You know what a second semester means? A second round of some fabulous shoe blog posts! Some changes will be made though to Art in Motion this time around. I will try to write about more shoes with reasonable prices, show more men’s footwear and unveil some great shoe purchases for college!

With the month of January upon us now, it means we have to endure this treacherous weather that comes with it! Treading through the snow though doesn’t mean we need to give up our fabulous footwear, it just means we need to refine our favorite fashion accessory to make it both practical and fashionable.

What’s the perfect winter accessory to pair with our warm gloves and hats? Hunter rain boots!

Hunter Rain Boots (photo credit: missglamourgiirl.blogspot.com)

American entrepreneur Henry Lee Morris created Hunter rain boots in 1856 in Scotland. During World War 2 production of these boots skyrocketed as they were seen as a sturdy suitable boot for the flooded trenches. Now over 150 years later, Hunter Wellington boots are sold and produced in over 30 countries around the world!

Henry Lee Norris with a truck of Hunter Boots in Scotland (photo credit: kathrynfoulkes.files.wordpress.com)

Hunter rain boots are my go-to shoe for this crazy winter rain and snow! Unlike other high end rain boots like Burberry and Gucci that come with a heavy price tag of over $250, Hunter boots range from $100-$135! More than half the price!

Burberry Rain Boot (photo credit: neimanmarcus.com)

What else makes these boots great you ask? They come in almost every color of the rainbow! This means every girl can find her perfect color to brighten up these gloomy days.

Hunter Rain Boots (photo credit: tumblr.com)

Hunter boots are also known for there “welly socks”. These are soft, warm fleece inserts for your boots that fold over the top. This helps not only to keep your feet warm and protected from the cold but adds a pop of color or pattern. You can find them in stripes, zebra, cheetah, solid print, fur and more!

Hunter welly socks (photo credit: ebay.com)

Men can also enjoy Hunter boots! Sorry boys, they don’t come in the fabulous rainbow and bright colors but instead dark manly browns and blacks. Now when your walking to class through the snow you wont have to worry about your Nike’s getting soaking wet!

Mens Hunter Boots (photo credit: hunter-boot.com)

Hunter rain boots are perfect for this cold weather sneaking up on us. They help keep your feet warm; they wont soak up the cold rain like our Uggs and defiantly look adorable with any puffy winter coat. If you don’t have a pair yet hurry up! The snow isn’t going to stop falling to wait for you!

So I think I owe an apology right now to the boys out there, especially Milos and Will. All of these weeks I have been writing about womens’ shoes and never stopped to think of the boys out there who search for the perfect pair of sneakers. All of my best guy friends that go here are constantly asking me for my advice on what shoes match their outfit the best or which ones they should order from online. Come to think of it, most of them have so many different pairs with outrageous colors! My favorite seem to be from a brand that everyone knows about with the infamous check mark, Nike.

Nike Logo (photo credit: logoinn.net)

Nike, originally known as Blue Ribbon Sports, was founded by University of Oregon track athlete Philip Knight and his coach Bill Bowerman in January 1964. Now 60 years later Nike is a multi- billion dollar corporation whose shoes are worn by men, women, children and athletes all around the world.

Nike Sneakers (photo credit: sneakernews.com)

Although Nike designs clothes, jerseys, hats and other accessories, it is most known for its sneakers. Nike has fashion shoes which can also be custom made now online to be any color and even have your initials on them ! Most Nike shoes are known for sports though and they now make sneakers for football, basketball, running, combat sports, tennis, American football, athletics, golf, and cross training for men, women, and children. Nike also sells shoes for outdoor activities such as tennis, golf, skateboarding, association football, baseball, cycling, volleyball, wrestling, cheerleading, aquatic activities, auto racing and more ! They truly do make a shoe for any activity you can think of and they all come in adult and children sizes and in almost any color to match your sports team! 

Nike Sneakers (photo credit: webmarketrblog.wordpress.com)

Nike is also known for the technology within their sneakers. Now you may be thinking how can sneakers be “technologically advanced”? Nike has recently introduced cricket shoes called Air Zoom Yorker, designed to be 30% lighter than their competitors’. In 2008, Nike introduced the Air Jordan XX3, a high-performance basketball shoe designed with the environment in mind. Sports players like Carmelo Anthony, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant all have designed their own line of basketball sneakers that are said to enhance the performance of the players who wear them.

Kobe Bryant (basketball), Lebron James (basketball), Ronaldinho (soccer), Maria Sharapova (tennis), Roger Federer (tennis), Rafael Nadal (tennis), Tiger Woods (golf), Manny Pacquiao (boxing) are only a couple of the many sports athletes who endorse Nike and use their products.

Lebron James for Nike (photo credit: bleacherreport.com)

Nike is a huge brand that can be seen all over the world and can be worn by men, women and children of all ages and sizes. Their shoes can range from around 50 to almost 200 dollars. They appeal to all people because of their many different uses for the different sports as well as different colors and styles for the fashion shoes as well. Its a brand that I would recommend to sneaker lovers of all ages!

Finally! A blog post about a pair of shoes that seem affordable to most women out there ( although there still will be people who think these are overpriced). But for the first time on Art in Motion we have a designer who does not charge over 500 dollars for a pair of shoes. Instead his shoes come in a range from 30-300 dollars. The best part about these prices? Sales are often held at this store and you can often win scratch offs that can get you up to 90 percent off. I have to say I happily scratched a 90 percent off coupon not once but twice and to this day still wear both of thoes shoes.

Scratch offs! (photo credit: scratchoff.com)

Ok tired of all of the build up and hype? Do you want to know where you can get cute pumps, wedges, boots, flat, sneakers that come in almost any color and style you can think of? Do you want to know where you can get these shoes for affordable prices even before the crazy sale?

Ok I’ll let you in on the secret that is Steve Madden.

Designer Steve Madden (photo credit: mo.statesman.com)

Steve Madden is a shoe designer from Long Island, New York. While growing up Steve had a passion for shoes and n 1990, with a mere $1,100 in his bank account, Madden started crafting shoe designs from his Queens-based factory. Now only 22 years later he has built a shoe empire. Steve Madden is so appealing to women because anyone can find a show they love here. They have pumps that come in so many different colors, boots with studs on them, sneakers with a wedge and hundreds of different designs and colors.

Steve Madden Shoes (photo credit: thegloss.com)

Steve Madden Flats (photo credit: onlineshoes.com)

Steve Madden once said in an interview, “What inspires me is what I see people wearing on the streets of the world from New York to London and beyond. I get my ideas and inspiration from pounding the pavement all over the world. Today, fashion is dictated by individual style. To me, the fashion of the future is anything that a young guy or girl feels good wearing as long as it’s put together in the right way.”

Now there finally is a brand that not only has the look of high priced shoes and the comfort of slippers, but come in prices that are almost affordable to everyone! Shop on!

Most high end, well known, fashion designers have been around for over twenty years. They have made their name and their mark on the fashion industry over time. Some designers though, have fashions that come into style and catch on like wildfire. Their designs seem as if they are a paradigm shift in the fashion industry. One day you’ve never heard of the brand and the next it’s a top selling shoe in Nordstrom and Sacks Fifth Avenue. This designer becomes the “new kid on the block” of the fashion world. This designer in our contemporary society is Tory Burch.

Designer Tory Burch (photo credit: businessoffashion.com)

Tory Burch is known for her casual and dressy shoes that can transition from daytime and the working world into the night life. But what is Tory’s stand out feature? Does she have a different colored sole like Christian Loubitan? Or a shoe with no heel like Giuseppe Zanotti? No instead she has a medallion that can be found on every single flat, heel, wedge or boot that she creates.

Tory Burch was born and raised in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. She attended the University of Pennsylvania and majored in art history. After she moved to New York City and only 8 years ago she began to start her label Tory Burch. Now, she has 68 stores world wide and her shoes are sold in over 1,000 department stores in the world.

Tory Burch Shoes ( photo credit: anythingbeautiful.blogspot.com)

Tory Burch now expanded her brand beyond just shoes and into clothing and accessories. Her brand though is known most for her ballet flats. They come in almost every color and design. The medallion is placed in the center and comes in black, white, silver or gold.

Tory Burch Flats (photo credit: aspiringsocialite.com)

Tory Burch in less than 10 years made a huge name and empire for herself. All around the world her stores are coming about and her designs are seen on more and more celebrities. Her shoes have become a huge part of the fashion industry in contemporary society.

This sure is a question I never even thought would come up. Can you have a heel with no heel? Obviously not is what most people would say. Most people probably wouldn’t even have this thought come to mind. Most people are not Giuseppe Zanotti though.

Designer Giuseppe Zanotti (photo credit: vouge.com)

Giuseppe Zanotti was born in San Mauro Pascoli, a village close to Rimini, Italy. Before becoming a famous shoe designer, he had dipped his foot into the music industry and was a DJ! Giuseppe Zanotti always had a passion for fashion though and finally decided to move on into the fashion industry. In 1994, Zanotti took over a small shoemaking company and devoted his time to designing and manufacturing his own shoes.

At the beginning he only had a small workshop employing 15 people. This included a variety of people including a jeweler, a heel and tree expert and an embroiderer. Here is where he began working on his first collection. Nearly 20 years later more he now has more than 350 skilled people work at his company. Giuseppe Zanotti manufactures over 400,000 pairs of luxury women shoes a year!

Celebrities in Giuseppe Zanotti (photo credit: posh24.com)

Now, Giuseppe Zanotti is one of the most famous shoe designers in the world. Zanotti likes to believe that, “Hollywood is a dream, sometimes Wall Street is surreal and in between lies the Zanotti woman. There is a Zanotti woman in every woman.” Although there may be a Zanotti women in every women, his extravagant prices ranging from 500 to over 2500 dollars makes these shoes almost one of a kind! They can though be seen on the likes of Kim Kardashian and Vanessa Hudgens on the red carpet or at other events.

Giuseppe Zanotti shoes (photo credit: talkshoes.com )

Giuseppe Zanotti shoes (photo credit: talkshoes.com )

Giuseppe Zanotti shoes (photo credit: talkshoes.com )

Giuseppe Zanotti’s main signature is exquisite embroidery and bejeweled creations. Giuseppe was inspired by colors, flowers, seasons, nature and his love of drawing. His shoes have vibrant colors, patters and unique styles. Speaking of unique styles- back to this “heel with no heel” phenomenon. Zanotti is known for creating a plat-formed wedge in the FRONT of the shoe and no heel on the back part coming down. How crazy?! He’s combined this original design with his classic bejeweling, spikes and over the top styles.

Giuseppe Zanotti shoes (photo credit: talkshoes.com )

Zanotti’s shoes are defiantly some of the most over the top pieces we have seen so far. They become the focal point of an outfit and are defiantly jaw-droppers that any women would dream to have on their feet- I know I would!

Only a short distance away Penn State University a legend was getting his business degree at the University of Pennysilvania. This was not John Sculley former President of Pepsi Co and former CEO of Apple Computer. Or even William Henry Harrison the 9th President of the United States. This legend was none other than Stuart Weitzman himself.

Designer Stuart Weitzman (photo credit: nymag.com)

For those of you who do not know who Stuart Weitzman let me enlighten you. Weitzman was born in Massachusetts where his father had his own shoe company “Seymour Shoes”. After attending the University of Pennsylvania, he took over his fathers business with his brother Warren. When his father passed away in 1965, Stuart  sold his fathers shoe company and began to branch out and create his own line of shoes.

Now, Stuart Weitzman is one of the most well know high-end brands in the world. The shoes and designer are know for all of the outrageous mixture of materials Weitzman uses to make his shoes. Some materials he uses are cork, vinyl, lucite, wallpaper and even 24-karat gold. How crazy would it be to be walking on gold! He even mixes and matches many of these materials on heels or boots like his recently well known leather and spandex over the knee boots.

2008 Oscar Shoe with 1800 diamonds (photo credit :captivate-indulge.blogspot.com)

Stuart Weitzman Shoes (photo credit: evolutionvtg.blogspot.com)

Stuart Weitzman is most known by celebrities and women around the world for his shoes seen at the Oscars. Since 2002, Weitzman has provided one-of-a-kind, “million dollar” shoes to an Oscar nominee to wear at the Oscars. These shoes are given to the celebrities to wear during the most fashion focused award ceremony in the world.

Like many of the other brands we have seen, Stuart Weitzman shoes appeal to women with different ages and styles. Some of his shoes are very classy and typical, others are extreme and one of a kind. Unlike YSL, they do not have extreme heel heights.

Stuart Weitzman recently branched his brand out even further into a children’s line! Like the women’s line, these shoes are a bit pricey but totally worth the price in my opinion!

Stuart Weitzman’s unconventional materials and beautiful styles are the reason why this man has brought his fathers small town Massachusetts shoe store and turned his inspiration into one of the biggest brands in the world.

Brian Atwood may not be a name famously known like Christian Louboutin or Jimmy Choo but soon enough it will be! Brian Atwood is an up and coming designer whose shoes are making their way into Nordstrom’s and Sakes Fifth Avenue on tables next to Prada and Gucci. J-Lo can be seen in these overly feminine shows that have all the glitz and glamour of a Broadway show.

Designer Brian Atwood (photo credit: news.stylecaster.com)

Brian Atwood was born in a suburb outside of Chicago and fell in love with shoes the second he stepped into his mothers fabulous closet. From there he went to FIT in New York to peruse his passion before becoming a European model (fashionable and good-looking)! While in Europe, he began doodling thousands of shoe designers and in 2001 finally took the plunge and began his own shoe line! In 2003(only 2 years into his career), the designer’s talent was recognized by the CFDA, who awarded him the Swarovski’s Perry Ellis Award for Accessory Design.

Atwood believes his shoes have “The Cinderella Factor”. Don’t be alarmed- it for sure doesn’t turn you into a pumpkin at midnight! Instead he believes that when women put on his shoes there is an “instantaneous transformation that occurs on a woman’s face as her foot slides into the magical shoe.” Celebrities like Rhiannah and Ashley Olsen have been drawn in by this phenomenon themselves!

Celebrities in Brian Atwood (photo credit: profashionelle.com)

Brian Atwood shoes are classy- but with edge. They have the design to elongate a women’s leg and make them look like a million miles long, but with the comfort of a flat. His stiletto’s are made for the young girls who want to make an outfit pop with a fun shoe, without making their heart drop from the pain. His recent collection shows bright neon colors with all the bedazzling any girl would die for.

Brian Atwood Shoes (photo credit: fashionbombdaily.com)

Brian Atwood is making a mark on the fashion industry and taking his place in the hearts of many women. Who knows how big he will be ten years from now! You heard it here first- Brian Atwood will be a legend.

What else could YSL possibly stand for? You’re So Lovely? You Support Ladies? These

Victoria Beckham in YSL (photo credit: mycolorfashion.com)

famous shoes with the infamous YSL logo actually have those letters named after their designer Yves Saint Laurent. YSL is another brand that celebrities love. Celebrities like Victoria Bekham, the Kardashian’s, the Olsen Twins and even Nicki Minaj all can be seen in a pair of YSL’s at different venues.

YSL was started by Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent who is a French fashion designer. He is known not only for his fabulous shoes but for his tuxedo suites for women. He is one of the fashion designers who began ready-to-wear fashion and made it huge in the industry. Before starting his own fashion line YSL he worked for the House of Dior. Dior (another huge brand we will touch upon) saw his potential and made him enter into a contest for young designers. After this he launched his line and became one of the most recognizable suites and shoes around the world.

YSL designer (photo credit: en.wikipedia.org)

Yves Saint Laurent had his clothes on a solo exhibition in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) in New York City. His famous women’s suits, extravagant dresses and shoes were all on display for the world to see and gush over as well.

Back to the shoes… What makes YSL shoes so easy to spot? Those huge platforms and outrageously high heels! Most YSL shoes have a heel that is up to six inches tall. That can make a girl half a foot taller than her normal height!! Another major difference in YSL’s are the color choice. YSL is known for mixing and matching crazy colors and patterns. They have shoes that can be purple, blue and hot pink or green with a snakeskin heel.

Christina Aguilera in purple YSL (photo credit: trendyshoeshop.com)

On June 1, 2008 Yves Saint Laurent died in Paris of brain cancer days after being in a civil-union with his partner Pierre Berge. Berge then appointed Hedi Slimane in 2012 as the new creative director of Yves Saint Laurent. On June 21, 2012 they announced that the brand would now be renamed Saint Laurent Paris. Although the loss of Laurent was a huge one in the fashion industry his name and brand will forever live on.