SHOES NEWS
Hello Stiletto Shoe Club Newsletter
October 2007
Fetish: An object of irrational
reverence or obsessive devotion
There are few things more inspiring than the story of an
everyday person who comes up with a great business
concept and sees it through to success with hard work
and determination. That's the story of Hawaiian native
Sommer Meyer, a self-professed shoe enthusiast (with
over 250 pairs) who tired of her homemade system of
taping photos to the outside of random shoeboxes to
keep her prized possessions organized.
In 2005 Sommer launched her company "Closet Fetish"
creating a line of upscale closet organization products.
The line includes beautiful shoeboxes made of sturdy
bookbinding cardboard available in stiletto red, light
blue, ballet pink, beige, chocolate, and lavender. The
shoeboxes feature an external 4x6 inch slot into which
you can slip a photo of the shoes inside.
(Continued on page 2)
Well-Heeled
"Sometimes life's destiny does not include you being swept off your feet. Sometimes it's just
standing in the light of your completeness... wearing fabulous shoes."
Those aren't the words of Carrie Bradshaw, they're the mantra of Felicia Coley, Founder of The Well-
Heeled Society.
The Well-Heeled Society is both a blog for shoe lovers (single and married) and a gift registry for single
women. The inspiration for the registry comes from Felicia’s experience with a toxic relationship and
her decision to end it. Leaving the relationship meant having to move on quickly, abandoning many
material possessions including her entire shoe collection, and feeling embarrassed about having to
contact friends to stop sending gifts from the couple’s housewarming registry.
As she drove away from her silk stilettos, lucite wedge peep-toes, and metallic evening shoes, she
realized her safety and peace of mind were more important than any shoe. It dawned on her that
she should be celebrating the fact that she was strong and smart enough to walk away from a bad
situation. Thus, The Well-Heeled Society was born.
Through The Well-Heeled Society’s website, women can create, maintain, and share a gift registry
based on all kinds of personal achievements like getting a promotion, closing on a new home,
finishing a degree, or beating breast cancer.
Visit www.wellheeledsociety.com to register or subscribe to Felicia's blog. As someone with a 19-year
writing portfolio you'll enjoy her words of wisdom in addition to shopping and building a registry.
(Closet Fetish - continued from page 1)
The idea for the shoeboxes came not only from her own need for such
a product but from a class project Sommer worked on while pursing her
master's degree at Hawaii Pacific University. Business has been
booming ever since.
Clients include Melania Trump, Angela Bassett, and Oprah Winfrey. In
fact, the boxes will soon be featured as one of Oprah's favorite things
in O Magazine's "The O List." They've been showcased in InStyle
Magazine, Domino Magazine, and Shop, Etc too.
Amidst such success, Sommer remains an optimistic, lighthearted
person. She's also very generous and supportive of women-owned
businesses wanting to help those who like her, pursue their passions.
Above: Fabulous zebra pumps
Recently Sommer contacted each of the Hello Stiletto Shoe Club
find a cozy and worthy home
leaders and donated Closet Fetish shoeboxes as prizes for upcoming
in this Closet Fetish "Stiletto
shoe parties. You can see them in person at select events or purchase
Red” Shoebox.
them on-line at www.closetfetish.com for $15 each.
Left: Miu Miu
Trend Watch: Menswear for Women
Naplak Spectator.
by Melissa O'Shea
Below Left: Betsey
When it comes to shoes, menswear is an undeniably hot
Johnson Leopold.
trend this season. You can't visit a department store or on-
Below Right: Ash
'Ono' Bootie.
line retailer without hearing about it.
Admittedly, I'm completely hooked on this trend and can't
resist jumping on the bandwagon. I love the idea of a
masculine-style shoe paired with an overtly feminine feature
such as a high heel, wild color, or some type of flirtatious
accessory like a bow.
Not to mention they’re easy to wear. Whether they're two-
tone spectators, lace up oxfords, or cap-toe mary jane's (to
the right are a few of my current favorites), pair them with
Left: Via Spiga
opaque tights and you've got yourself a polished look that
Macro.
works with anything from jeans to skirts, and for any
Below Left: Chie
occasion…work, play, day or evening.
Mihara Zashi Kiltie
Pumps. Below Right:
In next month's newsletter watch for my review of that last
Chie Mihara Two-
Tone T-Strap Pumps.
pair, the Poetic License “Tease” available at Planet Shoes.
Now through December 22, 2007 Planet Shoes is offering a
special discount to Hello Stiletto Shoe Club members. See
below for details!
SPECIAL OFFER FROM PLANET SHOES
Planet Shoes is offering Hello Stiletto Shoe Club members a
special limited time discount of 15% off any item purchased
on their site. Visit www.PlanetShoes.com and enter coupon
Right: Poetic
code shoeclub15 (lowercase no spaces) between now and
Licence “Tease”
available at
December 22, 2007 to take advantage of the offer.
planetshoes.com
For Shoe Party styles, check out Chinese Laundry, Kenneth
See left for special
Cole, Poetic License, Sam & Libby, and Steve Madden.
offer through
12/22/07.
2
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Who's in the Shoe Club?
Get to know fellow Shoe Club members through our Member
Spotlight segment in which we profile a different Shoe Club
member every month or so.
Name: Sandra Aussem, Chicago Shoe Club leader
Current Hometown: Chicago, IL
Occupation: Owner of Aussem Iron
Sandra Aussem, Chicago Shoe Club
What I look for in a shoe: I love a sexy shoe that is comfortable,
Leader.
classic, and well-made.
Shoe steal (best deal on shoes): I bought my first pair of Cole
Haan shoes fifteen years ago at an outlet in Kittery, Maine.
They were black velvet flats that were a steal at $60. Also a
pair of Fabio Rusconi black jigsaw mules for $20 at a second-
hand shop and Steve Madden chandelier sandals for $16 (so
good I got Melissa O’Shea a pair too!)
Shoe splurge (most spent on shoes): My very first over-the-top
shoe purchase was for a friend’s wedding in Ireland about five
years ago. I spent $225 on a strappy pair of chocolate stilettos
Sandra’s Wedding Shoes
designed by Linda Allard for Ellen Tracy.
Why I love shoes: A beautiful shoe will put a twinkle in my eye and a spring in my step. I can feel
heavy one minute and then put on a three-inch heel and feel skinny! Sometimes they are so
beautiful I just want to have them to look at - like works of art. You can actually feel the designer's
heart in the work.
Shoe Club Press and Expansion
The Shoe Club received some exciting press this past month. In Naples, Florida the club was featured
in the September 20 th issue of Naples News thanks to the fabulous event our club leaders Gail Lulley
and Rahel Brown organized for us at Saks Fifth Avenue.
In Boston, Shoe Club founders Melissa O’Shea and Debbie Mellor were interviewed live in studio on
Kiss 108 FM’s “Matty in the Morning” show on September 21 st . The Boston club was also featured on
WBZ TV's “Sunday with Liz Walker” show on channel 4 on October 21 st .
Thanks in part to all this publicity, the Hello Stiletto Shoe Club continues to grow and we now have
events on the calendar in two new locations.
In Providence, Rhode Island Chris Shine has stepped up to be our Providence-area Shoe Club leader.
Our first event there will be on November 7 th at Paragon Cafe. In Los Angeles, California we’re having
a Shoe Party in conjunction with The Well-Heeled Society and Singelringen on December 5 th at Zu
Robata. For more information about these and other upcoming events visit www.shoeclub.us and
click on Events.
JOIN THE SHOE CLUB