New Year's Party Style

The New Year has crept up on us faster than most of us would like to admit. In the midst of visiting family, traveling, buying gifts, giving gifts, receiving gifts, and trying to recover from the annual Christmas cookie sugar crash, suddenly 2015 is upon us. Resolutions?! I haven't even unpacked my suitcase yet! But time keeps ticking regardless of how much we wish we could just have a few hours to get in a good long nap, and in two days time...

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Happy Holidays from Village Shoes

From our family at Village Shoes to yours, we wish you a merry Christmas and a happy holidays!...

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Fit Fix: Too Small

Just because your toes are touching the end of a shoe doesn’t mean you should give up immediately. If the toe-box is non-rigid, try the rubbing alcohol stretching methods in Part 1. Gently massaging the toe-box out with your hands can help as well, especially for narrow toe boxes squishing the pinkie toe. Using methods to help pull the heel back in the shoe, as mentioned in Part 5, can help alleviate the pressure on your toes by better distributing...

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Fit Fix: Too Big

If you’ve got a little extra space in your shoes, insoles are a great way to fill that space out. Superfeet insoles come in a variety of levels of support and cushioning, so, if you’re able, try a few different style and see which one offers the best fit. In the event that you cannot try on several styles, Superfeet Green is a good bet for shoes will a lot of extra space. They offer the most cushioning and high arch support, so they take up the...

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Fit Fix: Foot Sliding Forward

Heels are the most common culprit for this shoe dilemma. Because raising your heel up changes the position of the foot, your weight is redistributed forward. The extra forward pressure on the ball of your foot pushes your foot forward into the shoe. This can crunch the toes painfully in the top cap (making the shoe feel too small), or leave a gap around the heel cup, causing the heel to slip out of the shoe (making the shoe feel too big). There...

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Fit Fix: Need a Little Support?

Whereas there are a few shoe companies that bridge the gap between comfort and style (like Cobb Hill or Brako), many companies are focused more on style than comfort or foot health. But, before you swear off heels or resign yourself to tennis shoes, try out an insole or adhesives supports. Although you still might not make it all day on your stilettos, they’ll add cushioning where you need it (under the ball or heel of the foot, most of the time),...

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Fit Fix: Rubbed Ankles

A word of warning--rigid back shoes, like many women’s heels or men’s dress shoes, won’t get much, if any stretch in this area. That’s to say: don’t tough it out! If a shoe is cutting into your heel add some padding or moleskin to protect your feet. You’ll feel way better, and it’ll save you from limping in flip-flops a week later. Shoes with softer heel cups will loosen with warmth and movement. Use your hands to kneed them out, or try...

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Fit Fix: Too Tight!

 The most common problem people experience when trying on new shoes is tightness around the top and sides, or vamp, of the shoe. As hard as it may be to believe, a shoe with a snug vamp can be a blessing in disguise. Leather shoes have a natural break in period, and, over time and wear, the vamp will stretch to perfectly accommodate the size and shape of your foot. Of course, not all of us are so patient. Most cobblers have a shoe stretching...

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Fit Fix: Fix the Most Common Problems in New Shoes

“No matter your waist you can always wear that perfect size 8!” So the saying goes. But, it isn’t always quite so easy. Because shoemakers have to make shoes to fit an “average” foot (and each factory has their own template for what “average” looks like!), it’s a rarity to find a shoe that looks and feels good immediately on your foot. Our advice—be patient! Remember that unlike clothing, shoes really do change size and shape with your foot....

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Vintage Fryes

Yesterday, Village Shoes got an excellent surprise. Our owner brought us in a pair of Vintage 1980's Fryes! Other than being a little dry, these lovelies were in near mint condition. After Kacie gave them a good rubdown with some saddle soap, they are looking better than ever. Here are some snaps we took of the process! Snapped before their spa session.  A "before" shot of the toe of the boots. Followed by some good old fashioned...

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Holiday Gift Guide

As the weather gets colder and colder and we flip the pages of our calendars, it's time to start thinking about gift giving. It can be overwhelming to come up with something for each and every person on your list (or even coming up with who to put on that list! Do I need to buy something for my brother's girlfriend? Are they even still together?). But before you resort to buying 30 Starbucks gift cards, check out some of our suggestions for...

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Happy Thanksgiving

Although we believe in practicing gratefulness year round, Thanksgiving is a time of year in which we can really stop to appreciate all of the people and things in our lives that bring us joy. We believe its a time of self-reflection--it means something a little different for everyone. At Village Shoes, we took a moment to reflect on this joyous season, and we thought we'd share a few thoughts with all of you. Stacey: "This Thanksgiving I am...

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Going Home: Tips to Survive the Trip

  The holiday season is just around the corner and many of us will be hopping aboard planes or getting behind the wheel to visit with our families and friends. Whereas spending the holidays with the people you love is a blessing, actually getting there can be a pain. We've pulled together some of our favorite tips to make your trip a little more enjoyable. What to bring: Wear comfortable clothing while traveling—but don't...

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Makeover!

We thought it was time to retire our old layout and bring in something fresher just before the holidays. We're still working out a few kinks, so if you're experiencing any difficulties, let us know and we'll work on getting it fixed as soon as possible. Comment here or on Facebook to let us know what you think! -The Village Shoes Team...

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Find your LBB (Little Black Bootie)

For fall and early winter, nothing is more verstatible, more practical, or more stylish than the... LBB (Little Black Bootie) Like our old go-to LBD (little black dress), the LBB never fails us. She is always there ready and waiting for any outfit or any occasion. She is equally as comfortable with your favorite boyfriend jeans and a cozy sweater as she is paired with tights and a flirty dress (date-night anyone?). In our minds,...

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Halloween Parade!

Every year Ashland holds an enormous Halloween parade so the kids can trick-or-treat and everyone can see all the amazing costumes. Here are some of our favorite snapshots: Everyone gearing up for the parade. EVERYONE came downtown to see the spectacle. Erika and Lizzie handed out candy to trick-or-treaters... Like this cute little devil! Some unique costumes were spotted... And some beautiful costumes were seen. And we...

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