Zwinky, home to 12 million avatars, announced a partnership with Shoebuy.com, one of the leading retailers of footwear and related accessories on the Internet, to open the Shoebuy.com Boutique in Zwinky.

The 11.6 million Zwinky users can now purchase brand name shoes from adidas, Skechers, Jessica Simpson, Tommy Hilfiger and Dr. Martens for their personal avatar as well as for themselves. And every pair of virtual shoes comes with something users won't find in real life: a dance power move.

Visitors to the Shoebuy.com Boutique in Zwinky can view each virtual shoe alongside its real-world counterpart, and can click through to the Shoebuy.com Web site to purchase the item.

Zwinky users who purchase a pair of virtual shoes also receive a "power dance move" for their avatar. The power moves, from a simple motion to a full-out acrobatic split, can be activated when the avatar is wearing the corresponding shoes.

During the grand opening of the Shoebuy.com Boutique, music from Jordin Sparks' new self-titled album will be played "in store" and can be purchased by a Zwinky user via a click through to iTunes.

"Zwinky owners want to wear brand name apparel on their virtual selves just as they do in their real lives. What they wear online says a lot about who they are," said John Park, Executive Vice-President and General Manager for IAC Consumer Applications and Portals, the parent company of Zwinky.

"Many of the leading brands arelooking to connect with a younger audience, and the vehicle to reach these consumers is the Internet," said James Keller, Vice President of Marketing for Shoebuy.com.

"Zwinky is a great way to showcase these brands, and if Zwinky users love the shoes for their avatar, they can purchase the real shoes by clicking from the Shoebuy Zwinky Boutique to Shoebuy.com."