Hillary Clinton models Katy Perry designed shoes

Secretary Hillary Clinton's new role: shoe model?

A post not related to running... As I have gotten into running, many of my recent posts have been related. But I want to keep my non-runner readers happy and continue to use shoes as a lens to view the world.

The great news is that Through the Sole has been breaking records. Already this month, there have been over 7,600 pageviews!  Thank you for all your support.

But back to Secretary Clinton's shoes...

⚡️POWER PUMP⚡️your way over to katyperrycollections.com for the last few hours of the spring 25% sale❗@HillaryClinton is wearing #TheHillary (OMG I LOVE HER SO MUCH)

A post shared by KATY PERRY (@katyperry) on Apr 10, 2017 at 6:15pm PDT

Singer Katy Perry launched a shoe line in February, according to People, naming many of the shoes for famous women, including Clinton, whom she campaigned for.

The Hillary shoe came in a light pink, now often referred to as millennial pink, or seafoam green and had a 3.5 inch clear heel with moons and stars floating inside, according to the New York Times. It retailed for $139.

Katy Perry Collection's The Hillary

Last week, the singer posted a picture of the former presidential candidate wearing the shoes on instagram with information on how to buy them (see above) and Internet controversy ensued. 

Conservative news websites ran headlines like, "Hillary Clinton Reduced to Modeling Shoes for Katy Perry" (Breitbart), and "Hillary Clinton Now Hawking Katy Perry Shoes On Instagram," (Daily Caller).

Other pointed out that Perry and Clinton have a long relationship. Clinton recently made a surprise appearance at the Unicef Snowflake Ball to present the singer with the Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award, according to the NY Times.

However, this was the first time the two connected on fashion. 

For the shoe brand, the results were great, the shoes began to quickly sell and appear now to be unavailable.

Clinton has not benefited in anyway from the shoes.

Is this the future of shoes? New e-ink technology

Imagine being able change the color or pattern of your shoes with the simple tap on an app. That's what the creators behind Volvorii Timeless, a new technologically advanced shoe, are trying to make reality for everyday consumers.

Lithuania-based start-up iShüu Technologies created the peep-toed shoe using e-ink, a type of digital paper that can display different colors and patterns. E-ink is most known for being used in e-reader displays.

The Volvorrii Timeless currently has a prototype which features panels that can be black, white, or a variety of black and white patterns. According to CNET, the shoes feature a Bluetooth sensor, allowing them to be programmed with a phone.

In addition to being able to customize the patterns, buyers will be able to add their own personalization. There are anchors to add accessories, such as bows, on the toe and heel.

If you're worried about charging your shoes, you're in luck. CNET says they only need to be charged once every few weeks because e-ink uses small amounts of energy.

To bring the Volvorii Timeless to fruition, iShüu Technologies has started an Indiegogo campaign, where for a donation, you can one of the first to get your hands on the shoes. Some of the options are already sold out. So far, they've raised over $40,000.

Whether #thedress is white and gold or blue and black here are the shoes to wear

By now, you have probably seen this dress and the debate over whether it is white and gold or blue and black. 

But with a dress that has the whole Internet blowing up about what color it is, I couldn't help but think, what shoes should you wear?

It is now decided that the dress is blue and black, but depending on the lighting, it can be seen as white and gold, Thus, you need shoes that go with both.

Here are the shoes I would wear with the dress:

Nude shoes:

Nude shoes, like my Nine West pair go with any outfit, regardless of color. They bring attention to a dress and lengthen our legs.

Metallic shoes:

Metallic shoes work with any color, just like nude shoes, but add more interest. These work with both blue and black and white and gold.

A shoe like the one above matches the bandage look of the dress.

Update: Killer Heels Coming to a Museum Near You

Killer heels at the @brooklynmuseum see more at throughthesole.blogspot.com #killerheels #highheels #shoes

A photo posted by Through the Sole: A Shoe Blog (@throughthesole) on Feb 22, 2015 at 8:17pm PST

Yesterday, I wrote about Killer Heels, an exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum on the art and history of high-heels. However, I realize many of my readers are not in the New York City area.

Good news! The exhibit is hitting the road.

Here are the tour dates and locations (according to the Brooklyn Museum):

• Albuquerque Museum, New Mexico, May 30–August 9, 2015
• Palm Springs Art Museum, California, September 4, 2015–January 3, 2016
• Currier Museum of Art, Manchester, New Hampshire, February 5–May 15, 2016
• Frick Art & Historical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, June 10–September 4, 2016

Killer Heels: Art and Shoes Collide at the Brooklyn Museum

The perfect shoes are a pair of art and today and I got to see Killer Heels: The Art of the High-Heeled Shoe at the Brooklyn Museum,

Here is the museum's take on the exhibit:

When you first get into the area of the exhibit, the first thing you notice is a large sign saying Killer Heels. Perhaps it is because the exhibit ends March 1, but I also noticed a large crowd today.

When entering, you are greeted by a short film. Unfortunately, given the large crowd it was hard to watch as the security guard kept telling people not to block the entrance.

The next hallway of the exhibit traces trends and inspiration from the being of heels hundreds of years ago to today. It is amazing how Rococo style and Louis the IV heels have gone in and out of fashion many times.

From there, the exhibit goes into many architectural shoes, which may be hard to walk in, but are gorgeous to view. Some shoes even challenge traditional thinking of what a shoe is.  Here are a few of my favorites:

From afar, these look like classic t-straps, but the front of the t is actually a woman in an evening gown.

Katy Perry wore shoes with 12,600 Swarovski crystals for the Super Bowl Halftime show

If you were performing in front of thousands of people and on millions of TV sets, what shoes would you wear?

According to People Style Watch, Katy Perry wore Custom LaDuca booties adorned with 12,600 Swarovski crystals when she performed for the Super Bowl's Half Time.

As you see in the above screen shots, the pop star wore the same shoes from start to end of the performance. Also check out the photos Moschino designer, Jeremy Scott shared on Instagram, embedded below. 

If you're looking to draw attention to you feet, what better way than with blinged-out shoes?

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.

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).

Prabal Gurung for Target: Nice Design; Sometimes Poor Execution Part 1

Prabal Gurung brought his patterned clothing and fun femininity to Target. The designer is known for dressing both Michelle Obama and the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton. 

The Target collaboration includes shoes, clothing and accessories. After trying on both shoes and clothes, I found that the items well-designed and that they came at a nice discount (the most expensive shoes were $39.99, while most clothing ranged from $19.99 to $49.99). However, the execution varied, sizing was not standard and materials used were sometimes poor.

The line outside Target in Manhattan the morning the collection came out.

Shoppers quickly grab items from Prabal Gurung for Target's collection. Images from Racked.

Neverthless, the collection drew large crowds and some items quickly sold out online. Not wanting to sleep out, I shopped online. If you spend over $50 shipping is free, and you can return items to the store. Also, if you keep checking, items become available after previously being sold out. I finally made it to my local store this weekend, and found that they still had some clothes and shoes, including items that were sold out online. A store associate said the items will likely go on clearance soon.

Lets discuss the shoes first.

The Prabal Gurung for Target shoe collection included pointy-toed flats in solid colors and a colorful pattern. Picture from Elle.

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.