thePULSEBy Katelyn Putelis
Now stop it, the name isn’t what you’re thinking. “Herps” is actually short for Herpetology, the study of amphibians and reptiles. “Heels for Herps” is a calendar with photos of women in sexy heels and boots accompanied by their favorite cold-blooded buddies.
Cindy Steinle, who was a moderator on the popular reptile website kingsnake.com, came up with the concept three years ago and now runs Kingsnake.com as Site Coordinator. “A number of guys kept ‘liking’ our posts on Facebook when we shared our new shoe shots. Not one to leave out anyone, I joked that I should make a fundraiser for my rescue of women, their new shoes and their reptiles. The response to this smart-assed half joke comment was amazing ~ both [from] women who wanted a reason to go shoe shopping and men who find feet attractive. I am personally a self-described shoe [fanatic] and when I travel, I actually pack a suitcase of shoes,” says Cindy.
Cindy’s passion for reptiles comes across crystal clear in her calendar concept: absolutely all proceeds from the sales go towards helping them out. “The main goal is to raise some money for reptile rescue. People who are compassionate about the furry animals are often shocked to hear about reptiles in need. It is a lot easier to raise funds for the furries than it is for reptiles,” Cindy explains.
Ladies in the reptile community from across the county send in photos (which they or other photographers have taken) of their legs and reptiles to be used in the calendar. This year, Katey Khaos, from Worcester, will be the October model. “I jumped at the idea to be in the calendar,” Khaos explains,. “It’s an awesome cause, not enough people know that reptiles need just as much help as cats and dogs do. Plus, it’s an awesome excuse to buy a new pair of shoes!,” she laughs.
Although we can’t reveal the actual photo that’s going to be used in the 2012 Heels for Herps calendar, Katey was kind enough to give us some teasers to give us a better idea what the calendar is all about!
Heels for Herps calendars will be available through cafepress.com this fall!
Pictured:
Top Right: a Borneo short tail python named Bones.
Bottom Left: An Amazon tree boa named Nosferatu.
Photos by Rob Christian
It’s impossible on Kingsnake.com to determine where to go to submit photos if you’d like to participate in a future calendar. Can someone help with this? Thanks.
Hi there! The calendar is something that Cindy does outside of Kingsnake, and the two are not affiliated. Cindy asks friends to be a part of the calendar, and many of the girls in the calendars have been models for the past three years. Currently, Cindy isn’t looking for any new models.