• by Tameka Kee , February 19, 2008

Powderhouse Productions has launched Shoetube.tv, an online video channel and social network devoted to women and their love of shoes. The Somerville, Mass.-based media outlet is targeting fashionistas--and advertisers like Nine West who want to reach them--with original editorial and video content, as well as community features like discussion boards.

Shoetube.tv offers six video programs, starting with "The Daily Shoe" --an intro by network host Austyn Mayfield. Mayfield shows off a new pair of shoes each day, directs viewers to new content around the site, and reports on current events with a "shoe-centric" angle. Other shows include "Behind the Boot," which offers a look at shoe designers and celebrity shoe fetishists; "Walk on By," with woman-on-the-street style interviews of passersby and their shoe choices; as well as "Sole Deep," which aims to make shoe adoration seem a bit less frivolous via tours of shoe museums and interviews with pundits like Camille Paglia.

The network also features a roster of bloggers from more than 50 cities around the globe, including Los Angeles, Miami, New York and Sydney, Australia--but there's also a focus on shoe couture in less-traveled locales like Ely, Nev. and Cleveland.

Nine West has signed on as one of Shoetube.tv's first sponsorship partners. The retailer will use the network to help promote its 30th anniversary and the launch of the fall 2008 boot line. Sponsorship models include video ad overlays, branded microsites and rich media, as well as the option to create integrated activities like branded contests, quizzes and polls.

"Advertisers who want to go beyond banners and truly engage young women can utilize our UGC technologies by building a Boutique microsite," said Marcy McCreary, director of marketing and business development for Shoetube.tv. "This could include an advertiser's video assets, photo slide shows, blogs, contests, polls, and links back to specific pages on their own Web sites."