MISS MEGHAN TALKS SHOE GIFTS IN THE LAS VEGAS REVIEW
Shoe-In Gifts from the Las Vegas Review Journal
  Shoe clips, like those featured above, add instant dazzle to plain shoes. Top, $44, and bottom, $35, both available at www.alizadarik.com  Buff 'n Shine ($13.99), available at www.buffnshine.com or your local Wal-Mart, keeps shoes looking new.  • Dr. Scholl's Ball of Foot, $6.99 each, make a great stocking stuffer for the shoe lover on your list.  "The Perfect Fit: What Your Shoes Say About You" by Meghan Cleary, $12.95, Barnes & Noble |
Some gifts are just easier to find than others. Just as some people are easier to buy for than others. Take for instance, the shoe lover. Sure, she loves shoes but will she love the shoes you buy her? Rather than take that chance, Meghan Cleary, author of "The Perfect Fit: What Your Shoes Say About You," offers some tips on how to please her shoe fetish without going shoe shopping. According to Cleary, the key is in buying around the shoe.
1. "Put stockings in their stockings," she said. Tights, whether textured or in a pretty jewel tone, are a great way to highlight her shoe collection. For him, go with cashmere socks that "match the pants, not the shoes."
2. Shoe clips. These cute accessories come in an assortment of styles (beads, pearls, rhinestones or bows) and will turn a pair of plain shoes from ordinary to extraordinary in a quick snap. Clearly recommends www.alizadarik.com and www.absolutelyaudrey.com to purchase them online. If you're more the crafty type, go shopping at your favorite vintage store where you'll find plenty of clip on earrings. Add a little hot glue and voila!
3. Shoe polisher. "If there's one thing that every shoe aficionado needs, it's to protect and maintain the investment by polishing his or her shoes," Cleary said. She recommends Buff 'n Shine ($13.99), available at www.buffnshine.com or your local Wal-Mart.
4. Shoe insoles. A shoe that looks fabulous and a shoe that feels fabulous don't have to be polar opposites. With a good insole, even a stiletto can fit a little more comfortably. The best ones Cleary has come cross are Dr. Scholl's Ball of Foot ($6.99 each). "It's thin, clear and you can use it in different pairs of shoes because they don't have damaging adhesive," she said.
5. Shoe tree. "Shoe trees are inserted into shoes to help maintain the original shoe shape, help prevent creases and cracking and absorb moisture from the lining of the shoes," Cleary said. They're perfect for the gal or guy on the go, too. Pop a shoe tree in your shoe and it will come out of the suitcase with the same shape it had going in.
6. When all else fails, the gift card always comes through. "A gift card to the nearest department or shoes store for post-holiday bargains means the recipient can build a better shoe repertoire and who doesn't love that?" Cleary said. Online shoe stores such as Zappos.com are great too. They let the shoe lover peruse several designers all at once.
