Sling these strips! (Scholl Party Feet Invisible Gel Slingback Strips)

Member Name: emmachilcott

Product:	Scholl Party Feet Invisible Gel Slingback Strips
Date:	13/07/09 (108 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good idea, if they could get it right

Disadvantages: Barely lasted five minutes

Like a lot of ladies out there, I'm a sucker for a bargain, and an even bigger sucker for a pair of pretty shoes, so when the two come along together, who am I to say no?! I spotted these slingback shoes in the Next sale for a bargain not to be missed at an amazing £7. Were they sparkly? Yes. Were they gorgeous? Yes. Was the heel far too high, but made my calves look fab? Yes. Did they fit? No. Did I buy them? Of course!


The front of the shoe fitted perfectly without any rubbing, and they felt like the right size underfoot, but the slingback bit kept falling down, which was extremely annoying because when you go out dancing, you need reliable footwear! I had seen Scholl Party feet Invisible Slingback Strips, but I had never had any reason to buy them until now, so I headed to Superdrug where I picked up a pack of four strips (two pairs) for £3.99. I thought that this was a bit expensive, considering that the shoes had only cost me £7, but I bought them anyway, believing that Scholl is a trusted brand - their Party Feet Gel Pads have rescued my feet on more than one occasion, and have always been reliable.


The strips come in a flat plastic pouch like packet, which has an attractive lilac design and a picture of a classy shoe on the front. It says that these strips will help to prevent shoe straps slipping and rubbing, and that they are ideal for strappy shoes; exactly what I needed. The rear of the pack again confirms their purpose and says that the discreet strips will stay firmly in place for lasting comfort and protection (Remember that for later!), also on the back you will find the instructions for use and contact information.


Inside the pack, the clear gel strips are stuck to a clear plastic film; you are simply supposed to peel these off, and stick them into your clean and dust free shoes. The strips are quite wobbly and fiddly, so it took me a while to get these into place, especially as they are quite sticky - almost magnetically so, and they wanted to stick to anything! Eventually I managed it and I headed out.


I think that I made it about 100 meters down the road before they started to come off! I could feel the strips moving as I walked and the "discreet" strips were now flapping about my heel in a not very discreet way! I was surprised, as the glue had earlier seemed so sticky, but luckily I hadn't got that far so I headed back home, found the spare pair and Superglued them into my shoes - I am not one to give up easily! I made it further this time, and they lasted around an hour before they started to edge their way out of my shoe, and I had to remove them completely before anybody noticed.


In principal, these strips are a great idea, but I do not think that the glue is strong enough. The natural movement of your foot whilst walking is bound to pull these out, and if Superglue wouldn't hold them, I doubt that anything could. All of the claims on the pack are completely untrue I have to wonder whether these were tested at all before they came to market. I have now learnt my lesson, and I'll only buy sensible shoes that fit me properly in the future! My "bargain" shoes can now be found in the bottom of my wardrobe gathering dust, in the vain hope that one day my feet will grow!

Summary: Give these a definite miss