Award-winning Filmmaker Launches Sole Sisters Project

You’re Invited! Sole Sisters Film Project Launch

Sole Sisters Calling all Sole Sisters! The right pair of shoes can lift both your spirits and your soles. Join forces with award-winning filmmaker Cynthia Salzman Mondell of Media Projects as she collects women’s stories and mounts the financial campaign for her SOLE SISTERS film project.  Share those intimate, never before told stories about your relationship with your shoes at www.solesistersfilm.com. Get involved: Share Your Stories: www.solesistersfilm.com Join Us: www.facebook.com/solesistersfilm Follow Us: www.twitter.com/solesistersfilm

Join Our Mailing List! Please share this email with your friends. Media Projects Inc 5215 Homer Street Dallas, Texas 75206 214-826-3863

Pretty Small Shoes Blog Awards Names shuzsociety.com

shuzsociety is proud to share our recent award from Pretty Small Shoes, a UK-based online retailer for women with small size feet.  The retailer announced that shuzsociety.com is one of the top 30 shoe blogs in the world. Pretty Small Shoes features petite shoes in small shoe sizes UK size 13-3, Euro size 32-35, US sizes 2-5.

10 Smart Shoe Shopping Tips for the Ladies

Courtesy of The Huffington Post
June 7, 2010

Leora Tanenbaum

Author of “Bad Shoes”

This is the final post of a three-part series, based on Bad Shoes & The Women Who Love Them, on using your head when choosing your shoes.

The other day, I popped into Intermix, the über-trendy, boho luxe boutique chain that sells grown women jumpshorts and sequined leggings. In the shoe department, every shoe had either a five-inch heel — or no heel at all. The choice was between sky-high or pancake-flat. Dominatrix-inspired stilettos with cage-like straps or ballet flats with a bit of frou-frou to peek out from beneath your skinny jean hem.

Before I could say “Brian Atwoods are the new Louboutins” and walk out, I remembered that the selection is more or less the same at most fashionable shoe departments this season. No doubt you, too, have attempted to buy shoes you could wear for at least three hours without wincing and have rationalized that a one-inch platform on a four-inch heel transforms the height into a mere three inches, and how bad could that really be?

Don’t worry! I feel your foot pain. And I understand: You want something chic and show-stopping, sexy and sensational. I am here to help you be a sane shoe shopper.

Yes, you know that “bad” shoes — with a high heel and a narrow toebox — will deform your feet if you wear them on a regular basis. But “good” shoes often look like something you wear with a housecoat while you refill the bowl of hard candies. What should you do?

1. Know that there are many, many shoes out there that are both stylish and sensible. You have to find the ones that are right for you. Allot some time for your search. Do not give up hope. If you persist, you will be rewarded.

2. Visit a store that specializes in old-fashioned, sit-and-fit service. Ask a salesperson to measure your feet. Don’t presume that you know your shoe size. Your feet change over time. Make sure to find out your shoe width.

3. Don’t buy shoes if you can’t wiggle your toes in them. Look for a toe box that is rounded or squared with plenty of wiggle room.

4. For everyday walking, choose a shoe with a heel between a half-inch to an inch.

5. Do not assume that flats are better than high heels. In fact, often they are not. Soles that are completely flat can cause feet to pronate (roll inward when walking). Look for flats that have a contoured footbed or built-in arch support so that your ankles and feet are stable. Many styles have a strap across the midfoot, which holds your foot in place.

6. Don’t believe the shoe hype that you have to go higher than three-and-a-half inches to have a “high” heel. Keep heel heights in perspective. A heel that is one inch or lower is low-heeled. A heel that is between one-to-two inches is mid-height. A heel that is two inches or higher classifies as high. A heel that is four inches or higher is demented.

7. Save high-heeled shoes, which force the feet into unnatural positions, for special occasions, and don’t walk far in them. The higher the heel, the more pressure is placed on the forefoot and the likelier you are to develop a bunion, hammertoe, pinched nerve, corn, or callus. These conditions are painful and ugly.

8. If you want your feet to look pretty, wear wide, comfortable walking shoes or sneakers. The owners of a modeling agency specializing in foot models reported to me that out of every forty applicants they can hire at best only one. Nearly all professional models have damaged feet as a result of wearing fashionable shoes on a regular basis.

9. Not everyone needs arch support. But many of us do. Seventy percent of the population overpronates, and overpronators should wear shoes with support as much of the time as possible.

10. Do not assume that you can wear heels now and just get surgery later to fix whatever deformities arise. Despite what you may have read, surgery to make your feet look prettier can be a disaster. If you need surgery because you are in pain, that’s one thing. But if you are considering surgery for purely cosmetic purposes, chances are you will be disappointed. To read cautionary tales of women who went under the knife and emerged with debilitating foot problems they hadn’t had previously, turn to Bad Shoes & The Women Who Love Them.

There is nothing attractive about a woman who hobbles in shoes that mold her toes into overlapping claws — even if she is wearing sequined leggings. So put head over heels. Choose shoes wisely and you feet will remain in excellent shape, taking you wherever you want to go.

What could be more alluring than that?
Part 1, “Put Down That Armadillo Shoe! Don’t Be a Shoe Dupe,” appeared on the Huffington Post on 5/17/10.

Part 2, “Our Stripper Shoes, Ourselves,” appeared on the Huffington Post on 5/25/10.

Shoe Designer Elisa Ferare Loses Battle With Cancer

Los Angeles Times
May 11, 2010, 9:41pm

Funeral services were held Saturday at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Stockton, CA, for Elisa Rishwain, a longtime resident of Los Angeles who designed luxury shoes under the Elisa Ferare nameplate. Rishwain passed away at home in Los Angeles on April 25 at the age of 65 after a three-year-battle with cancer.

Elisa Ann Rishwain was born in Stockton on Oct. 28, 1944, the daughter of Italian immigrants Stefano and Jennie Ferrari. She graduated from Stagg High School in 1962 and married Dr. Anthony Rishwain of Stockton in 1963.

In addition to raising three children, Rishwain opened the Giovanna Ferrrari women’s clothing boutique in Stockton. In 1988, after her divorce, she and her children relocated to Los Angeles, where she engaged in a range of vocations that included interior design, an antique furniture store, a clothing and jewelry boutique, and acting.

Rishwain often took her store-bought shoes to a local Los Angeles cobbler to have the silhouettes, fabrics and hardware tweaked to fit her personal taste, often using the sort of luxe fabrics and trims more common to the world of interior design.

In 2003, she parlayed this penchant for customized footwear into the Elisa Ferare line of handmade-in-America footwear that would routinely juxtapose fabrics like crushed velvet, python, suede and vintage  animal prints and go on to be carried by a range of high-end retail accounts including Maxfield, Madison and Fred Segal Santa Monica locally, Jeffrey in New York and Neiman Marcus.

Rishwain is survived by three children, Brian Rishwain, Benjamin Rishwain and Jennifer Gheur, and six grandchildren, all of Los Angeles, and a brother, Joseph Ferrari, of Stockton.

According to the family, a celebration of her life will take place in the Los Angeles area at a later date.

– Adam Tschorn

Photo: At top, an undated photo of Elisa Ann Rishwain, who in 2003 turned her penchant for customizing store-bought shoes into a line of handmade high-end high heels under the Los Angeles-based Elisa Ferare label, passed away April 25, 2010, after a three-year battle with cancer. At bottom, the Tycoon style from the fall 2009 Elisa Ferare footwear collection Credit: Rishwain family (top); Elisaferare.com (bottom)

Sole Sister film wants to hear from YOU.

“Are Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik two of your favorite men? Could your closet be mistaken for the shoe department at Nordstrom’s? Are you compelled by some inexplicable force to add to your stiletto collection, despite your inability to walk in them?”

If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, your story is wanted for “Sole Sister”, an hour-long film which will take the viewer on an anthropological and humorous romp from the dawn of civilization until the present, exploring women’s obsessions with shoes.

Submit your story in the “comment” window and shuzsociety.com will get you connected with producer, also coincidentally shoe-obsessed, Cynthia Mondell. Your obsession with shoes doesn’t have to be a closet-case. For more information about the film, click here…

New Atlantic City Shoe Club Launch Party Set For April 28th

Attention Atlantic City, New Jersey, sole sisters!   “As if” you needed a reason to step out in your favorite heels, here’s an event you won’t want to miss .. the launch of the new shoe club, The Shoe Society!

What:  The Shoe Society Launch Party
When:  Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Time:  6-9pm
Where:  Planet Rose in the Tropicana
Atlantic City, NJ
View party invite

Step out with your gal pals to meet other shoe lovers and show off your fabulous footwear on the pink runway carpet!  Enjoy a free massage, giveaways and prizes. Must be 21 or older to enter.

For more info about The Shoe Society, please visit their web site at www.theshoesociety.net.

Jedal Italian Fashion Hosts Book Signing April 24

Calling all Stiletto Intellectuals in the Atlanta area!

You are invited to attend a Spring Book Signing hosted by Jedal Italian Fashion Shoe Boutique for Shoe-Blogger-Turned-Author Felicia Coley on Saturday, April 24, 2010.

By purchasing her book, How To Stylishly Fall From Grace, you will be giving “heeling power” to women affected by domestic violence, as a percentage of every copy sold benefits the women’s fund of the UN’s Say NO – UNiTE To End Violence Against Women.

When: Saturday, April 24

Where: Jedal Italian Fashion Shoe Boutique

Location: Phipps Plaza (on the second level above Tiffany & Co.)
3500 Peacahtree Rd
Atlanta, GA 30326

Time: 3PM-5PM

There will be fab giveaways and refreshments for your enjoyment, not to mention the latest luxe Italian footwear of Jedal Italian Fashion! Followers of The Well-Heeled Society will be in full force, so come with your girlfriends to purchase your signed copy.

Sponsored by Wild Woozle Soap Company, Denimocracy, Drudean’s, shuzsociety, Trading Phrases, Save Your Sole, Madame Madeline and Harney and Sons

RSVP NOW!   Phone: 404-816-3024

For more information about author Felicia Coley and her book, visit her How To Stylishly Fall From Grace web site.

Alice in Wonderland-inspired shoes…

With only a week until Tim Burton’s 3D film Alice in Wonderland hits theaters, you still have plenty opportunity to channel your own inner Alice. Here are a few updates on Alice’s famous Mary Janes… with Alexander McQueen’s Heart-shaped peep-toe “sinister slick” pump you’ll trump any Queen of Hearts. $699 at Zappos.com.

Love. LOVE! Badgley Mischka’s rhinestone-embellished “Elia” satin pump. With their contrasting piping and geo-peep-toe they are simultaneously girlie, sexy and utterly timeless. $204 at Zappos.com.

Or step into Vivienne Westwood’s “Elevated” leather Mary Jane with hidden platform. $558.58 at Zappos.com.

And, because we heart hearts so much, Burberry offers a “confetti hearts” checked-print wedge with ankle strap. Perfect way to enliven your own blue frock dress. $495 at Zappos.com.

Perhaps for the tear-flooded rabbit hole? SEE by Chloé’s beautiful Niagra-hued “radical” rubber boots, Style: SB13040. $199 at Zappos.com.

Or a little something for the Mad-Hatter in you? Marc by Marc Jacob’s rubber triangular-cutout lace-up skimmers, while curiouser and curiouser, are quite interesting, Style: 605187. $95 at Zappos.com.

Oh, alright. While not a shoe (but we couldn’t resist), this “Heart of Gold” bucket bag by Betsey Johnson is pretty darn cute. Even Alice knows how to accessorize. $302 at Zappos.com.

The Girl Soldier Charity Event – February 17, 2010

The Cause

Girl Soldier is a New York based not-for-profit organization with a global perspective, focused on helping to secure basic human rights for girls around the world.

The Event

On February 17, 2010, the first annual Girl Soldier charity event will take place at Studio 385 in Tribeca. The event will raise funding and awareness to aid and benefit young girls and women in war-ravaged Third and Second World countries. It is the hope of Girl Soldier’s sponsors and planners that it will encourage and nurture concern for girls and women without a public voice. By coming together, we can help these girls progress to a safer and more promising future.

The Organization

Girl Soldier is a registered 501c3 (pending) not-for-profit organization that aims to empower charities for women in war-ravaged communities through special projects, counseling and mentorship. Girl Soldier delivers funds to carefully vetted not-for-profit orgvanizations on the ground within these communities.

Sister Caroline & The Film

The event is scheduled to coincide with the filming and release of Girl Soldier (Caspian Pictures) the film, the story of the kidnapping of 139 girls from the St. Mary’s Boarding School in Uganda. The story revolves around the character of Sister Caroline, a nun, and her courageous attempt to free the girls. The film will star
Uma Thurman as Sister Caroline. Prior to the film, a documentary will be released detailing Sister Caroline’s  experiences starting on the night of the kidnapping of the girls and focusing on her campaign to rally the world’s attention. The documentary will also highlight the cause: the horrible prevalence of girls throughout the world having their basic human rights revoked.

How You Can Help

Contact us for more information on how you can help, beyond attending the event. We hope to see you
Februarury 17th, 2010.

info@girlsoldiercharity.com
www.girlsoldiercharity.com

More shoe (size) talk with DesignerShoes.com.

shuzsociety.com enlisted the expert advice of our friends at DesignerShoes.com about how to make sense of women’s shoe sizes. Their mission is to offer trendy, stylish and sophisticated shoes in narrow, medium, wide and extra wide, sizes 4 to 15 and widths AAA (slim) to WW (extra wide). DesignerShoes.com’s  “Ask The Shoe Lady” column answers questions from women all over the world who have a hard time finding shoes that fit their wider feet. Today, they breakdown “width” and how to measure right!

Think of Shoe Volume, Not Length and Width

Most shoes are sold according to length measurements. In the USA shoes are also sold according to width measurements. But shoe fit depends upon how the volume of your foot fits into the empty volume of the inside of a shoe. When you think about it this way….. filling an empty glass with water is like filling a shoe with your foot…. it is easier to understand the importance of considering the width and thickness of your foot when you buy shoes.

Understanding shoe fit is complicated for women because the shapes and styles of our footwear have so much more variety. You may need one size and width for sneakers, and an entirely different size and width for pointy toed, high heel pumps. Sandals or flip flops because they enclose so little of your foot may be the easiest to buy. Whether you need extra wide women’s shoes or extra narrow women’s shoes, it’s a good idea to understand how shoes are made and sized in order to get a good fit.

What Women’s Shoe Width Measurements Mean

Shoe manufacturers have standardized rules for how to measure length but shoe width measurements are much more variable. There is some general agreement that a shoe increases 3/16th of an inch around the circumference of the ball of the foot for every increase in width for the same length. But different manufacturers accomplish the extra width differently, and unfortunately one can never be sure as the manufacturing processes differ even for the same style.

Here are the terms used to measure shoe widths (from the most narrow to the widest):

SS = AAAA = “extra slim” or “quad”, the narrowest size generally available. Even these widths are increasingly rare.

S = AAA = “slim” or “triple”

AA = N = “narrow” or “double A”

M = B = “medium”, the most common or “average” width for that size.

W = C or D = “wide”

WW = EE or EEE = “extra wide”

WWW = EEEE = “triple wide’. These widths are even more rare than the SS widths, although that may change as the rate of obesity increases.

Selecting By Size and Width

Even the width measurements above do not consider the thickness or girth of your foot. They only measure one dimension – an outline of your foot from one side to the other on paper, across the widest part of your foot. Be prepared to buy shoes in several sizes depending on the style you want and whether the length, width or depth of your foot, or overall shape of your foot, is more suitable for the style you want.

DesignerShoes.com had a customer not long ago who was wearing size 11M’s because that was the size she could get her foot into. But the shoes didn’t fit well, or look good. After some experimenting she discovered that her best shoe size was an 8.5WW! She needed the width but was buying the length in order to get the volume she needed in a shoe!

For more details on shoe fit adventures, read Ask The Shoe Lady.

Hard To Find Widths

Seasoned shoe salesmen used to favor customers with very narrow feet. The stereotype was the elegant, rich southern belle who loved to spend money on expensive shoes. Wide feet were considered “peasant” feet and were stereotyped with lower price shoes. In more recent years the stereotype has changed. Very narrow feet are seen to belong to very cranky customers who’s feet are always in pain because they lack cushioning and who try on dozens of shoes but never buy. Wider feet are seen as belonging to healthy, athletic young women who are interested in a variety of sport and comfort shoes and will soon be buying career and party shoes.

Shopping for Ladies’ Shoes by Width

DesignerShoes.com is a big believer in being the Shoe Fairy Godmother for women around the world who have a hard time finding fun, fashionable shoes that fit. So we pay a lot of attention to finding styles and brands that go beyond average sizes and widths to include great styles in longer, shorter, wider and narrower sizes. That’s the mission of DesignerShoes.com. That’s how we got started.

Here are links directly to your woman’s extra wide, WW size

5WW, 5.5WW, 6WW, 6.5WW, 7WW, 7.5WW, 8WW, 8.5WW, 9WW, 9.5WW, 10WW, 10.5WW, 11WW, 11.5WW, 12WW, 13WW, 14WW, 15WW

DesignerShoes.com recommends these brands for WW, extra wide size women’s feet:

Bella Vita

Hush Puppies

Elites

Ros Hommerson

Soft Spots

Walking Cradles

And for WW, extra wide size women’s dressy evening, bridal and dyeable shoes:

Special Occasions

DesignerShoes.com recommends for extra wide women’s boots, including wider shaft widths:

Naturalizer

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