MY DESIGNER SHOE COLLECTION 2017

Like a true UK resident, I have to mention the weather. Bloody hell, it’s been HOT!! I can barely cope. I went to Camber Sands Beach on Saturday and got such a bad sunburn. Sleeping for the past two nights has been a nightmare! Haha. Are any of you in the same situation? .. Ok, right, weather chat done. Today I wanted to share with you my designer shoe collection. It’s not a massive one, but it’s one I’m very happy with. Some of these shoes I got on sale, some were gifts and only a few I bought full price. 

Let’s kick things off with my first ever designer shoe purchase, the Gianvito Rossi Calabria Courts. I initially bought the white and nude pair in a size 35, but believe it or not, it was a little too big. The problem I have with my feet is that they’re small and thin, not a great combination. But I was determined to make these shoes work, so I wore them out with insoles. Spoiler, the insoles didn’t help, and after walking just a couple of steps on concrete floor the shoes started to come off my foot. Obviously they didn't fit, so I sold them on Vestiaire Collective. I lost SO much money on them and only wore them for a couple of minutes. Not a great start in the designer shoe world.

This is where the black pair come in. I really wanted the white and nude pair, so I bought the black pair in half a size down just to see how they would fit. They fit like a glove and I just couldn’t send them back. I ended up keeping the black pair and I also ended up making a bespoke order for the nude and white ones. The heel on them is very high, but I have to say that they are super comfortable considering they’re a pump with no straps. I recently attended a wedding wearing these and I managed to wear them for a full 10 hours, and that’s with 3h of dancing included. There’s also no denying that these shoes are super sexy, especially the black pair! But the nude and white combo turns heads every time I wear them. The black pair is soft leather and the nude and white is patent leather. I was quite scared that the black pair would get easily scuffed, but I’ve worn them out so many times and the leather is still intact. 

You know how I just said the Gianvito Rossi shoes were comfortable? The Valentino Rockstud Pumps are even more! I believe it’s down to the fact that it has a a strap and support around the foot. I got these in a 35 and they are true to size. However, I did also try them in a 35.5 and they were also ok. I think because it has the strap, you can get away with going half a size up. These are just a killer pair of heels, they literally change an entire outfit. I sometimes wear a pair of jeans, a basic t-shirt, whack on these heels and bam! I immediately look put together. As far as the leather goes, I had seen a few reviews of people complaining about the leather getting scuffed, I haven’t had that yet, maybe because mine are patent. However I am having to send them off for repair as the bottom part of the heel has come off on one of the shoes. Let’s pray it gets fixed!

My beloved Chanel Slingbacks. I can’t tell you how much I adore these. Just looking at them makes me happy. They have such a classic vibe to them and they look incredible with almost any outfit. At first I was gutted that they didn’t have them in soft leather when I bought them, but after seeing so many of the leather slingbacks look marked and worn in, I am so thankful I went for the suede. Before wearing them out I sprayed them with a suede protector and up until today, they still look as good as new. These are a size 35 and they are true to size. I guess with slingbacks it always depends on your personal preference, you can go up a size so your heel doesn’t ‘hang’ out the edge of the shoe, or you can go true to size. In my case, my foot doesn’t hang out at all, but like I said, my feet are quite slim, so they always slide to the front of the shoe anyway. Also like I mentioned in my Chanel Slingback post, the strap at the back can seem like it’s sliding off the foot, but it isn’t. It just sits lower than most slingback shoes.

The Chloe Foster Sandals were... a mistake! Haha. They’re just not very me. A couple of months ago I saw these on sale reduced from £600 to £350 and I just had to buy them. I thought that with summer around the corner I would get a lot of use out of them, but the truth is that I almost forget I own them. I got swept up into the whole sale malarky and impulse purchased. They are a size 35 and I’d say they’re true to size but if I were to buy them again, I’d buy them in a 35.5 or a 36, mainly because the front of the sandal is quite rigid, and they hurt my toes a bit after wearing them for a while. I’ve only worn these twice, so I can’t say if they soften up after a while. 

Let’s move on to my Gucci Espadrilles. For espadrilles, I guess they’re not as comfy as they could be. It has the rope-like material on the inner sole which rubs my feet a little after wearing them for a long period of time. They also stink! Haha, I know this is TMI, but they really do! Every time I wear them I have to leave them airing out for quite some time. The top bit is made of canvas which is perfect because you can wipe them clean whenever they get a little dirty. I also really like the design, I find it gives the shoe a cooler vibe than just a plain pair. I got these in a 35 and they fit perfectly fine.

I think that I’m quite the expert in picking out comfy shoes. Not one of these high end shoes are uncomfortable to walk in, but these Tory Burch sandals are just something else when it comes to comfort! They are the perfect sandal to wear when your foot has got blisters. The strap goes around your ankle which means that the back of your heel is free and isn’t touching anything. Life SAVERS!! The leather on these sandals is also incredibly soft and it has a rubber sole so you won’t be sliding around the streets. I would honestly buy these again in a heartbeat.

These next two shoes I’ll talk about at the same time because they’re both similar in the fact that they’re comfy, add something special to any outfit and I’ve also dedicated a blog post to each, so you can read more about the Nicholas Kirkwood Beya Flats here, and the Aquazzura Christy Flats here. The Beya flats are just such a different style of shoe for me. Up until recently I was never one for flat shoes, and I definitely wasn’t one for metallics. However, these are so comfy, they completely transform a plain outfit into something more interesting and because of them being a metallic silver, they really add something special to my collection. The Christy Flats are equally comfy, they’re not as practical due to them having the laces, but the laces add something very sexy to the ankle.

So there it is, my shoe collection. Like I mentioned in my previous post, I did order another pair of shoes and I'll be writing about them in a post very soon, so keep your eyes peeled. Hope you all have a fab ween and stay safe in the sun! Don't get sunburnt like Sandra over here.

Lots of love, SFS.