Move Over Shoe Designers, Start-up Allows You to Design Shoes

In the world of shoes, designers like Christian Louboutin and Manolo Blahnik have become household names. Now, a new start-up, Milk & Honey, is letting YOU be the designer.

The start-up was featured on CNBC's Power Pitch, which gives start-up founders 60 seconds to convince a panel of experts that their business has what it takes to make it big.

This week, Milk & Honey co-founder Dorian Howard told Power Pitch why her shoe customization business is going to make it big.

“If you want a certain shoe at a certain heel height or strap option you should be able to have exactly what you want,” Howard told CNBC.

The site allows you to pick a silhouette, colors, embellishments, and heel height, according to CNBC.

Shoe Inserts for Comfort

Some times a shoe insert, such as a insole or a heel grip, can make the difference between comfort and pain. Recently, I have found thick and thin insoles, and heel grips that have saved my feet.

Dr. Scholl's for Her 16 Hour Insoles

I love Dr. Scholl's shoes, especially the Jute and June styles that have these great foam insoles. The Dr. Scholl's for Her 16 Hour Comfort Insoles give me the same feel and can go in many pairs of shoes. While I like this line of Dr. Scholl's shoes, they are on the casual side and limited. These insoles give me the same sensation, but can go in many shoes. I especially like them in boots, including Ugg type boots and my slippers.

These Dr. Scholl's flats from TJ Maxx are super comfortable due to a foam insole.

High Heel Shopping at Famous Footwear Just in Time for the Holidays

Its holiday party time and high heels can give you that extra confidence boost or make an outfit. Or...they can cause blisters and pain. 

I have found myself shying away from heels, especially for work because I often cannot tell if I will be on my feet a lot.

Recently I was in Famous Footwear and found heels in the clearance racks that were actually comfy and cute! Priced at about $25, I couldn't go wrong. 

Aerosoles Mary Janes 

After recent success with Aerosoles boots, I have been liking the brand's padding in its shoes.

These heels have the same padding. The heel is thick a sturdy. The mix of textures and shades adds interest, while suede makes them wintry. They can be worn dressy or for work. 

Boot Shopping at Marshalls and Famous Footwear

#fabfound #myvictory



I live in boots when temperatures drop. Unfortunately, after a season, I often find my boots get pretty dead, so each season I am on the hunt for new comfortable and stylish boots.

This year I was looking for flat booties and flat tall boots. My job often requires many hours on my feet, so I want to be comfortable and stylish.

I hit up two of my favorite discounters, Marshalls and Famous Footwear and walking away with 3 pairs of boots.

Marshalls:

I picked up these Nine West fringe booties in Marshalls for $25.

As I previously shared, Marshalls is a great place to find boots.

Most booties have high heels, which are very difficult to walk in. These are nice and flat. The fringe adds a fun touch. They are more on the casual side, but with the right outfit can be work appropriate, depending on how formal your office is. These booties work great with pants or work well to dress down skirts and dresses. The color works with black and brown.

I have been wearing them a ton as a fall transitional shoe. However, I do wish they have more padding. My feet tend to become tired by the end of the day. I have been adding very thin insoles to help.

As I have revealed before, I often shop in the kids section for boots. Its a great way to get stylish boots from great companies for less. These Nine West boots are kids. The size 4 is a size 6 womens'. Great tip for those of us with small feet!

The difficulty with Marshalls is that selection is sometimes limited, lacking a full range of sizes. Items are often from the season before. However, the thrill of a find for a steal is amazing!

Famous Footwear:

Famous Footwear has a much larger shoe selection than Marshalls. Unlike Marshalls, you can also shop online. If you find a shoe in store that they don't have in your size, be sure to check online.The shoes are also usually same season. The downside is they offer less of a discount. Be sure to join their rewards club to earn points towards rewards certificates (free shoes!) and other coupons.

One Year Later: Superstorm Sandy & the Jersey Shore

Yesterday, I shared a recap of my experience with Superstorm Sandy on Staten Island. I would be amiss if I didn't mention the effects on the Jersey shore. I have spent countless days since I was a child at Seaside Heights and in Ocean Grove, NJ. Summertime would not be the same without relaxing at the beach and enjoying arcades.

Seaside Heights/ Seaside Park, NJ

In April, I showed the recovery in Seaside Heights. Little did I know in September much of the rebuilding would be undone by a great fire. It pains me to see recovery burned up. It is also frustrating that the fire was at least partially caused by the rush to rebuild. The hydrant system was not rebuilt, according to ABC 7 Eyewitness News, even though its a wooden boardwalk. In addition, the electrical wires were not checked, according to NJ.com, especially in the area of the boardwalk which survived Sandy.

This area of the boardwalk survived Sandy, but was consumed by fire.

This carousel and its arcade started to come back after Sandy, but was destroyed by fire.