The Toe Zone Shoe Blog on Fantastic Toe

Monday, December 15…Refinery 29 rounds up a dozen solid and versatile boots for under $300…Extreme shoes - “The hair is still on the cow!”, clog boots, and Christopher Kane’s stegosaurus platforms - continue to dominate the fashion world…Get a glimpse of the stegosaurus platforms in today’s Daily Shoe Video…Reebok conquers the spring beiges with sneakers in every shade of the rainbow…Gladiator sandals and shooties make SheKnows‘ list of top 2008 fashion trends…TimesOnline (UK) questions, at length, whether high heels empower or constrain…Give the gift of the Louboutin Pedicure to the shoe lover in your life…Adorable and affordable baby shoes by Jessie Randall attract attention wherever they’re worn…Ouch!

Online Sale Alert: Shoes are on sale (over 50% off) at Alexander McQueen.

Just in time for end-of-the-year festivities, I bring you this week’s Favorite Thing, the sparkly, kinda fussy shoe place-card holders available from Neiman-Marcus and Horchow.

The set of four place-card-holding shoes - in fuchsia, green, blue, and even the trend-making purple - are decorated with gold beading and silk fabric, and evoke the court of Louis XIV (both king and courtesan). They even have leather soles. What a perfect way to add a touch of verve and whimsy and eclecticism to your holiday table.  

Fun, right? Even funner: We’re giving away a free set of shoe place-cards to one lucky Fantastic Toe member. To tell us you’re interested in winning, just post a picture to your Fantastic Toe collection. If you’re not yet a Fantastic Toe member, you need to join to enter. Anyone who posts a picture or joins between now and December 18, 2008 will be automatically entered to win. We’ll do a random drawing among all entrants on December 19, and notify the winner by email.

Friday, December 12…In stark contrast to Pointer Footwear’s simple sneaks, designer Jeremy Scott will unveil in March the golden-winged limited-edition sneakers he created in collaboration with Adidas…W Editors’ Blog suggests a pair of $350 black-and-velvet slippers for the self-effacing woman in your life…Nylon points out fun shoe art from the Finnish art collective Com.Pa.Ny (whose site is worth a visit)…British journalist John Sergeant’s appearance on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing has driven sales of specialized footwear and flamboyant dancing costumes (and has inspired our Daily Shoe Video today)…Christian Louboutin shoes take center stage (and most of the budget) at the LA production of “The Little Dog Laughed.”

Sale Alerts: John Fluevog shoes are 20% off at Village Shoes…If you love Nicholas Kirkwood shoes and are headed to London this weekend, why not attend the Nicholas Kirkwood sample sale (you lucky dog)?

Thursday, December 11… Come on, Fashionista, don’t mince words! Tell us what you really think of Christian Louboutin’s fringe peep-toe cut-out boot!…Pointer Footwear - which (according to their website) makes shoes inspired and informed by everything from art and music to skateboarding and breakfast - provides a simple alternative to big-name sneaker brands…Quelle surprise: Time lists vertiginous heels as one of the top 10 fashion moments of 2008…Stuart Weitzman offers shoe-packing secrets, and comforts us all by saying that, even with today’s stiletto fever, flats are cool, too…Thanks to The Shoedish for today’s daily shoe video.

Online Sale Alert: Select shoes are on sale at YSL.com (but be forewarned: They make you work to figure out which are on sale).

Wednesday, December 10…The St. Regis Hotel in Washington, DC is offering an inauguration package that includes a Manolo Blahnik shoeshine and bowtie-tying service…Skyscraper heels make one blog’s list of 2008’s hottest products…A friend of Jak & Jil Blog creates really cool illustrations of shoes by Rick Owens, Nicholas Kirkwood, and Maison Martin Margiela…The student newspaper of the Harvard Kennedy School claims that booties are for babies and old ladies only (adding, “harrumph”)…So hard to keep up: It used to be that Nicholas Kirkwood was the next Christian Louboutin, but apparently now Jonathan Kelsey is…File this under “Ick”: Designers now name their shoes after celebrities: Giambattista Valli has made the Victoria (Beckham) shoe; Calvin Klein has its Suri (Cruise); and Jonathan Kelsey has his Amy (Winehouse)…Gene Weingarten of the Washington Post introduces us to the worst Christmas song of all time, “Christmas Shoes” (scroll down a little to see lyrics and mp3 link)…The fabulous indie boutique Leokadia in Boston opens its doors for online shopping.

John Milton, the English poet and author of the epic poem Paradise Lost, is 400 years old today.

Why, in a shoe blog, do we mention this? Did he wear high heels? Or fringe boots? Was he awarded Accessories Designer of the Year by the 1660-equivalent of the CFDA?

No, to all of the above. (But you already knew that.) In fact, John Milton penned the poem L’Allegro from which Fantastic Toe takes its name. (This is what happens, by the way, when your business partner was an English major.)

Here’s an excerpt from the poem:

Haste thee, Nymph, and bring with thee
Jest, and youthful Jollity,
Quips and cranks and wanton wiles,
Nods and becks and wreathed smiles
Such as hang on Hebe’s cheek,
And love to live in dimple sleek;
Sport that wrinkled Care derides,
And Laughter holding both his sides.
Come, and trip it, as you go,
On the light fantastic toe;
And in thy right hand lead with thee
The mountain-nymph, sweet Liberty;
And, if I give thee honour due,
Mirth, admit me of thy crew,
To live with her, and live with thee,
In unreproved pleasures free … 

Happy 400th, John!