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.

With the colder days and harsher conditions of winter, we need to put away our summer T shirts and sandals, replacing them with clothes suitable for frost, hail or whatever weather the season brings.  Children especially need to be dressed in clothing that will keep them warm and protect against the freezing cold.  There are lots of reasonably priced, fashionable clothes in the shops which kids will love.  With smart warm jacket, trendy slacks and winter boots, children will be kept warm and feel trendy and fashionable.

The best way of keeping warm is to wear layers of clothing.  Children particularly should wear a vest next to their skin, covered by a shirt or blouse for school, then a cardigan on top.  An underskirt, covered by a skirt made of a woollen mixture fabric is warming and comfortable for girls while the boys need trousers made of thicker materials than thin polyester fabrics which are more suited to summer.

There are some great jackets and anoraks in the shops which children of either sex will love.  Jackets with warm fleecy linings and hoods will keep out the bitterest chill or rainstorm.  When buying new clothes you really get what you pay for.  The cheaper garments are often made of inferior fabrics, with threads which become undone very quickly and causing seams or pockets to become undone.  You need to pay around £30 or more for a good quality jacket which will see the winter through.

Children’s legs need to be kept covered and warm with long stockings or tights.  There are some trendy, colourful styles in the shops which kids will love.  Tights are really fashionable this year and can tone or contrast with their other clothing, saving more sober colours for school.  There are some great styles for festive parties, bright pinks, blues and greens with pop star motifs, stars, butterflies etc.

The most important item of clothing for children to wear in winter is a pair of strong, sturdy winter boots.  There are some great styles available for children, with snow boots and moon boots becoming increasingly popular.   These are lined with warm, fleecy fabric which keep out the bitter cold.  Timberland make a great range of practical boots designed especially for children.  They are made from leather or suede and the sole is of a strong, sturdy material which grips the surface, even if frozen.  These days Ugg boots are the epitome of fashion but cost much more than most parents want to pay.

Wellington boots are another alternative to wear during the Winter (or Summer) season.  The traditional long black rubber boot has been seriously updated!  Now, wellies are available in every shade and colour under the sun.  They are also very practical, and more importantly, children with an eye to fashion love them.  A favourite with parents as any mud or dirt is easily washed off, whereas it is much more difficult to clean boots made from leather or suede.

In order for children to keep comfortable and warm through the long Winter season, it’s necessary to splash out on a range of clothes designed especially for the cold.  A walk down the High Street, or a look at some leading supermarkets, will show the large range of styles available.

There are so many children’s winter boots and shoes in the shops for the season, they are spoiled for choice!  Children, these days, tend to go for sophisticated, elegant styles, often against the wishes of their parents.  Influenced by their favourite celebrities, they demand expensive designer ranges which can be totally impractical, rather than practical, well-fitting shoes from children’s shoe specialist shops, such as Clarks or Start-rite.

Children’s foot size can increase considerably throughout the season, and it’s important for both feet to be measured by a foot specialist.  When children find a shoe style they like, after being measured, the child should be asked to walk round the shoe shop to check whether they hurt anywhere.  With the child standing, press at the front of the shoe to check how much room there is to allow for growth.  Check that the sides don’t ‘bag’ out and there isn’t too much spare room at the heel.

As the shoes – or boots - are to be worn during the coldest season, it’s important that they will protect against the bitterly cold temperatures typical of the season.  It’s always best to buy leather as this will protect against cold and rain, and allow the skin to breathe.  Leather also stretches slightly resulting in shoes which last longer and fit more comfortably.  Lace up shoes or shoes which have bars across the front are more suitable for children as they won’t come off when the child is running and playing.  Check that the soles of the shoes are strong and made of thick rubber, making them skid proof.

Children, of course, have their own ideas of the fashionable shoe styles they want to wear, and usually they don’t always correspond with their parent’s wishes.  Children often choose something like ‘moonboots’ made from silver lurex, priced at £45.  They are also tempted by Fizz boots, priced at around £50, in light pink or turquoise colours.  Fashionable styles like these are expensive and aren’t designed to last for the coldest 5 or 6 months of the year.

Really fashionable children’s shoes and boots are often not designed for vigorous rough and tumble play, and are often built of materials too thin to protect against severe winter conditions.  If parents and children can compromise, there are some great and practical styles available in the shops.
Start-rite, among other children’s shops, has a large range of winter shoes and boots specially designed for children.  Designs are guaranteed to last against normal children’s wear and tear, and styles appeal to the most fashionable kid.  Boot styles such as Amber-Leigh  and Flowerchild are made from leather and come in appealing trendy colours.  Both parents and children love them.

In my opinion, closed shoes are far more practical to wear than open toe shoes when hiking and climbing, purely from a safety point of view if nothing else.

If you wear open toe shoes and you stub your toe on a rock, or trip up then you could be in all kinds of trouble, causing yourself a cut or an injury of some sort to your toes, or possibly falling over if you get your open toe shoes caught up in anything as you are climbing or hiking. A toe injury alone can cause a great deal of pain, and can make it very uncomfortable to walk with. It is much more sensible to cover your toes and have them protected if possible by Craghoppers UK hiking boots, but if this is not an option, then a sensible pair of flat boots or sturdy shoes.

Closed shoes are more likely to withstand the environment of countryside walking and climbing as they are more robust. Open toe shoes could easily split or get damaged, therefore exposing your feet to the same dangers. On the whole, most open toe shoes do not offer the same standard of grip on the bottom that many closed shoes do either, as they are designed for casual use and are not intended for walking or climbing in. It is common sense to know that you do need some kind of grip on shoes for hiking and climbing in.

Closed shoes are more practical as far as the weather goes too. If it is raining while you are out on your hike or climb, then it would be very uncomfortable to continue with wet toes. Even if it is not raining, there are often places out in the countryside that are wet, such as puddles and dewy grass areas and you may come across small streams that you need to cross. It is not a practical idea to walk through water with open toe shoes on.

Keep your open toe shoes for casual use at home or on holiday and stick to sensible closed shoes for hiking and climbing. It makes good sense.

With the exception of trainers, there is nothing more comfortable than hiking boots. Contemporary hiking boots are built very much along the line of trainers and embody many of the qualities encapsulated in the trainers design. Hikers used to wear traditional boots, but these are starting to be replaced by lightweight, low cut hiking boots. They may not offer the ankle support of the earlier models, but they make walking vastly more comfortable. When you have to cover a lot of ground, comfort is the single most important thing.

Can you imagine walking 20 miles in a pair of work shoes? It is bad enough going out to fetch your lunch, let alone going for a long walk. Shoes simply aren’t designer for comfort; they are designer primarily to look smart. Some are beautiful examples, but the fact remains that they tend to cut your heels to shreds and force your feet into a mould. This fact isn’t helped by so many people trying to squeeze into smaller sizes as small is more in vogue. You also don’t get the kind of cushioning that you do with a hiking boot. This means that your feet are vastly more likely to blister on the soles.

Some hiking boots aren’t as comfortable as the lighter weighted versions. Full-length hiking boots are built with stability and ankle support in mind. The last thing you want is to lose your footing and injure yourself on some rough area of terrain. Consequently, there is a price to pay for this stability in terms of overall comfort. Like shoes, hiking boots are designer for a reason and you can choose which is most important to you. Is that reason support and stability or overall comfort? You could also choose a compromise between these two extremes.

Many hiking boots are unisex. This can make it difficult for women to buy a shoe that is right for their feet. Walking over a distance of ground with your feet slipping about can cause a great deal of damage to your feet. They certainly aren’t comfortable. However, more recently, manufacturers are starting to designer hiking boots that are designer with the female in mind. An example of this Brasher boots. These shoes are comfortable and provide support, but the weight of the boots tends to be heavy, which is an inconvenience for most people to carry around.

There is a definite trend towards the lighter, less supportive boot. This clearly indicates that consumers are favourite comfort over any other factors in the hiking boot market. This is also evidenced in the market for work shoes as Hush Puppies and other similar brands start to claim an increasing share of the market.

No matter if you choose shoes or hiking boots you still have a degree of autonomy in terms of whether you seek comfort or style. A lot of the reason why manufacturers still favour stylish, uncomfortable shoes is because vanity often wins the day at work. The consumer market for hiking boots and shoes are very different animals. Hikers don’t tend to be nearly as obsessed with appearance and do what they do for the love of it. People still care more about what people think than their own level of personal comfort in the market for shoes.

Very few companies will permit their staff to wear hiking boots to work. You will, however, find that some have a more liberal interpretation of what is acceptable, particularly on dress-down days. If the business tends to have customers inspecting it on a regular basis you can expect formal shoes to be a requirement every day.

Gucci used to be a style that the rich and famous and well heeled would wear. You would see gucci bags travelling the world with well of travellers however these days I think it is seen as a more ‘trash’ designer label many thanks to the designer fakes out there. You now see every Sharon and Tracy out there with their fake tan, Croydon top knot hair, and a gaggle of children following behind all dressed in their fake juicy pink velour tracksuits covered in gold bling.

Prada whilst also being a victim of the fake industry does not have such a well known logo as such so is maybe not such an obvious fake brand so maybe due to this, this means it still manages to hold onto and retain some of it’s style and sophistication while other designer brands have become significant to lower classes and something to laugh, joke and identify them by. It is just upsetting in a way that they have hijacked such brands.