April 11th, 2012 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

Neons are the ultimate accent colors. Not only do they breathe chic life into your neutrals, they’re also eye grabbing, so don’t be surprised if you grab the attention of a street-style photographer and end up on some fabulous fashion blog. Pair neon shoes from Barefoot Tess or a neon accessory with your denims, your leather jackets, your tennis whites, just to punch them up. You’ll look amazing. plus it will be easy for your friends to spot you in a crowd.

April 10th, 2012 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

Every season, we get a couple new brands that I get super psyched about.  This season they’re in the sandal and rain boot departments, which is appropriate because as soon as it gets warm, that’s pretty much all I want to wear. Check ‘em out!

Novestra: I love these rain boots for their kicky colors and sleek shape. Come to think of it, these boots give me good reason to move to London or San Fransisco or some South Asian country with a Monsoon season. Yep, I’m packing these boots and moving to Bankok.

Klub Nico: Clean and classic, these sandals are straight-up sophisticated. Although maybe now that I called them that, they’re not. No, they totally are. They have a woven heel and they’re made from Brazilian leather for god’s sake!  They belong in a chic resort town, someplace where people wear over-sized sunhats and drink Pimm’s cups.

Naughty Monkey: They’ve got chains. They’ve got rhinestones. They’re a party sandal. The party sandal is essential to any shoe wardrobe. You want to look chic and festive, but you also want to rock the dance floor until the band stops playing and then a DJ comes up and then he goes home and they turn on the lights. Here you go!

March 20th, 2012 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

Spring is here early this year, and while there’s no telling whether or not it will stay, I’m betting it will…so…yeah. The streets of SoHo were a confusing sight today. I saw a woman in a coat and scarf walking next to a lady wearing tiny white shorts and sandals. Both looked out of place, but everyone was confused about what to wear today.  It’s March! As I walked behind the white-shorts lady, I thought, “too soon, lady” and then I heard a passerby snottily say to her friend, “Ugh, why is she wearing white before Memorial Day?!” I thought about it and I came to the conclusion that I was more thrown off by the sandals and the tininess of the shorts, rather than the color.

I think the whole Memorial Day to Labor Day thing is completely outdated and only observed by people who are very safe in their fashion choices. There, I said it. There are plenty of ways to wear white  year-round, especially as Spring is coming into bloom and fashion changes so quickly that there’s no point in following those guidelines. The lady with the white shorts was dressed for an August heat wave. I was offended by her because she was being dramatic. I shouldn’t have judged her at all though–her fashion choices are her own. And in this case, they reflect her personality–dramatic! Or maybe I was also being snotty and this lady was just excited to be walking around SoHo on this gorgeous spring day and excited about her new summer clothes and she didn’t care how she looked and she was going to wear those tiny white shorts because she loves them. Good job, lady! It’s not too soon after all! Nice legs!

Check out some season-appropriate whites here!

February 28th, 2012 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

Every year, each district sends a boy and girl to represent them in the Capital and fight to the death in the Hunger Games. Well, not really really, but in the book. For anyone who hasn’t read the book, the hype is not unwarranted. Just pick it up and within three days, you’ll have read the entire trilogy. You too will have Hunger Games fever. You’ll go to the Imax movie premiere at midnight, dressed up in your Katniss costume and wearing…wait for it…HUNGER GAMES NAIL POLISH!

Yes, China Glaze has made Hunger Games nail polish, which will make for the most suspenseful and dangerous mani-pedi of your life. Check them out here!

Dress Me Up (District 8 – Textiles)

Foie Gras (District 10 – Livestock)

Fast Track (District 6 – Transportation)

Hook and Line (District 4 – Fishing)

Stone Cold (District 2 – Masonry)

Smoke & Ashes (District 12 – Mining)

Agro (District 11 – Agriculture)

Mahogany Magic (District 7 – Lumber)

Harvest Moon (District 9 – Grain)

Riveting (District 3 – Technology)

Electrify (District 5 – Power)

Luxe & Lush (District 1 – Luxury)

Rumor has it that Hot Topic will carry the line. My own knowledge of mail polish makes me think that you’ll be able to get them at CVS and Walgreens. I know for a fact you can pre-order them here. Enjoy!

February 24th, 2012 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

Oxfords have been all the rage for a while now, so sometimes we get tired of the average oxford. That’s not to diminish them as the perfect staple, but a little variation on the classic goes a long way. Currently, I’m obsessing over the Jeffrey Campbell ‘Prospector.’  They take care of all of your oxford needs, while giving you a little edge. Whether you’re skipping across campus or the globe, they’ll give your look an air of effortless-chic.

Check them out with some winter-spring transition clothes!

February 15th, 2012 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

It’s that time of winter where we start to see the light at the end of the tunnel– we might just get through the season. It’s not because the weather has gotten any better. It’s simply because all of our favorite stores have their early Spring stuff in the windows. And it’s so pretty!  The change in season is an exciting time for an enthusiastic shopper. We’re sick of our sweaters and we want something new! I, for one, was not able to stop myself from buying a delightful pair of cobalt blue ankle-length pants yesterday. The problem is, we want to wear our new things as soon as we buy them and it’s too cold.  If it’s a sun dress, sorry sweatheart, you’re out of luck.  If it’s Spring shoes, you can mix them with your winter clothes for a great transitional look…unless they’re sandals. Stay away from the sandals for at least another month. Or go on vacation!

Check out some BFT Spring shoes paired with seasonally-appropriate clothes!

February 14th, 2012 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

Oh, Valentine’s Day, how most of us hate you. Not that I’m bitter, but mostly I think it’s a day to feel sick after eating too many candies, have a hard time getting a table at the restaurant you go to all the time, or be annoyed that the special thing you planned didn’t turn out just as you planned it. You know what can fix all of that? Having just the right shoes for the the Val Day you’re having.

The Fancy Date:

Your rich fiance has planned a couples massage, followed by an evening in a fabulous suite at some hotel he booked on Groupon. You will have a lavish meal of lobster and tiny potatoes, followed by drinking champagne while brushing all those rose petals off the bed and mashing them into the carpet with your heels by mistake. Then he will give you jewelry! A cocktail dress and party shoes will be perfect. Don’t forget to tell him he’s really good at planning things.

The Low Key Date

You guys aren’t into the fancy stuff. You’ll sit among other casual people and some girls who are really mad because they were expecting a fancy dinner, at your favorite table at your favorite restaurant. They’ll have a special Valentine’s Day menu, but they’ll still let you guys have the usual because you’re regulars and you love the cobb salad. And they might even send over a glass of champagne because you guys are super cute and tip well.  Then you’ll stroll through the city holding hands and making fun of Valentine’s day and be really glad to get home and exchange stupid gifts that make you laugh. This is a night to look cute and put together, but not too fancy. A beautiful pair of flat boots would be perfect…just the like the evening.

The Early-in-the-Relationship Date

This is going to be awkward. You haven’t been dating very long and you totally wanted to see each other, but there’s a lot of pressure to make this night work.  You’ll go to a restaurant that’s a little fancier than you normally dine at together. You won’t exchange gifts. You’ll and chat and hope it’s romantic enough or feel weird that it’s too romantic. Next year, if you’re still dating, you’ll laugh at how awkward it was. Or you’ll make fun of each other because that was your last date. Either way, dress nicely, but not dressy. A pair of heeled booties would be great. Try to have fun!

The Friends-Celebrating-V-Day-Together Night

There will be lots of wine and lots of DVD’s like “You’ve Got Mail” and “John Tucker Must Die” and “Silence of the Lambs.” Just you and your girls hanging out, eating takeout Chinese, and laughing. There’s no way this night won’t be fun. You’ll make fun of your friends’ weirdo boyfriends and talk about what color highlights you should get next. Dress cute and comfy. If you dress too sloppily, you’ll end up feeling bad for yourself after all that wine, so make sure you’re at least wearing some nice flats.

February 3rd, 2012 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

I actually have no idea what the groundhog said yesterday, but I have been outside lately and I can tell you with confidence that spring is coming early this year. The number one perk? We can wear flats! Every winter, I place my flats despondently on the back-of-the-door rack of my teeny tiny bedroom (New York real estate!) around November 1 and I don’t take them down until  mid-April. Well, I’ve been wearing them all week and it’s February. Don’t get me wrong, I still like my boots, and soon boots will be on sale and I’ll go around buying way more than I need and they don’t even fit on the back-of-the-door rack, so it’s really problematic. But anyway, nothing compares to the flat. They’re slim and trim and delicate and feminine. They look perfect paired with my skinny cords and fur vest. My favorite new flats this season will transition effortlessly from “winter” to spring to summer.  And I can already tell they’ll be a staple– I’ll be wearing them with my yoga clothes and sundresses and cut-offs alike.

January 27th, 2012 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

Oscar noms are in and for the most part, they’re as everyone expected.  I think some really good movies (Margin Call) got slighted and also Tree of Life was super boring…like even the trailer was boring. But this isn’t a catty film blog and what do you care what I think about Money Ball? (Rent it.) Me telling you what I think about movies (Young Adult was perfect) would be like when celebrities get involved in politics (Woo, Obama!) and you’re like, “Shut up! Tell us about that new rom-com you’re in!” So I’ll stick to what I really know– shoes! Here are the nominees for best picture, and of course the shoes to match each film!

January 25th, 2012 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

Once winter comes, I don’t want to wear anything but thick socks and boots.  I miss my Supergas and my ballet flats dearly, but it’s just too cold and too wet to let them out of the house. This becomes a particular pain when my outfit doesn’t want to be paired with a riding boot or a motorcycle boot. It needs something a little more delicate.  Additionally, sometimes my outfit is busy or I’m wearing a long tunic and cutting my legs off with a taller boot is simply not called for.  This is where the ankle boot comes in.

Ankle boots can be paired with anything for a sleek and modern update. Lots of them have hidden wedges as well, and we all know how flattering those are– VERY.