The always awesome Doctor Popular writes:

Hey Jake,

I believe you know about my recent sponsorship deal with Colchester Rubber Co. If not, you can read about it here http://www.docpop.org/2010/03/29/doc-pops-got-sole.html

They are extending their $18.92 sale for one more day and getting rid of the "email us to get a promo code" thing. So until 11:59 pm April 1st you can still buy a pair of shoes for the "Doc Pop discount". I noticed a couple folks commenting that these shoes could be easily modded to fit a steampunk aesthetic, so I thought I'd drop you a line in case you wanted to mention the deal on y'r bloghole. I'll also be donating my proceeds for the shoes sold to a local non-profit.

Hope y'r swell,

-Doctor Popular   [Thanks Doc! Hope to see you again soon at Maker Faire! -Jake]

Someone once told me that the first things people look at when they meet you are your shoes and your hands. It's very easy to tell if someone uses their hands to make things as they tend to have callouses, weathered skin, and may have curious stains or broken nails. Shoe choice reads just as clearly--do your shoes match your outfit? Are they stylish and functional? Are they impractical, well-designed, worn out, or coated in dust from the workshop?

I personally love how shoes complete an outfit, and I have a special lust for vintage-influenced footwear, both practical and whimsical. It can be very difficult to acquire antique footwear that fits a modern foot--our predecessors often had shorter, narrower feet--or that hasn't been worn to death. I am fortunate enough to own a pair of 1930s oxfords that fit my slender feet, a set of antique leather roller skates, and some killer scarlet pointy-toed punk boots from back in the day. However, if you're not so lucky as to have a real vintage shoe collection, lots of modern shoes still nod at the past in their design (and fit bigger feet). There is nothing quite like the curve of a Louis heel, mmhmm.

Here's a selection of shoes (ranging from totally casual to super decadent) for the ladies I've found in scouring the interwebs that all have vintage flair. I'll be doing a similar post for you gentleman types, never you fear. :) And hey, not all of these are brown and clunky! Yay! Let's get some SHOES!