Comfy shoes – day 6 of happiness month

As you know, this month is happiness month!

According to Nicole happiness happens when she finds a brand new pair of Steven Madden shoes…on Clearance.

Regarding shoes, happiness happens when I find a pair that is comfortable enough to wear all day!

When we’re thinking about ‘ethical consumerism’ we need to think outside the box. It isn’t necessarily buying something that’s organic or fairtrade (although these are great choice) but it’s more about being good custodians of what we have.

So go ahead and buy something new, but make sure you buy something you love, is good quality, will last well, is repairable and that you will take good care of.

Fashion is an area that has been under a lot of scrutiny recently. With sweatshops and ‘disposable fashion’ at the forefront of our minds we need to think carefully about our purchases.

Recently I’ve been overhauling my clothes and focusing on creating a capsule wardrobe. The idea of a capsule wardrobe is that you have a few key pieces, in neutral colours that are classic items and go with everything else. That way you get rid of the “wardrobe full of clothes with nothing to wear” syndrome! You add colours and ‘trendy items’ with carefully chosen accessories.

Cocorose sent me a pair of their foldable ballet pumps to add to my collection. The company have a cult following and these shoes are found adorning the feet of many a star. Carley Stenson, who plays the lead character in ‘Legally Blonde The Musical’ is a big fan. The Sunday Times Travel Magazine praise Cocorose London, calling them ‘The Saviour Shoes’; and BAFTA select them for the Exclusive Gift Bags given to the Nominees & Presenters at the Orange British Film Academy Awards.

So what do people love about a simple pair of shoes?

Cocorose shoes have built-in foot beds for cushioned relief and a sole that’s thin enough to allow them to fold but thick enough to prevent you feeling every lump and bump you walk over. They are stylish and presented in a dinky purse – with hidden back-pocket that holds a mini shoulder-bag. This means you can get all the comfort of flat shoes before changing into your heels; and because they’re foldable you can carry your comfy shoes with you before you need them again!

Fans of Cocorose wear them on their way to work, on bicycles before changing into their office shoes, yummy mummy’s wear them on the school run, brides choose them for elegance and style and they are perfect for a spot of sight seeing.

I was sent “Parisian Panache” which add a pop of cherry red to my wardrobe. I’m very fussy about shoes and put comfort before everything else, so was really excited to try these out. I’ll admit I was sceptical too.

On the first day I wore them for an hour in the house. They were amazingly comfortable and my only gripe was by the end of the hour there was slight rubbing on the heel of my left foot – not enough to blister, but just enough to be uncomfortable.

The next day I decided to take these babies out into town. I wanted to see how such a thin sole would perform on concrete. Many years ago, before I knew anything about buying goods that last, I had a pair of cheap shoes which had a very thin sole and they were SO uncomfortable – every step I took jarred into my knees and heels – I may as well have been barefoot.

Even Mr Green looked at the Cocorose and said “They look really thin, are they comfortable?”

well the answer was a resounding YES!

The cushioning in the sole really does work – as promised they are thin enough to fold, yet thick enough to provide protection from bumpy surfaces – genius! At the end of a couple of hours serious shopping there was still the slight discomfort on my left heel, but not as bad as the previous day.

The third day I wore them again and had to walk across some cobbled paving. Ok, this time my feet and knees hurt – it wasn’t like gliding over them in a pair of Birkenstocks for sure – I did feel every lump and bump, and my ankle twisted on a couple of occassions but fortunately I live in 21st century England and not the cobbled streets of Victorian London, so it’s not really an issue. By now I think the shoes were stretching a bit and I was left with a tiny indent on my left foot at the back, but nothing serious.

I’ve now been wearing these shoes for a fortnight. No, they are not as comfortable as shoes with a proper footbed, such as Birkenstocks, but that’s probably unfair competition. Compared with other shoes of a similar thickness sole, Cocorose are streets ahead in terms of comfort. My only real ‘thumbs down’ is the sizing – the come in petite (size 3-4), regular (size 5-6) and grande (size 7-8) with a few styles available in ‘grande’ (size 9). As a size 6 – 6 1/2 I am ‘between sizes’ and these shoes are a bit small (which probably accounts for the rubbing on my bigger foot). The large size would probably be too big and sag at the sides but I can’t wear these shoes on a really hot day when my feet are at their biggest.

Prices vary between £33 and £45 there are plenty of colours and styles to choose from if you need something handy to carry with you and slip into at the end of a long day. Join the stars, add a pair to your collection and give your feet a treat.