The Ultimate Guide to Summer Boots

Summer boots. Oxymoron? Nope. Why retire your favourite 'winter' footwear just because the mercury's rising and the beach is calling? Sure, summer is the perfect time to embrace sandals but you don't need to invest in an entirely new shoe collection just to make it through the season. 

First of all, the ground rules:

Don't get ahead of yourself, boots that are past your calf should be put away until at least the fall season.

Use your judgement: if the sole of your boots is designed to withstand snow, ice and the apocalypse, it might be too much for summer.

Boots covered in fur will look out of place in the blistering heat, plus your feet might hate you.

That being said, there are many styles that are safe for summer.

Ankle boots: Maybe you paid hundreds of dollars for those Stella McCartney studded ankle boots so don't even think about putting them back in your closet, they need to be seen all year long. Ankle boots are a good way to 'toughen up' a summer dress or skirt. Plus, ankle boots and denim cutoffs were pretty much made for each other.

Motorcycle boots: No surprise here, motorcycle boots are always cool. Besides, people ride motorcycles in the summer so you should be wearing your motorcycle boots in the summer, it's just common sense. You don't have to own a motorcycle to wear them, obviously. To make motorcycle boots look less intense, pair them with some floral shorts or a girly romper. 

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The Evolution of Heels

Drooooooool

Ever wondered how the high heeled shoe came to be? Let’s take a look back ancient Egypt during the year 3500 B.C. Most of the lower class ancient Egyptians wore flat footwear, but according to figures on murals, both upper class males and females wore heeled shoes. In ancient Greece and Rome, high heeled cork or wood shoes were worn by actors trying to depict characters of varying heights. Moreover, prostitutes in ancient Rome were identified by their high heeled shoes. High heels were worn in Persia during the 9th century by horseback riders to help keep their foot in the stirrups.

High heels became a symbol of status during the 15th century in Europe when women would wear platform shoes called chopines. These women would employ servants to help them walk around in the towering shoes. Some historians believe that men encouraged women to wear these ridiculously tall shoes so they would not be able to escape! Either way the height represented wealth, power and class. Those in the noble class (both women and men) would wear high heels as a fashion statement but also to suggest high social standing. Marie Antoinette famously owned an entire room of high heels constructed to her specifications.

When Napolean came to power in the 18th century, he banned high heels, wanting everyone to seem equal. The French Revolution saw high heels take a brief hiatus, but they became popular again in the 19th century. The invention of the sewing machine allowed traditional cobblers to express more creativity in their designs. During the 1920s, hemlines shortened and heel sizes grew and high heels had officially made their comeback. During the depression in the 1930s, heels became slightly more moderate in height and wider in heel size.
The 1950s and 1960s saw a revival of very high heels when Christian Dior invented the ‘stiletto’ meaning ‘small dagger’ in Italian. High heeled knee-high and ankle boots were invented in the 1970s to compensate for the short minidresses that became popular. Pointed toe heels popularized in the 1980s and still are a popular style today. Manolo Blahniks were favourites in the 1990s and still remain one of the most popular brands in 2012.

Women in 2012 have more heel choices than ever before. High heels have even influenced popular television shows like Sex in the City and Hollywood blockbusters like The Devil Wears Prada. Clearly, the high heel has been a staple in wardrobes for a very long time.

Still Obsessed: Peony

Heels: Givenchy

Jeans: H&M

Sunnies: Karen Walker

Lipstick: D&G

Envelope Clutch: Givenchy

Button Shirt: T by Alexandaer Wang

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Fashion & Film

Wes Anderson's latest film, Moonrise Kingdom is set in summer of 1965 and follows twelve year old romantics Sam and Suzy running away from home and the adults who desperately chase them down. Fashion play a standout role in the film with Suzy's mod dresses and Sam's knee socks and fox fur hat. A recently published article on Elle.com captures the storyline perfectly. Moonrise Kingdom is a whimsical tale of first love, and might even have you pining to be twelve years old again.

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Embrace Patterns

Lanvin Resort 2013

Peter Pilloto Resort 2013

Marc Jacobs Resort 2013

Gucci jumps on Eco-Friendly bandwagon

Gucci's sustainable soles for men

High end designer Manolo Blahnik introduced eco-friendly shoes in 2011, and now Gucci is the latest brand to announce an environmentally-friendly line of shoes: Sustainable Soles. According to the Gucci’s Creative Director, Frida Giannini, the new line of ‘green’ shoes includes two styles, one for men and one for women, both made of biodegradable, recyclable plastic.
Women can enjoy a ballerina-style flat with cutout details and the trademark GG symbol. The men’s shoes are sneakers that will be available in both low and high top styles, featuring vegetable-tanned calfskin and the Gucci label printed on recycled polyester. The line is expected to hit flagship Gucci stores at the end of June.

So what exactly are eco-friendly shoes? If the shoes have been designed, produced and sold in a manner that is considered to be environmentally friendly, then they can be considered eco-friendly shoes. Similar to these shoes are ‘vegetarian’ or ‘vegan’ shoes which are produced using no animal by-products. Brands that boast vegan status claim that the production of these shoes have a reduced impact on the environment and use less time and resources. Other brands use organic materials such as natural latex rather than synthetics, or manufacturing processes that reduce energy consumption.

Gucci's sustainable soles for women

One specific process that has been praised is leather made from eco-friendly manufacturing methods. Traditional leather tanning procedures are chemical intensive and produce large amounts of toxic waste, not to mention the significant power and water use. Shoes made from eco-friendly leather are tanned with natural tannins. While it takes longer, it significantly cuts down on energy consumption and unsavory chemical usage.

If you’re interested in taking part in the eco-friendly shoe movement, consider doing some research before you buy. Checking labels for USDA Certified Organic will ensure that you are in fact, reducing your carbon footprint. Even though a small portion of the shoe market is currently considered eco-friendly, the market share is growing and a number of mainstream stores have started to stock eco-friendly shoes. 

The Evolution of Clogs

The origins of clogs, or wooden shoes, dates back to 1570 in Holland. Dutch people initially wore clogs because they were necessary for specific industries: farmers, fisherman, factory workers and artisans all wore clogs to protect their feet. Wood was solid protection against fish hooks, nails, rough terrain and various sharp objects that posed a threat to these occupations. Clogs were seen as a functional rather than fashionable shoe.

Clogs were also necessary for ‘clogging’, a style of dance popularized during the industrial revolution in which rhythms are created by tapping the wooden shoes on the floor. The soles of the shoes were traditionally made from ash wood which sounded pleasant again the wooden floor. Clogging was invented as a result of workers tapping their feet on the factory floor to pass the time.

The traditional-looking clogs we know today have not changed much in the last 700 years since the Dutch began wearing them. The 1970s really showcased the clog as a trendy, fashion statement. Initially only women wore the clogs in the 1970s, that is until Swedish supergroup ABBA popularized the clog for men and even partnered with a European shoe company Tretorn to introduce their own line of clogs. As a result of the shoe’s success, the band released a song called "Träskofolket", which translates roughly into "The Clog People”.

The clogs were re-embraced in 2010, when high end designers like Chloe and Dolce&Gabbana updated the style, creating four-inch heeled clogs. Clearly, the clog was no longer a shoe meant for its functionality. Chanel introduced fur embellished clogs while Louis Vuitton answered with their own version adorned with tassels and suede.

It’s understandable if you can’t afford Chanel’s version of the wooden shoe, but don’t hesitate to dig up your parents old clogs because this trend is still hot today. There’s even a wooden shoe museum in the Netherlands you can visit if you happen to need some inspiration.

Inside the Skechers Lawsuit and Verdict

Advertising can be an expensive, and dangerous, game to play. Not only in terms of dollars spent on the actual advertising, but with dollars spent after the effects of the advertising have been realized. Treading carefully is very important. Take, for example, the latest lawsuit in the footwear industry. Skechers Shape Ups, an exercise shoe line made by the company, are the centre of a recent lawsuit related to advertising and deceptive practices.

In a complaint filed Wednesday in US federal court, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says Skechers made unproven claims about their Shape Ups line of shoes. Skechers commercials claimed the shoes would “tone muscles, strengthen the core, and burn calories” - according to Brooke Burke and Kim Kardashian, the line’s spokesmodels. Taglines for the shoes claim that users would “get in shape without having to step foot in a gym,” and “lose weight, strengthen and tone leg, buttocks and abdominal muscles.” The FTC says the company violated federal law by misleading consumers and making false and unsubstantiated claims.  


According to the FTC lawsuit, Skechers has agreed to pay $40 million to settle the charges. In addition to Shape-Ups, Skechers has also made deceiving claims about their Resistance Runners, Tone-Ups and Toners shoes. As part of the agreement, consumers are eligible for refunds for any shoes from the toning lines.

The FTC claims Skechers’ “clinical studies” on their Shape Ups shoes were completely fraudulent, alluding to Dr. Steven Gautreau in a television ad. In the television ad, Gautreau, a chiropractor, mentions an “independent clinical study” in which he tested the shoes’ claims. Skechers, however, failed to disclose that Gautreau is married to a Skechers marketing executive and that he was compensated for the commercial. The study reported that eight people lost 3.25 pounds. However, there was no control group, which should have been comprised of people wearing regular running shoes for comparison, to prove any correlation between Shape-Ups and weight loss. The second study, which did have a control group, had “numerous defects” and “altered or incomplete” results. Several participants in the second study were employees of Gautreau, two participants were wives of the two of the co-authors of the study, and two were parents of a co-author of the study.

In the end, Skechers has been fined for eight counts of unlawful claims of the benefits of four lines of toning shoes.

Consumers won’t benefit from Reebok’s higher prices and new technology
The case is very similar to a lawsuit filed against Reebok last year for false claims that the company’s EasyTone and RunTone shoes. In a similar proceeding, the FTC asserted that the shoes provided no more benefits than regular running shoes, despite the company’s claims. After a report released by The American Council of Exercise, the FTC stated that Reebok’s claims that the EasyTone and RunTone shoes worked muscles more than regular running shoes were not backed up with evidence. Consumers that purchased the shoes can apply for a refund through the FTC.

No evidence of toning from New Balance’s Rock & Tone shoes
A Boston woman sued New Balance in 2010 claiming the company used deceptive advertising to promote the line of toning shoes. New Balance claims that the shoe is designed to “increase muscle activation” in order to burn more calories at the gym. The lawsuit states that the woman was injured as a result of wearing the shoes. According to the suit, there was a lack of any scientific testing to back up the shoe’s claims.

Toning shoe products, Skechers Shape Ups being the most recent, are being hit hard with claims that the shoes do no more good than regular exercise shoes. All three of the high profile cases fail to backup their claims with scientific evidence of any benefits of a shoe designed to tone muscles and improve weight loss. It is a lesson for marketers trying to find new ways of creating value for existing product lines to tread carefully. Rules around advertising are strict and attention needs to be paid to any claims made. In a society as litigious as ours, it’s important to cover all bases and be diligent in backing up your story without any conflict of interest.

Shoe Obsessed? Us too.

These days there are blogs about everything. There are dozens of blogs dedicated to shoes alone. Most covet the perfect heel, while some praise the flawless flat or the indispensable sneaker. These bloggers have devoted their online presence to celebrating arguably one of life’s basic needs and possibly the key to happiness - shoes.

• Sea of Shoes is probably the most popular shoe blog on the web. The blog’s author, Jane writes about shoes as though each pair she owns are her best friends. Her blog exists as a personal diary of her very extensive collection of highly desirable shoes. Her popularity has gotten her collaborations with big retail names like Urban Outfitters, all because of her shoe blog.

• There exists a wonderful blog called The Man Repeller in which Leandra, the author, blogs about all the clothes that women wear that men hate (and there is apparently, a lot of clothes that women wear that men hate). Shoes are more often than not the centre of man-hating attention on the blog. She explores one of life’s many mysteries - why men just don’t understand beautiful shoes. From furry winter boots to strappy summer sandals, Leandra has seen (and blogged) it all.

• Shoelust is a blog that is being constantly updated by a team of shoe-obsessed contributors. A bare-bones site containing minimal text, Shoelust is committed to giving its readers what they want - a feed of highly coveted shoes. The site also offers an extensive archive to dive into if you need a quick shoe fix.

• If it’s shoe news you’re looking for, look no further. Shoewawa is a database of all newsworthy shoe announcements. Everything from the latest in celebrity footwear to the ugliest shoes of the day, this blog will satisfy any shoe desires that may come your way.

Shoe obsessed? You’re not alone. Check out these shoe-addicted bloggers to satisfy all of your footwear fantasies.

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My name is April, I'm 21 and I'm from Canada. 

I've been following fashion blogs for a long time, but this blog is relatively new. I love to check out new blogs and my philosophy is you can never follow too many people. I'd love to check out your blog so please don't hesitate to leave me a comment!

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