I'm a massive fan of shoes and my shoe collection (particularly high heels) is massive. When it comes to heels I do like shoes with a "very" high heel but I tend to wear these types of shoe for nights out. I'm willing to pay £100+ for a pair of shoes for special occasions for shoes that will last many wears but for more fashionable shoes that are made from a material that can be easily scuffed or ruined by drinks being spilt on them on a night out I tend to look at stores like New Look for high heels as their shoes are lower priced. When browsing my local New Look store I came across the super high New Look Patent Platform Heels which were exactly what I had been looking for.


***New Look Patent Platform Heels***
New Look Patent Platform Heels are an almond toe shaped (rounded point) patent court shoe with a chunky visible patent platform and a super high thin patent heel which is 14cm (5.4 inches in height). The shoes have quite a striking look about them because they are super high and patent therefore shiny but the design and shape of the shoes are very simple so match well with dresses and also jeans and leggings.

The shoes are available in UK size 3-8.

The New Look Patent Platform Heels are available from New Look stores and online at www.newlook.co.uk. The shoes are available in three colours in the court shoe which include black, beige and chestnut brown. The shoes are also available in a peep toe style however I own the black court shoe style of these shoes so my review will be based upon the BLACK COURT SHOE PATENT PLATFORM HEELS.

The court shoe Patent Platform Heels cost £24.99. New Look does offer a peep toe version of these shoes which are available in more colours. Prices vary for the peep toe style and I notice New Look stores are selling these off in their end of summer sale for between £12.99 and £19.99 depending on the colour. I was looking at almost identical patent court shoes in Office and Dune which cost around £80-£90 per pair. The overall quality and finish inside the shoes from these brands are far superior to these cheaper New Look shoes but from first glance the shoes look the same hence why I decided to pay £25 for a pair of patent shoes from New Look rather than paying £80+ from Dune or Office.


***Wearing them***
I had briefly tried the shoes on in my local New Look store before I had decided to purchase them and at this point my decision was probably based upon how they looked rather than how comfortable they were. Most of the high street shoe stores had a large collection of very high heeled patent shoes which were almost identical to these shoes from New Look and because I knew from experience how easily patent shoes scuff I wasn't prepared to pay up to £90 only to ruin them within a few wear which is why I opted for the cheaper New Look option.
On closer inspection when I got the shoes home I was extremely satisfied with how they looked. The patent exterior was extremely shiny but not overly plastic looking and too stiff looking. The platform and heels were very high but they felt and looked sturdy.

The material the shoes are made from is not too stiff but where the shoe meets the foot does feel a little stiff initially therefore I decided to wear the shoes around the house to break them in and to get used to walking in these shoes as they are VERY high. Although the platform gives greater stability this does not make up for the fact the heel is one of the highest I own. As someone who could regularly spend 8 hours a day in 4-5 inch heels I did actually feel I did need practice in walking in these shoes.

I purchased these shoes in a UK size 5. I tend to wear a size 4 or 5 depending on the shoe brand but I felt a 5 length wise in this case was more suitable. I have very narrow feet but surprisingly with these New Look shoes when I first purchased these I was concerned that my feet felt slightly too wide for the shoe. This was due to the shoe pinching around the side of my foot. However after wearing around the house for about 10 minutes the width of the shoe felt fine. For those with average to wider feet these shoes may actually feel a little tight width wise and be quite uncomfortable so I would say better to try on before deciding to purchase.

At 5ft 5 inches without shoes on I am not short but with these heels on I do seem extremely tall and when worn on a night out with a mixed sex group of friends I found myself towering above most of the females and a similar height to most of the males! My legs did look exceptionally long not only because I was wearing such high heels but as a court shoe with no straps and the fact the front of your foot is exposed, you get an illusion of a longer leg as it is not broken up by a shoe strap! This looks great when you are wearing dresses or shorts especially if you have shorter legs. In proportion to my body my legs are generally an average to longer leg length however Mr Lools commented that I looked like a giraffe wearing these shoes as my legs looked long and thin, I'm not sure if that is a compliment or not!!

Wearing the shoes out and about is very different to wearing in the house where I find fewer obstacles. Personally I have come to the conclusion that although these shoes look great for a night out they are probably better to wear for occasions where you are sitting down lots and not doing much walking, especially walking up and down hills or up and down stairs. The sole of the shoe is not slippy but does not have a lot of grip therefore you need to be very careful walking on smooth surfaces such as wood or tiled floors especially if it has been raining or drinks have been spilt.

The New look Patent Platform Heels are definitely for those confident and experienced in walking in high heels. The shoes have a high platform which gives more balance and stability but on the front of the platform it is tapered and curved upwards. If you put too much weight on the front of the shoe you will rock/ roll forwards. On a flat floor this isn't too much of an issue but if you are walking down stairs unless you walk very upright you will find yourself rocking forwards and potentially losing your balance. This curve on the shoe causes more problems when walking down a hill. Slight inclines are not an issue but if you are walking down a hill it is almost impossible to walk carefully unless you are holding onto someone. As you walk down a hill you naturally lean forwards slightly which puts your weight on the tapered part of the platform and makes you feel you are falling forwards and makes it very difficult to walk in these shoes.

Comfort wise because these shoes are so high and there is a lack of padding under the ball of the foot I find after an hour of standing my feet do start to ache. If the shoe was more padded I think the balls of my feet would still ache but definitely not so severely. After wearing these for a night out with dancing at the end of the night my feet feel very delicate on the sole and the next morning I find my feet are still aching and flat comfortable shoes have to be worn. I have not suffered any blisters but there is definitely some suffering encountered from wearing these very pretty but high shoes!

I have worn these shoes 5 times now and not only have my feet taken some wear and tear so have the shoes. The first 3 wears were probably where the most scuffs were made as I was getting used to wearing the shoes and did the most walking. The top of the shoes are still in perfect condition with no marks or scuffs. Around the toes at the front of the platform I do have some scuffs which have slightly taken off the patent appearance. These are only a few mm in size but have left a white speckled appearance. On one of the heels there is also a 1cm scuff on the heel which has a slightly white appearance. These can be covered up with black pen but on closer inspection you can notice the difference between the shiny shoe and where the scuffs have been "repaired". This is the nature of patent shoes however because the shiny appearance shows up marks so easily and I own more expensive patent shoes which have similar marks around the front of these shoes. You can wipe lighter scuffs and marks off the shoes very easily and also the nature of the shoes being patent means that water and spilt drinks are not a problem and will not ruin the shoes like they will with many other shoes I own. After 5 wears the shoes are still definitely wearable for a good few occasions yet.


***Overall***
The New look Patent platform Heels very attractive looking shoes. The simple design and shape make these an attractive plain shoe but the shiny patent appearance and super high heel make these shoes extremely striking and a talking point. They look great with dresses for a night out but also with more casual outfits like jeans and leggings.

Priced at £24.99 these are excellent value for money like most New Look shoes are. The patent appearance is very easily scuffed however this is the nature of the material of the shoe therefore the identical patent heels I considered from Office and Dune costing £80 would have suffered the same fate. My only criticism of these cheaper New Look shoes are because they are a cheaper made shoe there is less padding and support inside of the shoe compared with the more expensive brands and if you are wearing for long periods of time the lack of padding under your foot will be felt and the balls of your feet are likely to ache.

A great shoe for elongating legs as the heel is almost 5 and a half inches in height but they are for those who are experienced in walking in heels and as someone who is a pro in walking in super high heels I would say the New Look Patent Platform Heels do take some practice to walk in, and your feet may also take a slight battering.