New, free shoes with rewards points

You've heard of using miles to get free plane tickets or using credit card points to get money back, but how about earning free shoes?

I recently headed to Famous Footwear to return shoes that unfortunately did not fit right. While there I couldn't resist peeking at the shoes they had in stock, especially since clearance was buy on get one 50 percent off.

In my size, I saw black flats with buckles by Dr. Scholls. I had owned the same shoes in metallic silver and after some time wore them out. They were the perfect fit and comfortable.

Now I needed another pair. I found red pointy-toed heels by Life Stride that were a lower heel and padded, making them comfortable. The style was classic, if also a bit safe. They were marked $10, so I figured for $5, how could I go wrong?

Driving in high heels: fashion over safety?

The other day I decided to get back to wearing heels, jumped into my car and drove to work. In my quest for fashion, was I bypassing safety?

According to AOL Autos, I wasn't alone. Up to 40 percent of women wear heels behind the wheel, according to a study of UK women. Experts say heels prevent a good feel of the pedals, making it harder to react quickly. While woman have been wearing heels for years, the recent sky-height heights and platforms are exasperating the problem.

And law makers are starting to take notice. According to the local, France's Supreme Court ruled that driving in heels violates the country's highway code. The case they ruled on was whether a woman who was driving in heels when she was injured in a car crash deserved insurance money. The court found that insurance was not liable due to her wearing heels.

Shoes for Changing Weather: The Autumn Addition

Temperature in the northeast has been erratic. Since Labor Day, temperatures have spiked to the 80s, dropped to the 40s, and been amazingly pleasant. We've also had rain and days that threatened rain.

What shoes do you wear for this mercurial weather? On Instagram you will find many of my shoes choices.

White after Labor Day

Let's start with the first issue that appears after the end of summer-- can you wear white? As you see above, I wore these white Dr. Scholl's eyelet espadrilles after summer's end.

The tradition of not wearing white likely comes from the early 20th century, according to Time. At this time, the wealthy often went away to cottages and resorts for the summer. When they returned they resumed wearing darker clothing.

What Shoes Should I Wear? A Helpful Info-graphic

You've probably been in a situation before where you've realize you accidentally wore a too short dress or too casual shoes. The shoe info-graphic below aims to help you avoid that. While its a matter of some common sense and your own sense of style, hopefully this helps you make sense of the plethora of shoe styles.

This graphic comes courtesy of Elegant Steps, a UK shoe company.

To use the guide, follow the lines to and from your shoe type or event. Also follow the icons (the legend is at the bottom).

The Giant Ballet Slippers of Saratoga Springs, NY

Dance shoes invade horse town.

Last weekend, I joined in my family's annual tradition of visiting Saratoga Springs, NY. The small town is usually associated with horse racing.

And there off! The beginning of a race at Saratoga Race Course.

In 2002, the town added Fiberglass horses throughout, according to Saratoga.com. But the town is also home to the National Museum of Dance; so this year they added 24 giant ballet slippers.

A fiber glass horse outside the gate to Saratoga Race Course.

It's an interesting choice figuring the town is also celebrating 150 years of the race track. 

A floor plaque celebrating 150 years of racing. Along with my cute gold sandals.

Most displays of large fiberglass items throughout a town are usually animals, such as NYC's cow parade, and Catskill, NY's cats. Thus, I was so excited to see shoes!

Given it was dark and they were pretty spread out, I only saw four. They were very well done and showed all the things shoes could represent. Each one is 5 ft tall!

Here they are:

Believe in Your Dreams by Jenny McShan

Going Nude: Flesh-toned Flats and High Heels

I've seen nude pumps all over fashion magazines and blogs, but never actually bought them. With being away at college with tons of hilly walking, they seemed unpractical. Plus, many styles seemed too plain. Now that I am working and back in New York City, I found flesh-toned shoes are my most valuable shoe. They go with everything, make your legs look amazing, and don't have to be so plain or so tall.

I recent purchased nude Bandolino flats with a buckle from Famous Footwear for about $40.

Comfort and Style: The Success of New Designs by Crocs

An ad for Crocs new designs, showing their comfort and style.

One of my biggest goals when shopping is to find comfortable and stylish shoes. I want to be fashionable but don’t want foot pain by the end of the day. Also, living in New York where rain is fairly common, I strive to have waterproof shoes. While rain boots do the trick, they look silly when it’s sunny and can be warm and inappropriate for some occasions.

Crocs has moved in and tried to fill this niche with expanding its line to include more style conscious but still comfy and usually waterproof shoes. The expansion has been profitable.

The brand was created in 2002 by three boating enthusiasts who wanted a lightweight material that was waterproof and slip-resistant. After a few years of profitability, in 2008, profits began to fall, partially because people disliked the look. For example, there is a Facebook group “I don’t care how comfortable Crocs are, you look like a dumb***”, and a website dedicated to their elimination.

However, starting in 2010, profits began to rise again, according to Andrew Adam Newman of the NY Times. It is projected the company will make over $1 billion in 2011. Only 45% of that profit comes from the traditional model, showing the success of Crocs expansions.

Comfort or Style? I Found Both with Dr. Scholl's Metallic Flats

I have cute black flats, but unfortunately by the end of a long day, my feet hurt. Thus, I set out to find cute and comfy flats. Not just comfy, supportive. Previously, I talked about the dilemma of finding comfortable and stylish shoes.

After some time shopping, I was successful. I bought metallic Dr. Scholl’s flats from Famous Footwear for $31.99. The shoes are a pewter color in between silver and gold, so they go with everything and are on trend for the season. I also like with the metallic color that they can be both dressy and work friendly. They have a round metal buckle design in the front and are cut low, so you get a hint of toe cleavage.

Cute, Comfy, and Classic Ballet Flats from Lands’ End

Even though its summer and time for flip-flops and sandals, sometime you want ballet flats, even if it’s just to hide an old pedicure.

Unfortunately, while a lot of flat shoes seem sensible and good for your feet, they often lack support, leading to fallen arches and foot pain (Vansickle, n.d.).

Thus, I ordered Lands’ End’s Emma Classic Ballet Shoes because promise arch support and cushioning. They are now selling for only $15.19 and come in summery colors like silver, light red, and yellow.