Love+Monsters' handmade keiki booties

Bootie Call

Your little man has countless needs. The latest: slipping his precious piggly wigglies into some seriously adorable handmade booties.

Time to scoot over to Baby Awearness for the debut of Love+Monsters, a line of soft, colorful keiki shoes by Kalihi designer Richie Calizar, inspired by her own 20-month-old "monster."

The University of Hawaii graduate crafts each pair by hand, stitching together vintage fabrics in playful print and color combos – think red-and-blue giraffe print with brown suede, or pink-and-blue floral and mint green – with her own vibrant, yarn-based textiles woven on a floor loom in tribal-inspired stripes and zigzags.

The result? Eye-catching lace-up and buttoned shoes that are, in the words of three wise and stylish women, totally bootie-licious. Each pair comes in a drawstring bag labeled with a heart for girls' styles or a smiling monster for boys' and unisex styles.

Ask nicely and Calizar can even make you a matching personalized, hand-embroidered monster doll that fits snugly in the palm of your hand, or in the loving arms of your little one.

Just for kicks.

$32 vintage fabric booties, $47 handwoven yarn booties, sizes 0-4 months and 4-8 months, available at Baby Awearness, Manoa Marketplace, (808) 988-0010. For more information or custom orders, email richiecalizar@yahoo.com.