A shoe that fits
32 postsSpring has arrived in Stockholm - hooray! Well it sort of has. It's actually forecast to snow this weekend which means all the winter coats I stored away at the first sight of sunshine, need to be dragged down from the attic once again. Bummer right? These transitional months between winter and spring are always challenging from a style point of view. You're likely to boil if you wear head-to-toe... ...READ MORE
This season my toes will be dancing in shoes the colour of tinsel. Yep, breaking up my uniform of black in the spring, and head-to-toe white in the summer, are pairs of beautiful silver slippers. Some with slight heels to add a note of femininity to my boyish look. Some chunky and flat to convey that cool-girl aesthetic that streetwear has made so popular. You can follow (or join) the... ...READ MORE
Rod Stewart's third album, was called "Every Picture Tells a Story". Well this weekend, in the world of Girl in Menswear, every pair of shoes told a story - #myshoestory to be exact. Collaborating with John Lewis I packed up a beautiful pair of white, leather sneakers and took them to Paris to wander some of the city's most breathtaking streets. My plimsolls, with coordinating white ribbons, took to the Louvre,... ...READ MORE
Spring appears to have arrived in Stockholm – this is big news when you live in a city that is cursed with six months of darkness and minus figures. Yes, the snow has melted to give way for longer days, filled with glorious sunshine. And although the temperatures have only just about creeped up to double digits, blue skies have prompted me to pull out the sandals. Crazy?... ...READ MORE
Portugal has a long heritage of manufacturing textiles and leather goods, a tradition that's seen a resurgence over the last decade. Meanwhile made in China and Bangladesh, has had some reputation management issues. For the most part "Made in Asia" is associated with poor working conditions, prompting luxury and high street retailers to bring production back to Europe. That's where Portugal comes in. Production is all very well and good,... ...READ MORE
Hold on to your laces ladies – or rather, don’t – because Grenson’s latest season offering is leather-lust at its finest. For the uninitiated amongst you, Grenson is a purveyor of luxury footwear (and since 2010, bags) and is the answer to all your brogue-related prayers. The brand has existed since 1866, but underwent a major revitalisation in 2005 with the arrival of Tim Little, who breathed new life... ...READ MORE
My shoe is covered in shit is a phrase that need no longer fill you with disgust. Because Betabrand has gone and purposely covered a shoe in pooh - but happy pooh, so it's ok. I'm not one for toilet humour if honest, but everyone's favourite emoji - second only to the warthog and tempura shrimp - is the perky pooh. And now boys - and girls with big feet... ...READ MORE
Is it a tad presumptuous to rock up at a freelance writing job wearing a sweater that says "Editor in Chief"? Er, probably. It's not the subtlest of messages to your actual Editor in Chief is it? I suppose as a general rule of thumb, going into work with your bosses job title written across your chest is a bit of a faux pas. I would like you all to... ...READ MORE
I am a marketers dream. No seriously. I can look at a shoe, and hey it's just a shoe. But then I hear a story of craftsmanship, of sustainability, a rich heritage of design fuelled by passion, and before I know it I've spunked my salary on a new pair of flats! Roll up, roll up, sales folk I'm your ticket to easy commission! That's kind of how I got... ...READ MORE
Have you noticed that there's a trend in favour of the tactile at the moment? I feel like everything I pick up warrants a stroke. In fact the other day I went for a first meeting and found myself idly fondling the girl next to me's sleeve - not appropriate, when you've known someone for all of ten minutes! Touchy-feely fabrics come in varying guises; the chic shearling jacket that's... ...READ MORE
Chloé conjures up ideas of romanticism and of paired back femininity. The label responsible for propelling Lagerfeld into the spotlight has given us whisper weighted fabrics a plenty, but it's the shoes (oh the shoes!) that lend a utilitarian feel to the label's easy breezy, flowing aesthetic. Chloé makes me feel nostalgic for eras I was never a part of - the seventies for example, which serve as inspiration for... ...READ MORE
Europeans amongst you, let's be honest. This summer the weather has been distinctly average to say the least. All those trendy pool slides I invested in have been renegaded to the back of my shoe closet where they are gathering cobwebs until I migrate further south. In these transeasonal times it's virtually impossible to appropriately style your feet. It's too cold for sandals, but too depressing to be donning your... ...READ MORE
I have a total aversion to cowboy boots. I know that Chanel has gone and made Dallas fashionable, and I'm all up for fringes and Navajo, but I draw the line at the Texan boot, sorry I just do. The desert boot however is a whole other ball game. Western stitching injects a touch of the John Wayne without going overboard, and the ankle skimming length makes them perfect for... ...READ MORE
Oh my days! Let's take minute to window shop shall we? To whimsically eye up these espadrilles and visualise how they would look slipped onto our feet. To envisage all the ankle baring pants we could pair with them, and the glamorous outings we would embark on. Ah, just imagine it. Now, let's calculate how long it would take to save up for said shoes. I figure if I lived... ...READ MORE
[caption id="attachment_4748" align="aligncenter" width="651"] Richard Braqo creates his first ever flat shoes for & Other Stories.[/caption] Today Swedish high street store, & Other Stories, unveiled a new collaboration with London-based footwear designer Richard Braqo. The shoemaker, know for his fierce stilettos has crafted an exclusive nine piece collection for the brand, that includes his first ever flat styles. Colours are neutral, refined to a palette of black, silver, white and nude,... ...READ MORE
I am seriously crushing on all things Liberty London at the moment. They've got an impressive back catalogue of collaborations, but their recent partnership with ACNE Studios and now Nike has put them firmly in my most coveted camp. For the collaboration, Nike's most popular sneaker styles have been reinvigorated with Liberty's iconic floral prints and canvas panelling - I have a bit of a revulsion for trainers with platforms, but the... ...READ MORE
I popped in to visit the WHYRED showroom on Friday and when my friend Sofia came to greet me at the door, the first thing I clocked were her feet. Everything about her shoes were right. A combination of my favourite leather brogue with this season's sneaker shape, elevated on a barely there flatform, and in a spring relevant white - oh and let's not forget the subtle tan leather... ...READ MORE
[slideshow_deploy id='4163'] Giuseppe Zanotti calf skin slip ons, for £540 available here: ASH Jungle Bis Medusa Canvas slip ons, for£85 available here: GIVENCHY skate shoes in floral print with black leather for £415 available here: H&M panel faux leather slip ones for £19.99 available here: Vans unisex metallic flat slip-ons for £36 available here: NINE WEST metallic Brodie trainers for £95 available here: ASOS Dialog metallic plimsolls for £25 available here: HOGAN rebel Aphrodite Japanese patent trainers for... ...READ MORE
Next week it's my birthday (hooray!), but marginally more important, it's also the 27 year anniversary of the NIKE Air Max 1 sneaker. With the sportswear movement in full swing, the sneaker brand has never been more fashionable, but of course the Air Max is more than just a trainer-trend, it's also an incredibly innovative running shoe. The concept of "air" was imagined by aerospace engineer Frank Rudy, who during a... ...READ MORE
I have been a bit slack on introducing you to Scandinavian labels of late (my bad), but today's post should more than make up for my absence - meet Minimarket. Minimarket was founded back in 2006 by three Swedish sisters, Sofie, Jennifer, and Pernilla Elvestedt, and since launching has won the Elle Sweden award for "Best New Designer" and more latterly "Best Designer". Floral bomber jackets, slouchy dresses and sleek trenches... ...READ MORE
Today, I'm off to Italy for the weekend to spend a few days exploring Milan, Verona and Venice. Despite having lived in Rome for several years, I've actually never ventured further north than Florence (that's bad I know), so I am super excited to call into some of Italy's most famous cities. I will be taking my gorgeous Britton tote by Kurt Geiger with me, which you will have seen me... ...READ MORE
I fear that I may be a tad premature, but I sense that Spring is on its way, which means I can finally abandon the shackles of my winter woolies in favour of lighter fabrics and colours - hooray! What better way to start your spring dressing than from your feet up, so here you have my top picks of the best pastel coloured footwear in this season's feminine tones. ... ...READ MORE
Pinch me I'm dreaming, these shoes are literally the most gorgeous flats I've seen in a while. It's Milan Fashion Week so it seems only apt that I include a pair of shoes from an Italian brand (even if the Creative Director is of British origin). Pollini is a traditional Italian footwear label that's been around since the 50's. Once under the helm of Jonathan Saunders, SS11 saw Nicholas Kirkwood... ...READ MORE
...just get me these shoes. please. Happy Valentines Day readers. Today I give you these white leather "Charlotte 8" shoes from Swear London, with the distinctive doodles of artist Keith Haring. Forget dinner, dancing, chocolates and roses (although diamonds I might accept). Nothing says I love you like a round toe, fringe detailed flat hey? These Charlotte 8 lace ups cost £140 and you can buy them here. ...READ MORE
I'm coming back to London for Fashion Week - hooray! This means a few things for an otherwise Stockholm based somebody 1) I will be able to drink a glass of wine (hell a bottle of wine) for less than a tenner 2) I can trade in my "fil" yoghurt and granola for a proper eggs Benedict for brekki (yum yum) and 3) I get to go SHOPPING! Yes, Scandinavia... ...READ MORE
It wasn't that long ago that I wrote an article about the hottest SS14 footwear trend - the pool slide. If you are thinking of splashing the cash on a pair, then these ones by Chloe are the most beautiful on the market. The Chloe neoprene black and gold slides are available at www.net-a-porter.com and cost £560 ...READ MORE
Think Gucci footwear and you think sleek stilettos or twee loafers, not I'm guessing, pick 'n' mix coloured satin high tops. Gucci has been making statement sneakers for men for sometime, but I'd never really seen a woman's alternative until these panelled bad boys came along. Gucci is the biggest selling Italian brand, although its actually owned by French umbrella company Kering. Set up in 1921 in Florence, the signature... ...READ MORE
ACNE is the Scandinavian brand on everyones lips, and a brand I simply cannot get enough of. The fashion house was started in the late 90's when co-founder Jonny Johansson created one hundred pairs of raw denim jeans with a distinctive red stitching which he distributed amongst his hip friends and family. With a base in Stockholm the brand has gone from strength to strength, exporting ultra-cool Scandinavian minimalism to... ...READ MORE
I have a real thing for gold brogues at the moment, but an even bigger thing for bronze ones. These CoCo brogues by French accessories designer Amélie Pichard feature the labels signature chunky rubber brogue sole, in a nod to her time training with an orthopaedic boot maker. The Parisian designer produces offbeat, retro inspired accessories which she describes as "dreamy but realistic, masculine but terribly sophisticated". Regularly featured... ...READ MORE
Japanese label TOGA was launched in 1997 by designer Yasuko Furuta. With vintage and retro-inspired clothing at the heart of the brand, Furuta's motto is "to reincarnate, rather than remake". The Tokyo born designer studied in Paris, and TOGA has been showing at Paris Fashion Week since 2006 to critical acclaim. The TOGA boot has become synonymous with the brands younger, arguably more hip (and affordable) line - Pulla. Constructed... ...READ MORE
Christian Louboutin is known for creating ultra-feminine stilettos with a distinctive red lacquer sole. The French luxury footwear designer once told the New Yorker "I HATE the whole concept of comfort!" and yet razor-sharp heels aside, the designer offers an incredible collection of flat shoes as well. This updated Oxford brogue is the perfect rock 'n' roll take on the preppy flat, making just as much of a statement as any... ...READ MORE
The STELLA by Grenson, is a boot with some serious attitude. Featuring the British brands distinctive rubber sole, they are an updated winter version of Grenson's iconic brogue. Each pair of shoes take on average three weeks to make, and their soles can be re-soled multiples times making them good for the environment, your feet, and your bank balance too. Despite a heritage that dates back to 1866, Grenson have... ...READ MORE