A Day in the Life at (shoo)

This sassy little boot from John Fluevog is called Libby Smith. It is a faux spat-like boot made in Portugal with black & cream leathers, with burgandy button accents. This boot is amazing in its look & comfort!


Close up of the lovely Libby Smith boot. This boot is on reorder at (shoo) & we will have more coming in October. It is outstanding!



Posing with my favorite man customer Hayk Arshakian, who is a professional dancer (you can tell by his stance- right!) He is wearing the Fiorentini & Baker 7040 boot in black. He looked amazing in it! But hey - he looks good in everything he puts on. YES - I am in love with him.....



Hayk in the 7040 Eternity boot! This boot is HOT! HOT! HOT! So is Hayk!


Hayk & one of his dance partners Tess, who is wearing the United Nude Mobuius Boot. They look amazing!

Fiorentini & Baker Boots

Fiorentini & Baker boots are the standard of excellence. A collaboration between interior designer Gianpaolo Fiorentini and shoe designer Deborah Baker has resulted in a collection of timeless classics. Fiorentini & Baker products are skillfully handcrafted in Bologna, Italy using the finest leathers. These boots are truly works of art.



This boot is the ever popular Eternity 7040 boot from Fiorentini & Baker. This boot is a classic, yet it is modern at the same time. The beautiful italian leather that they use is what makes the all of these boots so amazing. It is rich & supple & will withstand the test of time. These boots have 3 leather straps that literally fit all calves.
Side view of the amazing 7040 boot in dark brown brown. (shoo) also carries 7040 in black, as well. 7040 has a 1-inch heel & a rubber sole. This boot runs a full size large, too!
The next gorgeous classic boot from Fiorentini & Baker is the 705. These boots are truly works of art. It is a multi functional boot because you can wear it folded down or pulled up over the knee for a different look. The shaft measures 15 inches in height when down and 19 inches when up. There is an inside zipper for ease of access, as well. 705 has a 1-inch heel & a rubber sole.
The back detailing of the 705 when pulled up. There is a lacing system that can be worn loosely or really tight. The 705 is also available in an espresso brown, as well as black.
The sole of the 705 & the 7040. These babies are made for the person in the urban environs that does a lot of walking. They are SO comfortable & the rubber absorbs shock.
The beautiful Bean! Need I say more! This sexy lil' number is on a stacked 2 3/4 inch heel and is made very similarly to the 7040. It has the 3 leather straps that fit all calves & brass buckle fasteners. The shaft is 12 inches tall from the top of the heel. Bean fits true to size & fits like a glove.
I own this fabulous boot & can wear it all day long! Its so comfortable! Bean also comes in black as well as brown.

These boots will not be here long, so get into (shoo) & claim your pair of amazing boots from Fiorentini & Baker.

New VEGAN Handbag Line at (shoo)

Crystalyn Kae Handbags

(shoo) just got in a brand new line out of Seattle, WA called Crystalyn Kae. Each bag is essentially one-of-a-kind, as you can choose the vintage fabric for the style of bag you like.

These bags are made from a water-resistant, washable glazed fabric. Each of the bags created with glazed fabric are sturdy, water-resistant and incredibly easy to care for, and are suitable for vegans & vegetarians,as it contains no animal hide.

These Crystalyn Kae handbags can be spot-cleaned with windex or be gently hand washed with mild soap, and hung dry. Pretty cool - eh?!

Each of the vintage fabrics and rare textiles used in the bag designs are extremely limited edition. They are hand-selected, reinforced and gently coated with stain repellent, before they are sewn into the one-of-a-kind handbags.

Miss L-Fire Palm Springs

Can we talk about how darn cute these sassy lil numbers are? I love these adorable shoes from Miss L-Fire! The Palm Springs is a cute little wedge with a 1" heel & has an ankle strap. Made from white retro-inspired with fun colored polka dots, this summery shoe makes me SO happy. Accented with a metallic red leather & a white bow at the toe-box, this shoe is reminiscent of a shoe my Grandmother - Mavis would wear! Every time I wear it, I think of her. Come to think about it, all my vintage accessories, that I am wearing with these cute shoes, were hers. Thanks Miss L-Fire & thanks Mavis for making me cute today!

New Cydwoq Shoes Just Arrived!

Just arrived at (shoo) - a new shipment of Cydwoq footwear! These architecturally inspired shoes are truly works of art. Only the finest, vegetable-tanned leathers and custom-made components are used in Cydwoq(pronounced sidewalk) products. Designs employ the fewest number of leather pieces possible to minimize stitching, and to improve comfort, quality, and durability. Cydwoq designer Rafi Balouzian creates all of these beautiful shoes by hand in his factory in Burbank, California. Each shoe is made with 100% vegetable-tanned Italian leathers, which get better with every single wear. These shoes are designed with a metal shank inside the all leather foot bed, so the sole actually meshes to the contour of your foot. With each wear, the shoe actually becomes more "yours" because your actual footprint molds into the leather as you wear it. These shoes are get better with age & are seriously comfortable.

The collection consists of funky men's shoes, women's shoes, bags, & belts. (shoo) carries a wide selection of Cydwoq & the stock is always rotating. The best selling shoes in the store are Cydwoq & continue to be, because they are so unique, look amazing on, & are comfortable. We have people that come in & buy nothing but Cydwoq from us.

Arrived today are four new women's styles that will fly off the shelves. Two styles, the Cydwoq Wheel & the Cydwoq Travel are on 2 inch heels, which is the maximum heel height Rafi uses on his shoes. These beauties pictured in the first photo are gorgeous! The Cydwoq Wheel is a beautiful toe thong heeled sandal made from a unique white floral leather. The Cydwoq Travel is a metallic blue leather that is geometric in design & fastens around the heel with a vintage styled button. Both heels are super comfy & look stunning on the foot!

The other 2 styles that arrived today are both flat sandals from Cydwoq. The Cydwoq Copy is a dark brown nu buck leather that has a strap across the toebox, with a built in toe-ring. There is an ankle strap that fastens with a leather tie. This sandal is awesome! Looks fantastic on! The other sandal is the Cydwoq Daisy. This amazing sandal is made with a beautiful tan leather that has blue glitter painted on it. Daisy has a toe ring & ankle strap that attaches with a metal fastener. This is such a cool sandal on! LOVE it!

Check back daily to shoostore.com, as we should have the new Cydwoq's up on the site & available to sell shortly!

Miss L-Fire Shoes

Miss L-Fire shoes are seriously the best things since sliced bread! Lindsey Hand is a designer out of London & creates shoes with a Fifties Americana vibe. Her retro styles are so darling, fashionable, & comfortable! This is a new line for (shoo) this spring, & it has been GREAT! I have loved each & every style I have gotten in. The shoe pictured here is called the Miss L-Fire Snow White, which is a black 2 piece wedge style with an acrylic pineapple heel reminiscent of the box purses from the fifties. There is a cute leather pom-pom on the toe-box of the pump, which gives it such a beautiful look. This shoe is only $169! Every time I wear it, I feel like I am truly a pin-up girl - it is SO cute! It is also surprisingly, VERY comfortable! I can wear it all day without any pain, & for a 4 " heel - that's pretty darn good!

The stockings pictured with the Snow White are a new line of hosiery & socks that (shoo) is now carrying called Falke. Falke is a family owned corporation out of Germany that was founded in 1895, & is still run today by the 4th generation. This German based company continually exhibit high quality and elegance in their products. You can trust these products to not just last but to provide you with sleek comfort and style. The hosiery I am wearing, is called the Falke Gardner, which is sheer on the front on the leg with a thicker opaque panel on the back. They have the appearance of a delicate lace trim running the full length of the leg. I wore these the other day & literally placed orders off my legs. At $59, no one balked - because they are truly sexy, elegant & made a statement! I am getting more of these babies in this week, & have a huge assortment coming in for fall!

The other styles to check out are the Miss L-Fire Racket, which is the cutest wedge slingback peep toe! This shoe is made with a red, white, yellow, & blue retro fabric that will go with any vintage dress. I wear them all the time! They are crazy comfy & super inexpensive at $89 - you cant beat that! The other shoe, which I also own, is called the Miss L-Fire Palm Springs. This sweet shoe is a low wedge in a white, red, light blue & pink polka dot fabric that is also very comfortable & looks great with vintage dresses! & at $79- that is a steal for such cuteness! I love this new line & I am VERY excited for the fall product to come in - which will be here in late July! I LOVE Miss L-Fire!

Molly - The Funky 80%20 Widden Wedge

So, these cool shoes are from 80%20 - a line out of New York, by designer Ce Ce Chin. The concept behind 80%20 came from Chin's observation that we tend to wear our favorite 20% of our wardrobe 80% of the time. Aspiring to be part of the 20% you can’t live without, 80%20 shoes are created with fun-loving fashion and comfort in mind. The spring 09 collection consists of brightly colored canvas, cork wedges, peep toes, cut outs, leather detailing, and Chin’s signature hidden wedge, which is what is pictured here in navy called the Molly. This shoe is so ultra cool, comfortable, & unique. It looks like a flat - but it isn't & that is what I love about it, because I need the lift in height, being only 5'6. So, now I look like I am a tall amazon at 5'8! Thanks Ce Ce!

Prism Fashion Show

(shoo) owners, Kate & Pat Blake before a fashion show benefiting breast cancer at the Milwaukee Domes - Botanical Gardens. Pat actually got to model in this show, as its hard to come by male models in this town. He is a ham - so it was good fun for him!

The Institute of Beauty & Wellness did the hair & make-up for this show. They attached all the shoes that each model wore on their feet, very intricately in their hair. It was VERY cool & amazing to see how you can really take a black dress & make it all about the shoes! United Nude Mobius Tech was used for one model - she had a pair on her feet, & one in her hair - it looked SO cool! The Miss L-Fire Snowwhite was adorned as a crown in one girls hair, as well as her feet. The 80%20 Molly in navy was placed almost like a hat on one model, while she rocked them out with her black leggings & blazer.

This was the best fashion show we ever participated in, thanks to the very creative team at the Institute of Beauty & Wellness!

about (shoo)

(shoo) is the definition of footwear: Unusual, hand-crafted, well-made, funky footwear for men & women.

Coming from a background in fashion merchandising, buying, & wholesale, Kate Blake created the cool shoe boutique that is (shoo). Realizing that there was a big need for different, hard to find, funky footwear, Kate decided to open up, in November 2005, literally in her own backyard, Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward. Combining her vast knowledge of the footwear industry, where she worked as a buyer, retailer & wholesaler, with her love of fashion and her own unique sense of style, Kate has brought a much needed shoe boutique to the heart of Milwaukee.

Kate chooses very carefully what lines she brings into the store. "I want to be the only game in town with the brand, preferably the only one in the state." Which is the case on some hard to find footwear lines like Trippen from Berlin, Germany or John Fluevog which is out of Canada. For those two lines (shoo) is the only dealer in Wisconsin. Other lines, like Cydwoq - shoes handmade in the United States, (shoo) is the only store in Milwaukee to boast the beautiful and architecturally inspired line. Other lines, like United Nude, Re-mix, Fornarina, Gordon Rush, Ryan Rowe & Tsubo are what make the shoe experience a unique one. "I buy what is comfortable, funky & different" & that is exactly the formula that goes into each shoe brought in from Spain, Italy, Brazil, Mexico, Germany, Austria, USA or the far East.

In January of 2007, Kate partnered with her younger brother, Pat Blake, who left the business of stock trading to team up & assist with running the shoe boutique. Between the two Blake siblings you can be assured that customer service is first & foremost, while getting the coolest shoes around in a very relaxing & comfortable atmosphere. "We want you to feel like your at home here." Pat states "we want to make this experience friendly, comfortable, & most of all enjoyable."

The hip shoe boutique has an interesting decor of old re-used tables, antiques, & what-nots from the Blake family ancestors, to give it that true homey feel. There are even old framed photographs throughout the store that their mother, Nancy Blake, a photographer, snapped of the two when they were kids. (shoo) has that family shoe store feel, with cool, hip merchandise that makes (shoo) a very unique place to shop.

The boutique is located inside the Katie Gingrass Gallery which is in the trendy Historic Third Ward, where other great boutiques, like Lela & Stephanie Horne compliment their funky footwear.

(shoo) is the definition of what footwear should be. It should be comfortable, funky, & different & be something that expresses who you are. (shoo) allows you to do that - be true to who you are, all the way down to your feet!