Are these the worst shoes? Cowboy boot sandals

Have you ever thought that your cowboy boots need to be summer-ized?

Scotty Franklin of Springfield, Mo. and his company Redneck Boot Sandals will do just that, according to the Austin Statesman.

For $50 you can mail them your cowboy boots and they will make them into sandals. According to their facebook page, they will soon have their own designs. 

Since 2012, Franklin told the Austin Statesman that he has done boots for doctors, nurses, attorneys, pilots, teachers, preachers, and farmers

The idea of cowboy boot sandals has recently been trending online and the facebook page has over 4,000 likes.

My take? I've always thought that open-toed boots were silly. If its warm enough to have open toes, doesn't the extra fabric make you hot? And in the winter aren't you cold? I know the say to wear tights under the boots for winter but most tights are far from warm.

Pretty Toes and Feet: Pedicure Statistics

I put Sally Hansen's fuzzy coat on my toes. Over an ICE green polish. Wearing Flojos zebra print flip-flops. #nails #pedicure #nailpolish #sallyhansen #fuzzycoat #flipflops #shoes

A photo posted by Through the Sole: A Shoe Blog (@throughthesole) on Sep 22, 2013 at 10:09am PDT

I've noticed my post on the history of pedicures getting some buzz the last week, so I decided to research pedicure statistics today. After all, sandals, the perfect way to show off a pedicure, are starting to hit stores.

According to Nails Magazine, nail salons brought in $7.47 billion in 2012, with 29 percent or $2.17 billion coming from pedicures. That's a lot of manicures and pedicures!

The average price of a pedicure was $31.69 in 2012. That's up 47 percent from 1992, when the average price was $22.02. During the same period, manicures were up 80 percent, making pedicures almost seem like a bargain.

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).

Shoes for a Cause: Using Recycled Materials to Make Shoes for the Homeless in Detroit

Shoes are often thought of as frivolous, but serve an essential function- protection from the elements.

Students in Stephen Schock’s, a professor of industrial design at the College for Creative Studies, class are using recycled materials and creativity to serve the needs of the many homeless people in Detroit. These shoes are serving a critical need as there are not enough warm shoes available, leading the homeless to be at high risk for frostbite and amputation, according to Jennifer Conlin of the New York Times.

Shoe Shopping: T.J. Maxx and Talbots

My recent shoe buys from T.J. Maxx and Talbots

I recently got the chance to do some shoe shopping for spring and I want to share my purchases.

At the Talbots clearance outlet, I picked up peep-toed black pumps. They have small round silver studs all around the opening. They are made of leather and have a crocodile-like texture. The heel is thicker, which I find makes them sturdier and more comfortable. They were on sale, so I paid around $25, which seemed like a great deal. I find the Talbot’s clearance outlet a great place to get classic comfortable high-heels. Have you ever shopped for shoes there?

Pretty toes and feet: A history of pedicures

Ancient Egyptian art work showing what many believe is an early pedicure-like treatment. (Image from Wikipedia)

As I commute on the subway, I notice all different shades of freshly painted toe-nails ,from the bright summery pinks, to the edgy dark jewel tones and trendy pastels. Of course, some classic pale pinks and traditional reds are thrown in. As I admired the shades I see, I started to wonder about the history of pedicures. According to Mary Bellis of About.com, sandals were one of the most common type of footwear in early civilizations (Bellis, n.d.). Since sandals have been around so long and so prominently display one’s feet, when were pedicures invented?

Ancient Egypt is believed to be the birthplace of the pedicure, according to MiMi Abney of eHow.  The picture above came from the wall of a pharaoh’s tomb and is believed to show the pharaoh receiving foot and leg massages from his servants (Abney, n.d.).

The word pedicure comes from the Latin words "pes," which means foot, and "cura," which means care (Abney, n.d.).