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New Look Black Knotted Strappy Wedge Sandals
by kiss_me2070
~ THE WEDGES ~
I saw the wedges on the New Look website. As these were listed under new footwear I didn't think my local store would have these in stock yet and sure enough when I checked they didn't have them in. Ever since walking into my local New Look store a few weeks ago and seeing all the bright coloured wedges, I decided I ... really wanted to get a pair as they look great in the summer. I didn't want anything too brightly coloured as I wanted them to go with jeans, leggings, skirts and maybe even casual summer dresses. I decided to play it safe and get some wedges which had black strapping detail. The wedges are available in sizes 5-8 and have a chunky cork wedge heel. The straps to the shoes are knotted and black in colour with silver beading style detailing to the straps. You can also purchase the same wedges with snake skin strapping. I'm normally a size 5 in flats and 6 in heels so I purchased the size 6. These cost me £22.99 and I chose to have the item delivered to my local store. As the wedges were over £20 and I wanted them delivered to my local store, I didn't have to pay any postage cost which was great as this saved me some money. The wedges have a chunky cork heel and are approximately 5 inches high. On the wedges is a lovely silver trim which goes around the top of the wedge and this glams the wedges up a little.
I have worn the wedges a few times now with jeans and leggings and they look great. The wedges have a gladiator style/feel to them and they look great dresses up or dressed down. As the wedges are black they go with almost everything but the silver detailing on the wedges breaks the colour up a little so they aren't so plain looking. This is the first time I have worn wedges in a very long time (we're talking 5 years or so), and I had a fear of tripping over in these. I was surprised at how comfortable the shoes were. My feet slipped into the wedges fine and the buckle fastening was easy to do. The shoes were actually really comfortable when putting them on for the first time. The straps were a little stiff; how-ever I'm sure these would loosen a little the more I wore the shoes. I wore the shoes down to my local pub, this isn't a long walk, how-ever it did involve a little bit of walking. The wedges were really easy to walk in, a lot easier than I remember and the straps didn't hurt my feet and they didn't feel too tight either.
If wearing these wedges for a good few hours/half a day I think my feet would probably hurt a little, as I'm not used to wearing wedges and often wear stiletto type shoes instead. I give the wedges 5 out of 5 stars as they look brilliant for day and night and are made really well. I'm glad I purchased these from the website as soon as I saw them as I find if I wait for the items to come into store, they don't normally get them because the items sell out. I would highly recommend these wedges to others to buy (not men) as they just look great.
(review may also appear on ciao)
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Ted Baker Flip Flops
by steve4oo
Ted Baker has become a recent obsession of mine after popping into their store in Nottingham a few months ago. Their flip flops caught my eye and they became the first item of many in my shopping bag that day!
** The Brand **
Most of us will be familiar with Ted Baker as they have been around for quite some time ... actually, since 1987 when they began in Glasgow as a specialist shirt company. You may recognise the name due to their clothing, perfume or gift sets that are often all often Boots stores at Christmas time. They supply both womens and mens clothing in a contemporary style that is fairly high end compared to other high street brands, yet it is still largely affordable for the most part.
** The flip flops! **
Their design, for me, is absolutely spot on. They are very quirky looking with a large bow that contrasts against the colour. I purchased mine in black, with a white bow but they are also available mostly in white with a black bow, mostly in pink with an orange bow or mostly in orange with a darker orange/red bow. The bow almost looks like it has been formed and placed on top, as appose to an actual bow on a shoe lace for example. In the middle of the bow, is the logo abbreviated to TB which has been etched in but isn't entirely obvious and you have to look for it. The fabric content is PVC for both the sole and the upper part which sits between your toe. I am not usually a huge fan of such a design as I find they often irritate my toes, but the material is quite flexible and made me think otherwise on this occasion. On Ted Bakers website they are stocked in sizes 3 to 8 and you also have the option to check which sizes are available in your local store. They come in a large green box with the Ted Baker logo and design on the front, with sufficient packaging for the flip flops to avoid them getting damaged between buying them and getting them home!
** Pricing and Availability **
You will find these flip flops on the Ted Baker website (www.tedbaker.com) and similarly in their stores. As they have a lot of concessions in department stores like John Lewis, they will probably be available there too. They are quite pricey for a pair of flip flops at £35, however I managed to justify this as they have a lot more to them than a normal flip flop and are in fact more like a sandal. It may though be worth checking Amazon or eBay to see if you can pick them up any cheaper.
** Testing them out! **
So, I took these on holiday to Thailand with me where as you can imagine, it is very hot. I took them down to the beach and they remained equally as comfortable as what they were when I tried them on in the shop, even after a bit of walking. I was pleased with the choice of material, as because it has a slippery smooth texture, the flip flops don't hold a whole beach worth of sand in them which is possible to get rid of. In fact, quite the opposite as a little tap takes them back to normal. I did find after wearing them for some time that the bit between my big and second toe started to rub a little, but it wasn't to the point that I got a blister or had to take them off so it didn't bother me too much.
I decided to wear them on my flight home as it was going to be very long (15 hours to be precise, boo hoo!) and I wanted something I could just slip on and off easily to keep me comfortable. However that was possible the worst decision I made. They started out fine, but as soon as I was in an air conditioned area such as the airport or on the plane, the PVC seemed to react badly with my feet and create as odd moisture that I can only put down to the environment being cold, me being a little hot and the PVC material. Without being too descriptive, it wasn't sweat as after half the flight had passed my feet were absolutely freezing (I didn't think I would need socks!) and it was still happening. After I had got off the flight and got back into a normal environment it was still happening to the point it was actually difficult to walk without nearly falling over.
** Summary **
I was quite disappointed with these flip flops as it all started out so well! This isn't an issue I have ever had with flip flops in the past, although admittedly PVC would not be my first choice of material and I think that is largely where the blame lies although I could be wrong. It certainly wont prevent me from wearing them, but unfortunately I might just have to use them around the house or in the garden as during short time periods, I don't seem to have a problem with them. On reflection though, it seems to be a lot to pay for an item I can't confidently go out in. On that basis, I can only score them 2/5 Dooyoo stars which is a real shame as they don't live up to the standard of other products I have tried from Ted Baker. Perhaps it is just that their clothes are better than their accessories!
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