Timeless style...

Tootsies has classic and gorgeous flats that recall Chanel-inspired style…style that still influences the modern woman.

"Fashion fades, only style remains the same."
-Coco Chanel

Accessorize abundantly...

Chunky chokers or delicate drapings...multi strands or just one strand...a neck adorned with beads by Strand is a beautiful thing.

Eclectic Hues

In the tradition of Indian fabric printing, Kerry Cassill has created the perfect, lightweight cotton beach bag and hair band. The ancient craft of hand block printing is revived in a refreshing and modern way with Cassill's colorful floral, tulip, and ikat designs. These summer staples also transition into functional and durable school time accessories...and the fabulous, exclusive prints make these original items.

Accessorize without limit...

The Jenny Krauss belt is a limitless accessory. Boucle embroidery and vibrant threads make this belt the perfect embellishment for jeans, and best of all, it's beauty goes beyond the waistline! Krauss' artistic design employs Peruvian women in accord with fair trade guidelines. The purchase of each belt not only brightens a summer wardrobe, but also empowers another human life.

From sea to shining sea.

Celebrating Independence Day...
"The beauty of independence, departure, actions that rely on themselves."
- Walt Whitman, 1891

Special thanks to Meghan Stewart of Meghan Stewart Photography for the lovely photos of our local beaches.

Summer's a wrap...well, almost!

One of southern California's best kept secrets for boutique style on a shoe string budget is Dolce Vita footwear. This season's Mariel and Pela sandals are well-designed and reliably stylish...back zipper closure for effortless on/off and supple, dark leather hues for easy transition into fall. These sandals are a fabulous late summer investment...pair with tights on cooler days for a trendy fall look.

The one that almost got away...

There's no fishing for compliments with this Schutz multi-colored sandal. Brazilian, hand-crafted quality, vibrant leather, wild pattern and tassle detail make this shoe a perfect catch!

Olivia moving waters...

"We can't cross a sea by merely staring into the waters"
-Rabindranath Tagore

All of us at Tootsies are moved by young Olivia Bouler's artistic crusade to raise awareness and financial aid for the Gulf Coast catastrophe. Her love of birds and painting has come together in a powerful way...she's started a campaign to support the Audubon Society's clean-up efforts in the oil spill. We are inspired by Olivia's initiative!
http://www.aolartists.com/projects/help-the-gulf

Cat out of the bag...

There's an interesting story woven in Catstudio's Riviera bags ...they're more than just pretty arm accessories. Catsudio's collaboration with Sabala, a non profit dedicated to the empowerment of women, helps impoverished Indian women generate income by reviving tribal craft methods... like the one's used on these handwoven cotton and jute Riviera bags. The vibrant colors of these bags become inspiring when they also work to brighten the bleak surroundings of their origins.

Le Soleil BeBe

Le Soleil BeBe's line of children's tunics epitomizes playfulness, comfort and functionality. These mini versions of our favorite resort wear are a perfect fit for beach-bound children this summer...they're lightweight to keep kids cool yet protected ...and creative in color and design to stand out from ordinary kid's apparel.

Splash of colour

We love a shoe that relies on colour for impact! A favorite for summer is the casual and chic style of the Vince Camuto Maven wedge in Spice. The rich, orange, leather upper and seaming detail are perfectly enhanced by a sculptured modern wedge.

Dancing feet...

On a recent trip to Rwanda for a shoe drop, TOMS reported a little boy excitedly claimed he could dance like Michael Jackson in his new shoes! With every pair of shoes purchased, TOMS donates and distributes one pair to a child in need.
Wearing and giving with TOMS is comfortable and does a "sole" good.

When one strand just won't do...

True luxury is having what no one else does,
which is perhaps why the most coveted items are
one of a kind pieces.
-Departures

Christina Masseau of Strand, Vero Beach, FL, creates beautiful beaded jewelry of found items from around the world. No two are alike...touches of gold, semi precious stones, wooden beads, blessed beads and handmade tassels are just a few of the details that makes these strands extraordinary.

Take a seat!

An inescapable compliment to a new pair of shoes is a comfortable place to sit! Tootsies' great seating and spring store arrangement make for a charming shopping experience.

Beauty is shoe, shoe beauty...

"She only has THE BEST, THE SIMPLEST, and THE BEST"
-Warhol
Friend, accomplished architect, and shoe artist, Peter Moor, has a talent for creating beauty with a few simple lines. This drawing, along with the Tootsies logo, is an example of how beautiful art and beautiful shoes collide...not to mention it's reminiscent of Warhol's iconic shoe images.

Beautiful you...beautiful world

“Each and every action
no matter how little
is a step toward
a more beautiful
world.”

-Michelle Vieira of Second Cycle
Atlantic Beach, FL

Second Cycle hair clips, head bands, and brooches use salvaged materials that are imaginative and uncommonly beautiful.

The perfect pair....

It's been said that at a cocktail party, Sam Edelman is always the man with a hundred girls around him. But for Sam, there's only one girl that matters...Libby, Libby Edelman that is. For the Florida couple, this is the second round in the shoe business and both times, Libby has been Sam's muse, helping him to follow top fashion trends and to make them accessible in price. In a 2010 article in AOL small business, Sam Edelman commented on Libby's intuition for spotting trends, “ We noticed a lot of the models would be wearing a $20 T-shirt with a vintage skirt, but they were always showing expensive footwear. And I thought there must be some new approach to contemporary footwear, without copying the top end and still giving it a designer name, but having it be affordable."
In Sam Edelman's Spring '10 line, love wins out! The artist/muse couple has once again created chic sandals, all for the love of shoes. Or, is it all for the love of a woman?

Fanciful flats...

All Black's spring line has two classic flats that are artfully adorned yet versatile in color and style.
All Black's Owner and designer Colin Lin creates high fashion with low heels and flats. The line's high quality materials and appealing color pallets pay homage to art decoratif all the while keeping in mind wearability and affordability.

Corso Como

InStyle magazine's April issue featured Corso Como's Lisette sandal, a charmingly feminine addition to Tootsies' spring footwear. Corso Como's collection of beautifully handcrafted shoes is comfortable and classic and made in line with environmental conservatory practices. Enjoy spring outdoors in forward design!

bird.fish

Tootsies' manager and resident jewelry designer, Robin Bass, has a brilliant line of necklaces in-store that are pure visual delight. Robin calls her line bird.fish, a fitting name for the mix of color and organic. Most of her pieces feature a few bright splashes of acrylic-juiced turquoise and coral, but by and large her work is one of soft-focused, tranquilized jewel tones, all paired with natural leather cord. If it appears that Robin has gone to painstaking lengths to dazzle the eye, her laid back, cheerful personality actually reflect a natural sense of flair, and she insists the jewelry is just as easily paired with jeans and white tees as with formal dress. Smart design, arrangement and texture set her jewelry apart from the typical oversaturated and colorized costume jewelry. Bird.fish by Robin Bass can be found at Tootsies Vero Beach, Ponte Vedra, and Stuart, Montgomery Museum of Art (gift shop), MMaison, and Aqua Fedora.

Feeling Blue?

Blue Hyacinths have always been a promise of spring for me, and since Ponte Vedra dirt isn't very bulb friendly, I'll take my hyacinth blue in the form of a supple, leather flat by Lucky. These tie die shoes are a budding promise of comfort and style in line with Spring trends, and at the same time will satisfy any penchant for a vintage look.

Right as rain!

Find a practical and fashionable solution to wet weather with the original Hunter, purveyor of fabulous wellies. This two-tone boot has a rich camel tweed shaft and a smart rubber bottom, perfect for inclimate Florida weather. In the tradition of Hunter's British origins, this style mirrors the classic riding boot and has the same sensibility in mud and rain, sans horse.

Breast Cancer Marathon

"Sure, determined,
moving to an inner rhythm
measuring herself against herself,
she gained the twenty-six miles"
-R. Ferrarelli on Joan Benoit

We're cheering for all the fund-raising feet running the Breast Cancer Marathon, 26.2 with Donna, February 21, 2010. Visit www.breastcancermarathon.com

And so begins the sustainable romance...

Emma Bowd once said that our love affair with shoes takes hold at a very young age. But what if our romance began with a story of sustainability instead of white patent leather, flower-embroidered glory? Simple's line of baby shoes uses 100% sustainable materials to help point our children to a bright green future, and they haven't sacrificed any adorableness in the process.

Angels among us...

"The higher the heel of the shoe, the closer you are to Heaven's gate."
-From the Book of Feng Shoe

Our latest press made the cover of the Ponte Vedra Register! The red, satin Martinez Valero heel is an unexpected and divine compliment to this bride in white. Bravo to the woman who trades traditional pairings for the slightly irreverent, luxurious and playful accessory!

Printworthy...

This season's kurtas by Roberta Freymann are in line with her philosophy: “chic global style at affordable prices”. They're a fashionable anticipation of spring with soft, cotton voile fabrics and bright hues. Because the fabrics are hand block printed by Indian artisans, each piece is uniquely created and is a fresh take on modern beach and resort wear.

Tootsies believes that looking good and doing good aren't mutually exclusive. As we go about our lives, let's not forget those devastated by the earthquake in Haiti. Let our humanitarianism, however insignificant it may seem, be thoughtful and committed, and let our kindness and benevolence be impartial and far-reaching.