Surrounded by a giant kid friendly map of Texas, flood control interactive computers, and a dinosaur bone reconstruction exhibit, Talib Kweli stood wiping sweat from his brow and deciding where to eat with friends. Realizing that not much was open in San Antonio, TX at midnight on a Sunday, they joked about heading down to the local Shoneys.
Vans is no stranger to awesome collabs, but they’ve gone one better with their latest. Longtime Vans-fan and multitalented musician Santigold teamed up with the brand to put her own personal spin on the Tosha Hi. With black perforated leather, removable faux-gold chain accents (wrap ‘em around your wrist if you’re not feeling them on your shoe), interchangeable gold laces, and the sweet bonus of a custom SG gold pin created by jewelry designer Jules Kim of Bijules, they’re a tough-chick twist on a unisex silhouette.
“No one can tell us what we can and can not do,” says Leanne Anderson, Creative Director for Iron Fist. An attitude that has got this company far in the last 8 years. Their sassy styles and ingenuity have grown this company into a fashion brand to watch. When I last checked in with them, a year and a half ago, they had just started to dip their toes into the ladies zombie shoes. A bold direction for a very niche market. However, success has never looked so mean…they are unique and so beautifully done you can’t help but to desire them.
3 of the nicest men you’d ever want to share a beer with, (insert your favorite uncle image here) got sick of the machinery of corporate fashion. Having all worked together at one point in their illustrious careers or other, Jack Steinweis, Mark Kane and Kevin Crowley finally decided to put up or shut up and Unstitched Utilities was found. Hailing from New Jersey, Baltimore and New Hampshire, the men connected to hatch a vision that their individual talents, know how and charisma might be the building blocks to launching a truly environmentally thoughtful brand.
Step one, find a truly remarkable, environmentally friendly, durable material for manufacturing footwear.
While mindlessly glancing around the Burbank airport, waiting to board a flight to Las Vegas for the Fashion industry trade show, MAGIC, something shiny caught my eye. Super slick, hot pink, patent leather sneakers graced the feet of a rather unusually understated Taboo from the Black Eyed Peas. I noticed the shoes first, the superstar second.
Read the full story
From stylish shoes and accessories to The Sexual Politics of Meat, vegan haven MooShoes has a little something for everyone.
Hey, all you vegans out there – have a hard time finding 100% cruelty-free motorcycle boots? Or party-appropriate heels that consist of absolutely no animal products whatsoever? Then let us introduce you to MooShoes.
Started by sisters Erica and Sara Kubersky in 2001, the online and brick-and-mortar store in NYC will not only hook you up with handpicked vegan lines (including their own called Novacas – Spanish for “no cows”), but also with handbags, wallets, belts, tees, and faux leather jackets that look as good as the real thing. They even carry books with provocative titles like The Sexual Politics of Meat, along with vegan cookbooks so you can whip up the best dairy-free, gluten-free cupcake ever.
We sat down with co-founder Erica Kubersky for a little Q&A. Read on to find out about factory farms’ symbiotic relationship with the leather industry, those crap Davy Crockett-style hats, and advice on going vegan (if you aren’t already). Make sure to check out the image gallery for Erica’s holiday gift suggestions from the store!
It’s only a week into fall, and already the cold rain is flooding our subways and frizzing our hair – while you peeps in sunnier, warmer locales still get to kick it in flip-flop weather. Bitter? Not me, nooo, I’m not even thinking of my next beach vacation, where I can wear flip-flops 24/7…if only there were cute, affordable options other than neon-colored Havaianas or sea-horse adorned thongs.
Thank the tanned beach gods for Fiel Shoes. Fiel – a Spanish term meaning “faithful, loyal, and trusted” – was born in 2008 when founder Alice Gu discovered herself shoe-less at a handful of tropical destination weddings. “At the time, there were no leather flip flop options other than designer,” she says. “I ended up wearing my very beat up Havaianas to all the weddings, with dresses by Mayle and Phillip Lim!”
Best use of pyramid studs: Dollhouse
Pyramid studs have been — & will continue to be — huge. I saw approximately one million different interpretations of the pyramid stud on a shoe while I was at MAGIC, but Dollhouse won out with this simple but fantastic platform heel. Managing to look clean & simple while maintaining a tough edge is tricky, but they nailed it. Every girl should own this shoe.
Best neon sandal: Chinese Laundry
The resemblance to a Barbie shoe is not lost on me, but these were so much fun I couldn’t resist. In blue, pink, black, yellow or green, they come with a whopping big wedge & three straps to keep them on your foot. These would be très fantastique for poolside lounging or midsummer beach pilgrimages.