a stylist's search turns lemons into lemonade

I purchased my first pair of Supergas over eBay in 1998. They shipped from Europe. I had seen them in a magazine (more than likely it was Elle) and started my search for how to acquire this newly discovered Italian footwear. They were navy and I was very happy to have something unique that no one else had currently. The second pair I purchased, again over eBay, was the neutral canvas but they were flatforms! I did finally purge them because I found them uncomfortable. I also purchased Supergas for my kids on eBay. Needless to say, my love for style bled into dressing both children too, but as they are now about to turn 13 and 15, my guidance is only relevant to them for special occasion dressing.

This spring I was pressed to find a cute pair of slip-on sneakers. I wanted something that would go with everything, so my search started with canvas or white perforated slip ons. However, one style I was flirting with was the Rachel Zoe Chandler black perforated slip-on in black from The Shoe Hive. And to prove it happens to the best of us…I missed my opportunity and my size sold through before I could purchase them sadly.

Here’s the silver lining ~ the shoe gods shined upon me and one afternoon while catching up with my besties at the Hive, I saw a young woman wearing the most adorable white perforated leather slip-ons. I never hesitate to ask where someone has purchased an item that has caught my attention. She told me they were Tory Burch and I thought I had found my go-to sneakers for the summer. Again, I waited a little too long and they were sold through in my size – you would think someone like a stylist would know how to be swift to act on great shoes (heed the warning my style loving readers….purchase what you love early for fall!).

My disappointment was a twist of fate however. I continued searching over the internet for similar slip-ons and low and behold, my quest turned into discovering a newly coveted brand ~ Bucketfeet! I purchased the very last pair that just happened to be my size – proving perseverance pays off (the prices are friendly too!).

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Those of you that follow me on Instagram may have seen my new kicks. I cannot begin to tell you how many people stop me and comment on my shoes. If you look closely, they are not just gold pineapples but they are named “Pineappleade” – they are gold grenades with pineapple tops and the artwork is designed by DJ Lu, an artist from Columbia! Bucketfeet showcases artists from all over the world with their one-of-a-kind designs that are chosen for their shoes seasonally. And if that isn’t enough, you can submit designs that may be selected for their next season’s styles. My daughter and I are considering our own in-house competition this summer to see who’s art could be picked up by the powers that be at Bucketfeet.

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Love the branding. If you read last week;s post, branding is paramount to the success of a business and this company hit it out of the ballpark. Every shoe has a red label on the heel with the bucket and the soles are red with “Bucketfeet” on the bottom. No surprise for a company who celebrates art!

Now to the best part….
Rumor has it that Bucketfeet may be heading to your favorite Alexandria Stylebook shoe store this fall. The Shoe Hive will be receiving two styles in the coming weeks.

Contact The Shoe Hive and let them know you are interested in these fun styles and get ready to be stopped and asked about your cute kicks! Fall will offer more selections. I predict they will be a huge success!

About the author
The latest from Alicia

Alicia McCaslin

Stylist | The Tulle Box

http://www.thetullebox.net/

aliciamccaslin@me.com

Alicia was born and raised in Alexandria, and married a local boy. She is happily married and the mother of two amazing children and one adorable and terribly smart border terrier named Dixie. Alicia has always known she was a creative. She collected editions of Vogue from junior high on and has always loved clothing and design. She studied interior design at VCU and parlayed that degree into commercial interior design, the web design, and ultimately found herself managing a local boutique and serving as a stylist to many Alexandrian women. She now has a successful full-time styling business, The Tulle Box, and makes it her business to make her clients feel great about themselves and the way they look.