Shoes can be hard to get rid of. Not only because we get so oddly attached to them, but because charity shops don't always want them unless they're in reasonable nick. There seems little point in dropping off a pair of flimsy old sandals that will probably fetch no more than your bus fair to the shop...
But Brantano have an excellent campaign on at the moment that allows you to donate your old shoes to Tommy's, the children's charity simply by bringing them into one of their stores, and they'll give you £10 to spend on any pair of Brantano shoes worth £50 or over.
As a fun way to raise funds for Tommy's, Brantano have also asked a host of celebs to create footprint paintings, which are being auctioned off on Ebay for the charity. Shown here is Mel C's design which has just gone on auction here. Why not donate today?
If I could pick out a 'dream shoe' for this year - a style that I wouldn't expect to wear on more than a few special occasions but would savour every moment when I did - then I think Guiseppe Zanotti's star-embellished peep toe pumps would have to come top of the list.
I'd never spend over £600 on a pair of party shoes of course, but we're firmly in fantasy territory here and that's where these shoes should probably stay. But suede and starbursts are a look that we admire, and I hope to see some convincing 'homages' soon!
£679 at Farfetch
I did a bit of a double-take when I was told that this trainer was part of the new range from Vivo Barefoot, the eco chic range from Terra Plana, whose styles are usually a bit jelly-like and are generally very minimal.
But that's because this is the first time VB have turned their ergonomic footwear designs into fully-fledged trainers, and very cool they are too. The choice of colours is vivid, fun and very now, but entirely wearable and subtler styles are available too.
[Via Green My Style]
Hackney, pictured above, is also available in black and costs £110 at Terra Plana
Related: Terra Plana 'Lauren' slouch boots made with real quilts | Terra Plana grass flats
This week in the world of shoes
Shoeper Woman brings us this weeks ugliest shoes, with the Dolce & Gabbana's suede 'face' wedge.
Shoegal shows us how to wear over the knee boots.
MizzTissa shares an amazing shoe buying flow chart. The answer is always the same. Buy!
The Grand Mademoiselle tackles the universal issue of shoe storage.
The Shoe Dish looks at the new products from the Anne Sui and FitFlops team
Shoes looks so much prettier when they've got a decorative fabric lining inside, don't you think? I'm sure I'm not the only one to have bought a pair based at least in part on how much I loved the bit that nobody (but me) will ever see. Or perhaps I am.
But with that in mind, it's really easy to spruce up your shoes and give them a bit of a re-vamp with a matching fabric trim and lining. You could do this with almost any pair of court shoes or pumps, perhaps using a sample of fabric from a dress or skirt you already wear for extra coordination.
The full tutorial, with instructions on how to revamp your shoes can be found here. [via Crafty Crafty]
Statement heels really are here to stay, and here's another variant on them that I haven't spotted before. US underground and retro store Modcloth has come up trumps with these frilled shoes, which are set off by a distinctive 'unicorn horn' style heel.
I'm a big fan of frilled edging on shoes, but have to admit that the trim on these is a little extreme; certainly more so than on these ASOS pumps, which we raved about earlier in the year. But nothing about these shoes is subtle, and that's really part of their appeal. I think they'd look wild with a leather skirt and floaty blouse.
$119 at Modcloth
Iron Fist specialise in making shoes that won't be everyone's cup of tea, so they've achieved everything they set out to do with these 'Digi Skulls' pumps. With a gigantic concealed platform and a smattering of sequins, they're the ultimate in glam goth footwear.
If you're usual clubbing outfit is on the dark and decadent side these shoes will finish it off nicely. But they'd equally make an eyecatching difference to a more subdued ensemble for maximum effect.
£65 at Office
Related: Go Gothic for Autumn/Winter 09/10 | Underground bring a touch of emo to the beach
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