Jim's blog

My favorite thing about summer is being on, in, or near the water. Whether it’s tubing down the Potomac River, lying on a beautiful North Carolina beach, or playing fetch with my dogs in a nearby stream, water is the common theme for my most beloved summer activities. In years past, the only thing I didn’t like about these activities was dealing with soggy, stinky, old sneakers. read more...

Would you like to find out what kind of shoe lover you are? Ever wish you had a shoe horoscope to tell you the best shoes to buy under the current alignment of the stars? You might find out these things and more at Famous Footwear during their Shoe Love Week. Or maybe you'll just find love in a great new pair of shoes. In any event, we here at ShoeIQ are suckers for online quizzes that expand our knowledge of shoes and help us stay informed on the best shoe deals online. And we love the "Blind Date" feature on the Famous Footwear homepage that provides a new shoe suggestion every day. read more...

For those of you who love the high fashion shoe designers, but feel that some of the prices you see at Neiman Marcus or Bergdorf Goodman are a little out-of-control, you might be interested in checking out Bluefly. Bluefly is one of our advertising partners, so I openly admit my bias, but we really do love the store and enjoy promoting them on ShoeIQ. Why? Because they're one of the only online retailers who offer exclusive name brands like Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, Prada, Gucci, etc (personally I'm a fan of the black Camper Pelotas ), at prices that bring some of these brands within reach for the majority of us who have to satisfy shoe addictions on a budget. Now I'm not suggesting they're cheap - these shoes are the real deal, after all - but they are in some cases much less expensive than at some of the major department stores. And right now, they're having a big sale with some items up to 85% off their original list price! Visit Bluefly today to take advantage of this limited time offer. read more...

I know many of you are probably visiting ShoeIQ today to read Amanda's Thursday post, but unfortunately she will no longer be a weekly blogger on ShoeIQ due to other professional commitments. For those of you who have been following her, she has generated an amazing response in a very short time with her hilarious, clever writing on the celebrity shoe beat. She will definitely be missed and I only wish we had been further along in the evolution of ShoeIQ so that more people could have had the opportunity to enjoy her stuff. Amanda may be back occasionally as time permits, but for now, unfortunately, we must say goodbye. read more...

You’re average pace is 7:15.

Two miles to go.

You completed 30 minutes, 27 seconds.

When I think of electronics being integrated with shoes, I’m thinking gimmicks, not serious gear. No doubt the folks at Nike took that into consideration when they handed over the first run of Nike+ running shoes to their product testers. And that’s why when it’s a company like Nike, I have to think this just might be serious gear. read more...

Sometimes you’ve just gotta have a new pair of shoes. I can relate to that. But apparently when some people want new shoes, they just can't wait. Early this morning in Hampton, Virginia, 20-year old Bryant Weiford decided he couldn’t wait for his local K-Mart to open, so he drove his car through the front window. And where did he go once he was inside? Straight to the shoe department to try on some women’s shoes. This shoe addiction stuff is serious business folks. Read the full story read more...

That’s the new slogan for New Balance’s Zip shoe, which is being advertised on Times Square billboards and at the recent X Games where they were a major sponsor. The release of this shoe not only represents a bold step in shoe technology, but an interesting expansion from the athletic shoe market into the lifestyle shoe market. With cutting-edge styling and a wide range of color combinations, the New Balance Zip sneaker is fashionable as well as seriously athletic. read more...

Before I embarked on my trip to Sri Lanka earlier this year, I spent about two weeks shopping for all my gear. It was a big trip for me and I didn’t know what to expect, so I made a pretty extensive checklist and enjoyed every minute of gearing up for my adventure. Many of the items on my list were purchased at my local REI store – I’m like a kid in a candy store at that place. That’s where I got my Merrell Pulse II hiking boots. From the moment I put those boots on my feet, I knew they were the ones I would buy. But just so I’d feel like an educated consumer, I went ahead and tried on about five different pairs including brands such as Vasque, Keen, Asolo, and the REI brand, and none of them even came close to the initial fit and feel of the Merrell boots. read more...

My name is Jim and this is my first blog entry here at ShoeIQ.com. In the future I'll be covering men's shoes and, in particular, some special application shoes and boots for sports and leisure activities. Before I start my regular posts, however, I thought I'd share a little bit about myself and my favorite shoe.

I might seem at first to be an unlikely shoe blogger, but don't be fooled by appearances. Sure I'm a fat guy who lives in the suburbs, knows nothing of the fashion world, and can't coordinate my clothing to save my life, but I do love my shoes and I buy a lot of 'em. I view shoes as gear and I'm a total gear fanatic. You have to have the right gear for any application. If you're going hiking, you gotta have a good pair of hiking boots. If you're going to play golf, you need a good pair of golf cleats. But those are obvious. Most of my buddies would agree with those kinds of gear needs. I take this a little further than my buddies, however, because I see many more activities as requiring special footwear. Going to do some errands and grocery shopping? Maybe the New Balance cross trainers in case I need to sprint after a runaway grocery cart or do some shelf climbing at the wholesale club. Hanging out at a friends barbeque? Maybe the old-school black Vans I bought last week. Eating crabs outdoors in Baltimore, hon? Ah, the Abercrombie & Fitch Leather Treads would be perfect. The truth is, I think I have a lot of shoes for a guy. But only one pair rises to the top and stands alone as my all time favorite shoe: The Havana Joe Classic Oxford. read more...