I'm not really a fan of sports shoes and would rather opt for girly ballet pumps or plimsolls but having bought and fell in love with a pair of Toms about a year ago I decided to give Vans a go after seeing them on a girl in town and being envious of how comfortable and stylish they looked.

Vans are mostly associated with the goth/indie look but recently celebs such as Rihanna have sported Vans and now they have become increasingly popular. They also have pull-on shoes and classic vans available from various websites and instore.

My vans are primarily canvas which is quite think and hard wearing. The canvas is red with white piping, the red colour is very deep and daring but I still find that they are very versatile and look particularly cool with boyfriend style jeans or leggings. The sole on vans is about 2cm high so it is pretty thick which makes them extra comfortable and indestructible (almost!).

The look of the shoe is just like a typical sports trainer with eyelets and laces at the front, a small tag is attached to the side of the lace which has the simple vans logo on and on the back of the shoe on the back of the sole is also the vans logo so if you are into showing off your branded garments others will have no problem spotting that your wearing vans!

I purchased my vans in my usual size 4 and found that they were the perfect fit; it was quite unusual at first being an inch or so higher without having to totter around in heels! To walk in, these shoes are like clouds beneath your feet they are probably the most comfortable shoes that I own. I tend to loosen the laces and tuck them in which means I don't have to lace my vans up each time I want to wear them and they still fit perfectly.

My vans have been through the elements- the sun (paired with a pair of shorts), the rain (without an umbrella and water didn't leak in!) and even the snow last winter (they have fab grips on the bottom!).
As for washing the vans, I haven't actually ever needed to wash these in the washing machine as it is usually only the white sole that gets dirty which usually comes clean using a baby wipe or just warm soapy water.

There are many colours that these shoes come in including wacky colours and designs so if you are interested in vans do take a look around to find the perfect vans for you. There are also many prices for the vans but after having a quick look online they are retailing for around £40. I paid £34 for my red vans from Schuh but this was nearly a year ago, so shop around to find the best deal!