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What it means to be “designer”.

The term “designer” is often used loosely in the fashion industry, and certainly so by a number of factories mass producing shoes that copy the fashion leaders.

We do it differently.  How you’d expect a true designer shoe to be created for you.  At Vein, each new design is sketched, first as a conceptual, and then worked and re-worked into final drawings with graphite on paper, by head Vein designer, Christopher McCallum. Then, a prototype shoe is meticulously crafted by hand.

The new design is then put into production, brought to life for our discerning clientele using the finest leathers, hand selected for their uniqueness and quality, from renowned international and Australian tanneries.

When you inspect our famous Vein shoes, you’ll quickly see they embody qualities others only aspire to.  Designs and quality inspired by the great clothing fashion houses, by timeless architecture and the personalities, stunning locations and exciting lifestyles we experience around the world.

As you can probably tell, we live, fantasize, dream and breathe male footwear.  This burning passion has made Vein the premier Australian male designer footwear label.  In 2005 Vein was the only male footwear label to be invited to exhibit in Mercedes Australian Fashion Week.  Trail blazing clothing labels like “NYOU”, “Leopold”, “Tom, Dick & Harry”, “Red Cordial” and Australian Fashion Design Awards Winner “Always Habit”, choose to complement their labels with Vein on the runway.  In 2006 at the L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival Vein was the catwalk shoe of choice for Kenzo, Morrisey and Leopold.

Vein stands for excellence.  You’ll feel it, look it, live it too … every time you slip on Vein shoes.

Vein shoes.  Love more.  Stress less.  Express your creativity.  And above all, envy no one.

Tradition tells us that wedding shoes should be white, feminine, and simply beautiful. But times are changing, and with that, the trends on bridal shoes. A bride’s wedding shoes are not limited to stilettos, mules, pumps, and kitten heels in ivory and satin. Today, the added flexibility of themed weddings allows brides to express themselves with the footwear of their choice.

The fairy tale theme is probably the most popular for brides who want to be different but remain on the safe side. Since most brides are treated like royalties on their wedding days, the fairy tale theme is highly appropriate. Fairy tale brides can play with their dress and shoes more than the classic, traditional bride. Common choices of fairy tale brides include ball gowns and princess dresses with matching tiaras. Wedding shoes are, by far, trickier. Stilettos are not appropriate since they look too modern for princesses, and ditto with sandals. A shoe suggestion for this theme would be dainty lace-up boots in a complementary color to the wedding dress. These will look fabulous with full skirts and sleeved dresses.

Outdoor garden weddings are also popular. Gardens with summer themes allow for dresses with airy fabrics and materials. To complement the “airiness” of the bridal dress, shoes should be airy and lightweight like sandals. As too pointy heels can sink in the ground, flat or platform sandals are best. Jeweled slippers with beads and embellishments are also good choices. This way, the bride does not have to worry about sinking or balancing in uneven grounds. Wedding shoes for outdoor wedding should be comfortable and relaxed to complement the relaxed and summery setting.

More adventurous brides prefer beach weddings. Beaches are usually chosen as venues if there are sentimental moments between the couple that happened in the beach like the first kiss or engagement. These are moments of surprise and the whole bridal ensemble should echo the excitement of those moments. Since the usual dresses for beach weddings show a lot of skin (think tube, haltered, short dresses), the wedding shoes should follow. Strapped heels are out because of the sand and this makes for an opportunity to use funky flip-flops and flat thong sandals. Embellished flip-flops and thong sandals with sparkly rhinestone details complement the beach vibe.

Crocs shoes are becoming more and more popular everywhere you go.  When I say “Crocs shoes”, I don’t mean shoes made of crocodile skin, but rather a new shoe trend that is sweeping the nation

Crocs shoes originally came from Canada.  Now, the Crocs company is based in Boulder, Colorado.  Crocs are made from a patented closed-cell resin, which makes them comfortable and pliable.  They are especially great for people who are on their feet all day, like food service personnel, medical personnel and others.

I’ve heard from doctors and nurses that after wearing Crocs all day, not only do their feet feel great, but any back problems they normally suffered with were gone.  This is not to say that Crocs will solve all your medical problems.  But you will definitely feel better

One of the benefits of this patented closed-cell resin is that the shoes are unable to absorb odor.  It’s amazing, but even after wearing the shoes all day, they will not stink.  Another benefit is that the shoes are so light they actually float when dropped in water.  Crocs are great for people on boats.  Not just for the floating, but because they also have a good grip on the deck

Some people have worn Crocs-like shoes for tasks such as gardening.  Crocs are also great for tasks like this.  They are super-easy to clean… just hose them off and let them dry.

Crocs come in a variety of models and colors.  The most common Crocs have ventilation holes throughout the top of the shoe, others only have ventilation around the sides leaving the top solid for protection from spilled liquids.  An older model was fully enclosed, but I think it may have been too hot for normal wear.

The huge variety of fashionable colors available make Crocs an excellent choice to go with any outfit.  Having multiple pairs of Crocs makes it easier to mix and match and make the right fashion choice.