Our feet are so vitally important to us yet we put them under extreme stress and strain every single day.
Regardless of what gender you identify as, if you have ever squeezed your feet into poorly fitting shoes, wore skyscraper heels for more than five minutes or subjected your feet to shoes that rub and cause blisters, then you are probably amongst millions of people all over the World.
So, what exactly is my point?
Well, like many others I have tortured my feet since a teenager.
Growing up in the 80’s and early 90’s, it was all white stilettos and ra-ra skirts. I vividly remember school discos and invariably walking back home with my shoes in my hands and a couple of blisters.
Younger and Thinner!
Large Family parties such as Weddings and Special Birthdays meant you put on your finery and invariably as soon as the disco started, the shoes got kicked off so you could boogie.
High Heeled Harlot
I was never happier than when on holiday every Summer in Spain and I went barefoot as much as I could.
Fast Forward over the last thirty years and I have worn shoes that literally have made my feet bleed. Shoes that were so uncomfortable that I have limped and staggered along, all for the sake of vanity and because they looked good with my outfits.
Blonde and Big Heels
One of the worst pairs I have ever experienced are by a well known company and I bought them for an ‘Under the Sea’ vintage ball.
They are completely covered with glitter, which makes them solid and inflexible. It is like wearing concrete blocks on your feet.
Has that stopped me from wearing them?
Absolutely not!
Ravishing Red Rose
The heavier you get, the more pressure is put on the balls of your feet. The skinnier and higher the heel, the more pressure. When you wear a chunky shorter heel, the more comfortable it should be.
However, I have worn high shoes just because they looked good, even knowing it would hurt like hell.
Golden Goddess
Now one of my biggest problems I have is the fact that I am about a 4.25 in shoes, which clearly doesn’t exist.
Size 4’s are too snug and size 5’s are slopping off my feet.
Ideally 4.5’s are the shoes I need, however these are few and far between and quite often cost an arm and a leg!
Black Beauties
Add into the mix, the fact that I also have flat feet, it really doesn’t help the situation.
So exactly where am I going with this?
Glittering Goodies
Finding the shoes of dreams, of course!
What is even better though? Finding the shoes of dreams and realising they are in a massive sale!
Red Hot Heels
So, what did I buy in the Hotter Sale? Two marvellous pairs of shoes in a vintage style, the Amethyst and the Darcy.
The shoes are completely different styles to each other, however both beautiful in their own right.
Firstly, The Amethyst.
Vintage Styling
This shoe is a full fronted suede shoe with a knotted design. The heel is a modest 2 ¼ inches high in a curved block style and the rear of the shoe has a gorgeous little pierced ‘brogue-like’ section.
Brogue Embellishments
Although this shoe comes in a Forest Green, Navy, Coral and Jet Black, I decided to go with one of my favourite colours, Red.
A Perfect Fit
In this case, Tango Red which is a darker scarlet rather than a pillar box red.
Lower Heel Luxury
Having so many outfits that would suit both the colour and style, it was obvious that they should be my first choice. Given that they were also massively reduced, from £89 to £39, it was very difficult not to put more than one colour in my basket.
Red and Blue
However, I had also spotted another bargain on the site in the guise of The Darcy.
This shoe is very similar to a Hotter shoe that I had a couple of years ago.
Darling Darcy
A t-bar shoe with a little buckle and again a modest heel. These shoes are also suede, but have a leather or fake lizard t-bar and embellishment.
Perfect Heel Size
Originally available in Wine/Lizard, Navy/Lizard, Jet Black/Lizard and Navy/Multi, they are the perfect match to any vintage outfit. Again, I was torn between colour choice, but went with practicality and opted for Jet Black/Lizard.
Beautiful Embellishments
The shoe has a slightly smaller heel than the Amethyst, at just 1 ¾ these are absolutely perfect for events as they give a great look, whilst being comfortable enough to wander around any vintage day out.
Happy in Hotter
Again these were massively reduced from £89 to £35 and I knew they would serve me very well in up-coming days out, so they went into the basket too.
Absolutely Perfect
Within a couple of days, the parcel arrived on the doorstep and I was really excited.
Love the Lizard
Would the 4.5 I had ordered be a much better fit in Hotter?
Comfortable and Cushioned
Well, I am glad to say they are. In fact they fit like a dream indeed.
Easy to wear
The Amethyst literally came straight out of the box and onto my feet for a whole day at work. And let me tell you, it was a BUSY day!
Amazing Amethyst
However, they were supremely comfortable and didn’t leave so much as a small rub or a blister at all. They were so very comfortable that I almost didn’t know I was wearing them.
Knot Front Style
Since then I have done the shopping in them and they are perfect.
With the Darcy I have yet to wear them on a full day, but I have certainly used them for photographs in the garden with new clothing and they are so timeless that they match 95% of the outfits that I already own.
Practical AND Pretty
Why not pop along to the Hotter website now? There are a whole heap of shoes, boots and sandals still available with up to 50% off and I am sure you can find something to tickle your fancy.
I just need to wait until payday before I look again…
Till next time,
SPSG xxx