everyone a very happy and shoe filled 2014!  Stay fabulous!

My Shoe Themed Christmas Tree

Last christmas I started to wonder why I had no shoe ornaments.  I mean - ME, especially - should have a shoe themed christmas tree!  Since then I have been scouting for really unique and cool shoe ornaments to start my collection.  Being a Chicago Bears fan I added a couple of Bears themed ornaments, and a friend surprised me with a blue strappy sandal ornament that she found.

Recently I stumbled upon the Disney shoe ornaments and I couldn't be happier that I did.  They have most of the princesses, characters like Alice and Jack Skellington, core Disney characters like Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck, but then they have THE VILLIANS!  Having a penchant for the edgy, of course I needed Alice's and Jack's inspired shoes but I also ~had~ to have the downright spectacular shoes of the villianesses!  My favourite of them is Maleficent's with it's purple and green accents and the horns at the back, but each one of them perfectly embodies their woman.  Now if we could only get Disney to make some of these into actual shoes...

Can you match the character with their shoe ornament?