By Allyssa Campbell-Sawyer

BucketFeet
1647 N. Damen in Bucktown
www.BucketFeet.com

BucketFeet sells designer shoes in the most literal sense of the word. Each shoe is designed by a different artist; artists can submit their design ideas online or in-store, and their ideas are then transformed by BucketFeet into real, wearable shoes.

You can pick out a shoe designed by someone right here in Chicago, or perhaps a talented artist from the West Coast or even Peru — the common denominator is, every shoe in store is designed by an artist’s hand.

“Our mission is to connect people through art,” says studio manager Catie Clark.

BucketFeet, with an additional location downtown, offers different styles seasonally, and if you don’t see the shoe of your liking in the store, you can also browse online — where the shipping is free. If you’re an artist interested in submitting a design, you’ll receive royalties from the sale of your shoe, as well as a sweet shout-out in the form of your picture on the tag of the shoe.

Overall, Clark believes the store makes art accessible to the masses, and for those looking to come in for a visit, she advises: “Be prepared to release your inner artist.”