If the shoe fits, buy some artwork along with it.
The Blue Shoe boutique sells shoes, jewelry, accessories and artwork from local and regional artists.
The art includes paintings, pottery and hand-blown glass.
"The cool thing is I feel like we're bridging two different worlds," said owner Beth Witten, "because fashion is art, and art can be fashionable."
The Blue Shoe is located on East University Drive across from the movie theater.
The boutique opened in October, said employee Jennifer Bartley.
Bartley said the shoes are her favorite products in the store.
"A lot of people have a problem with spending a lot of money on shoes," Bartley said, "but if you think about it, you're on your feet all the time. It's an investment to invest in your shoes."
The Blue Shoe also has bags, wallets and shoes for men, although Bartley said male customers usually come in with their girlfriends or wives.
The store's jewelry has the widest price range, Witten said.
"Especially on the jewelry side, we have price points for all budgets," Witten said. "It goes from $15 up to $500."
Auburn resident Wilma Armenakis said she has shopped at the boutique many times.
"I think it's great," Armenakis said. "I think it's wonderful to have this kind of quality here in Auburn."
Witten said her mother owned a custom frames and art business, which was her inspiration for selling art in the boutique.
"That's why I wanted to incorporate local art," Witten said, "because I believe you need to support your community, and our local artists are kind of a foundation of that."
Witten said she loved selling shoes in high school and college and has wanted to open a shoe store for about 10 years.
"There's a shoe boutique in Macon called Karla's Shoe Boutique, and she's the daughter of Otis Redding and a good family friend," Witten said. "She was kind of my muse for wanting to open a shoe store."
When choosing the name of the boutique, Witten said she wanted something short and easy to remember.
"The blue comes in because of the color for art," Witten said. "It's blue because it lends itself to Auburn without being offensive to anybody else. It's at the top of the alphabet. 'Shoes' obviously incorporates the shoe aspect. It's also my husband and I's initials--Beth and Steve."
For spring, Bartley said the store will have flats to give women arch support.
"A lot of cork is going to be big," Bartley said. "The spring colors--the taupe, the beiges, the neutrals--all that is still going to be in again."
Witten said this spring will be all about color, citing poppy, coral and carnelian yellow as examples.
"They're taking spring back to that vintage, feminine look, as opposed to that hard, chunky look that we've seen for so long," Witten said. "They're making it more flirty--a lot more feminine."
The Blue Shoe has held private shoe parties and will have a poetry night Feb. 18.
"I just love good things," Witten said. "Not a lot of people take the time to enjoy really nice things anymore. We get so busy and ahead of ourselves, and I wanted to slow it down and have an inviting place for people to come and not be rushed."
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