Beatrice Valenzuela Handmade Shoes

Designer Beatrice Valenzuela first began her love affair with fine footwear in Mexico City, where she met a zapatero (shoemaker) and discovered his shoes handmade with love, dedication and attention to detail. When she moved to L.A. seven years ago, Valenzuela got the idea to start making shoes after finding a plethora of stilettos and a famine of finely crafted and comfortable shoes. Today, that …

Innocence & Arsenik Winter ’09 Collection

Borrowing its name from the 18th Century Swedish book "The Queen’s Jewel," designer Mira Nameth's new fashion line Innocence & Arsenik channels a romantically dark sensibility incorporating nods to ancient Egypt, Geishas and corsetry in sensuously draping fabrics. Currently on display at NYC pop-up International Playground, a shop dedicated to designers from England, Denmark, the U.S. and Sweden, people in NYC can check out an …

Everything You Need to Know About Sneakers in 1500 Words

Wearing original Chuck Taylors and knowing how they got started are two different things. Fortunately, new men's footwear site The Shoe Buff offers a crash course in the history of what we wear on our feet. Their "Everything You Need to Know About Sneakers in 1500 Words" includes a "History of Sneakers in 150 words," lists of handy shoe-related websites and forums, as well as …