What shoes do you wear to the Rally to Restore Sanity? Sane Ones!

A view of the crowd and the stage before the rally began.

This post is a bit of stretch for a shoe blog, but I went to Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert’s Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear on the National Mall yesterday, and wanted to share the experience.

As for my shoes, I wore comfortable and supportive sneakers, which was a very sane decision. I was one my feet for close to 5 hours straight, most of the time just standing. In the crowd, I must admit high-heels were tempting because I had trouble seeing. I often had to rise to my toes to glimpse the performers. However, my feet would have been in major pain if I wore heels to stand all that time and to talk the 2 miles back to where I am staying.

I had never been to a rally in Washington before, so this was definitely an experience.

Through to Your TV: Through the Sole was featured on ABC 7 Eyewitness News

On Thursday, Through the Sole was featured on WABC Channel 7 Eyewitness News as the Morning Link. For video, see above of click here. It was also written about on their Morning Link blog, http://wabc.typepad.com/themorninglink/.

I would like to sincerely thank everyone at WABC for this amazing opportunity.

ShoeDazzle: Wine, Cheese, now Shoes of the Month by Kim Kardashian!

ShoeDazzle is a recently started shoe of the month club co-founded by Kim Kardashian.

With ShoeDazzle, stylists, such as Kardashian or Anya Sarre, help to present you with a selection of shoes to choose from each month, based on a style questionnaire you fill out.

The shoes cost $39.95, including shipping. There is no fee to join, and returns are accepted.

However, once you purchase your first pair of shoes, you must opt out of the next month by the 5^th in order to avoid being charged.

Drag Queens Running Your Way in High Heels

Drag Queens, often in sky-high heels, took to the streets of Washington DC’s DuPont Circle to compete in the 25^th Annual High Heel Race.

The crowd packed the sides of the streets for this annual Halloween tradition.

The race took place at 9:00pm, but the festivities kicked up much earlier with the race participants parading around for spectators to view and admire their costumes.

Through to Your TV: Through the Sole to be featured on ABC Local Morning News

I just received very exciting news: Through the Sole will be featured on WABC-TV on Thursday on the early morning news, at 4:30 AM in the New York Metro Area. I hope you can tune in. It will also be featured on their blog, the Morning Link.

I would like to sincerely thank everyone at WABC for this amazing opportunity.

For more information on WABC, please visit their website, 7online.com.

Blister free, comfy feet: Part 3: When all else fails…how to handle blisters on your feet

The adorable Madden Girl zipper pumps that gave me blisters.

I failed to follow my own advice on how to have blister free comfortable feet. Recently, I went out to a play and decided to wear an unworn pair of heels, which turned out to be very uncomfortable. By the end of the night, my feet were covered in blistered.

In case this happens to you, here is some advice to treat blisters and make your shoes and feet more comfortable the next day.

Politicians and Shoes: Rent is 2 Damn High Party Will Let You Marry a Shoe

2010 is shaping up to be a quite interesting election year. All sorts of topics have been brought up, like witches. Yet, only recently have shoes entered this election.

At the New York governor candidates’ debate on October 20, all 7 candidates on the ballot were invited, including Jimmy McMillan, of the Rent is 2 Damn High Party (Sicoli, 2010). When asked about gay marriage, he said, “The Rent is 2 Damn High Party feels if you want to marry a shoe, I’ll marry you” (Ngo, 2010). See the end of the above video or click here. 

I understand the point McMillan was trying to make, but I am unsure why he chose a shoe. It’s still interesting to bring up shoes in a political debate. What do you think?

The Scary and Whimsical World of Halloween Shoes

Halloween is right around the corner. If you’re like me, you’re still trying to figure out what to wear. Now, let’s get to the best part of the costume, the shoes! After all, what would Dorothy costume be without the ruby red slippers? For anyone planning on being Lady Gaga this year, a pretty popular pick, unusual shoes are a requirement. For some inspiration, check out the previous post on Lady Gaga’s shoe choices. 

One way to make sure you get the right shoe to match your costume is to order a specifically Halloween shoe. Many online stores or costume stores have selections of Halloween shoes prices between $25 and $50.  Here are some of my favorites:

Critical Shopper: Reviewing Shoes and Stores

The Crocs shoes I own. Many are surprised to find out they're made by Crocs.

Crocs are praised by many for their comfort and criticized for their looks. When one thinks of Crocs, one thinks of slip-ons with circular openings. Many also think of the controversy and dislike of Crocs, mainly for their looks.  (For more on this, see Comfort or Style—Can you have both?) Recently, the New York Times under its Critical Shopper column wrote a pretty negative piece about Crocs. This column has run into to trouble before, writing a scathing review of JC Penney’s opening in Manhattan.

The Crocs article, by Jon Caramanica  in its style section criticized Crocs, especially their store in New York City’s fashionable SoHo. Caramanica calls the store, “the neighborhood’s Achilles’ heel.” Furthermore he calls the brand’s ABF flip-flop, “One of the flip-flops, the ABF (for “almost barefoot”), with its single-injected bulbous swoops, could pass for a cousin — an extremely distant one, several times removed, and estranged from the family — of the shoes Zaha Hadid designed for the Brazilian shoemaker Melissa a couple of years ago.” About another pair of flip-flops, Caramanica wrote, “ pair of flip-flops that looked like a withered bathmat sandwiched between two unforgiving slabs of Croslite” Under cost, he wrote, “Cheap, in dollars (or euros, or yen); the tax on the soul has not yet been measured.”

To the Future: Self-lacing shoes

A video clip from ABC News' Good Morning America showing the shoes, the inventor, and the inspiration.

It’s time to go back to the future. Inspired by a scene in the movie Back to the Future 2 inventor Blake Bevin created a self-tightening shoe. See it in action and the inspiration in the clip above (Ferran, 2010).

Bevin’s shoe uses a small motor that is activated by the push of a button. She designed the shoe for the elderly and disabled, to help make their lives a bit easier. However, she says the product is not yet finished and is looking for donations to make her shoe design better. She hopes not to have to press the button for the laces to tighten (Ferran). For more information and to give a donation, visit her website.