About Shoes

There are only a few weeks left until the start of spring … but the way things are going, it seems that spring plans to carry on hibernating for a few more months.

Even once the weather begins to improve, the British climate is notorious for its unpredictability. You may be sporting shorts in April and jackets in August. Admittedly, it is far more likely that, as we pass through the last days of winter and enter into spring (are you listening, Mother Nature?), we will be facing dull, grey, damp weather, but you can never be entirely sure. So, when it comes to choosing outdoor clothing and footwear, how can you deal with this uncertainty?

It’s probably time to put away the heavy winter coats, and save them for when you go out at night. During the day, thick coats may well be too warm, so the ideal coat or jacket would be one that is three-quarter length. Worn with a pair of boots, it will keep most of your body dry during the inevitable showers that we are plagued with. What is the best material? A lightweight wool coat will keep you warm and dry, without being too thick or warm, and won’t be too heavy to carry if you go into shops (they invariably have the heating turned up so high it feels as though you are in a sauna).

Alternatively, a padded jacket, although arguably less stylish than a coat, is ideal for both colder and warmer days. It is especially suitable if you lead a casual lifestyle, as this style of coat will not make you look overdressed. Also these coats are more likely to have a hood attached (maybe removable for those occasions when you don’t want to use it), which can be very useful if you don’t want to carry an umbrella, or if it is too windy to keep an umbrella open! As we all know, the combination of wind and rain is unfortunately all too common in the British climate …

As for footwear, a lighter pair of boots will prove very versatile and, if purchased now, will still give you plenty of opportunities to wear them. With luck, there may even be some still available in the sales. Make sure that they are waterproof, or buy a product to make them impermeable, as one thing that we can be sure of is that there are plenty of rainy days to come! Avoid fur-lined boots, unless you want your feet to feel like they’re cooking. If you do a lot of walking, a good sturdy pair of ankle boots will also help keep your feet warm and dry. Finally, for safety’s sake, make sure that the soles of your shoes or boots have a good grip, for those rainy days.

Toe socks are the hottest funky socks on the market. They differ from ordinary plain and boring socks by having separate compartments for each of your toes. You may assume that these wacky socks are uncomfortable and I did before I tried a pair of them on, but let me assure you once you try a pair on you’ll never want to go back to wearing the old style.

The old bag like socks or even sports socks tend to slip around and can cause slight discomfort, but with these new fangled socks they stay on tight but give your feet more freedom of movement, it’s like walking barefoot but better.

In the cold weather I found that the socks kept my feet warmer than standard socks do, I guess it’s because each of your toes is individually wrapped in its own little compartment. The socks do not slip as much either for example on laminate flooring where you normally have to tread carefully in standard bag socks.

These toe socks are made by a variety of companies and come in a great range of funky colours and styles which will make you look super cool. Kids love these socks but I wouldn’t recommend them for very young children as they can be a nightmare to get on them if you have to dress them.

Some people think that just by hitting the sales they are shopping smart but there are so many other ways to get a bargain and save loads of money.

Shopping online will give the biggest savings to your purse. The extent of how much you want to save depends on you. There are numerous ways to save that extra bit of cash and the main way of saving money is of course, the sales. Sales are happening constantly on the web, all you have to do is shop around. There are thousands of shops on the net, far more than your high street could accommodate. Don’t just buy from the first sale you come across as you can guarantee that it will be being sold elsewhere for less.

You can sign up to email newsletters and alerts from most of shopping sites and there are certain sites that aggregate all the news of sales and special events for lots of shops and send it directly to you.

Voucher codes for ecommerce sites can be easily obtained from many affiliate sites that will often give you free delivery or an extra 10% off any purchases as well as voucher codes there are special affiliate sites that give you points for each purchase made through their site, these can then be redeemed for something nice.

Not only can you take advantage of the numerous sales but it always wise to look around the site for any other special offers that are hidden away hiding behind the sale.

If you feel like giving something back after saving so much money why not try looking for shops that sell products that are linked to charity. Damart is selling a limited pink thermal vest and the proceeds from which go to support the Breast Cancer Campaign, so not only do you get to stay warm in your nice Damart thermals in this horrible winter weather we are having but you can feel great that you are doing your bit.

So next time you think about going into town to the shops, why not just sit at the computer instead and surf the web for a smart bargain.