Grommets are generally bigger than eyelets and usually the ones on shoes are called eyelets. Here's a link to get them in bulk:
http://metalgrommets.com/faq.html
Or just go to your local fabric store. They usually have them with the notions or upholstery stuff. They are pretty easy to use once you get the hang of it and they certainly add a degree of quality to your project. Expect to ruin several of them before you get over the learning curve so buy more than you need. They're cheap so don't worry about that.