Daily Deal: Pimp your kicks! A great gift that will inspire creativity

I saw this and immediately thought of it as the perfect gift for girls in the 10-12 age range -- and perhaps also basketball shoe-enthusiasts who spend thousands at stores like The House of Hoops.

Ian Fieggen's Laces: Hundreds of Ways to Pimp Your Kicks promises to help you "Transform your dogs from same-old to super-fly with Laces, the ultimate shoe-makeover handbook. Whether you want to completely customize your kicks or just learn how to tie a knot that won't come undone, Laces shows you how to lace up with style and put Velcro lovers to shame."

It includes 50 lacing styles to learn, 16 "hot knots", and color-coded practice laces on the cover to help you learn the new joints (I know, I'm trying too hard to be cool).

In a recent guest column, my mother lamented that most toys in stores this holiday season will do little to help children develop important skills, especially creativity: "Kids are supposed to play, and toys are something they're supposed to play with and on, not something to watch, sit on or operate with buttons. Good toys engage a child's attention more than once, good toys are engaged with creatively and are often used for what once upon a time was called, "Make Believe."

This looks like a gift that would fit my mom's definition of a good toy - a way to help kids develop their own styles while working with their hands.

So pick these up for the shoe-lover on your list. At just $11.72 on Amazon.com, you can't go wrong.