Although I love a good shopping trip, when it comes to finding new shoes the thought fills me with dread. The skin on my feet is very delicate and will easily identify any rough seam or edge, causing rubbing and blistering, which makes finding comfortable shoes a really pain.
One of my most embarrassing memories is someone tapping me on the shoulder in the queue for Comic Con to offer me a plaster because unbeknownst to me, my ankle had been bleeding into my tights for a solid hour due to my heel rubbing. Yuck.
Over the years I’ve learned what does and doesn’t work for me. Slip ons just as easily slip off which so I’ve always ruled out pretty pumps and kitten heels, instead opting for ankle straps to keep my foot secure. Thin soles are an absolute no no (bye bye gorgeous stilettos), instead I need cushioned or platform soles. It can be very hit and miss though as even if a pair look perfect I’ll often find that they rub somewhere.
It was therefore with some trepidation that I accepted an offer from Strive Footwear to try out a pair from their range. I’ve only bought shoes online successfully a couple of times and on both occasions these were from brands I’d already had good experiences with in-store. However I figured that with my very temperamental feet I’d be the perfect person to give them a proper review!
I picked out a classic pair of pumps in a beautiful pastel blue called Skye*.
My shoes arrived quickly with a disposable shoe tree inserted into each pump to ensure that they were kept in perfect shape, a nice touch. I also received an instruction guide on how to correctly wear them in. It’s recommended to wear them for one hour on day one, two hours on day two and three hours on day three so that your feet get used to the design.
This is because Strive Footwear uses what they call Biomechanical Foodbed Technology. Basically this means that each shoe/sandal has an ergonomic design which is shaped to the natural contours of the foot, helping to support your feet in their optimum position.
The first time I put them on I noticed two things:
Having worn the shoes in for a couple of days at home my feet soon adjusted and the shape began to feel like a natural fit.
After wearing them on a four hour shopping trip I was more than impressed, I was completely chuffed! Usually I’m moaning about aching feet after a couple of hours but these stayed firmly on my feet for the entire trip with no embarrassing ‘walk off and shoe remains behind on the floor’ scenarios, and the cushioning helped relieve the pressure on the balls and heel of my feet too.
With sandals starting at £35 and my pair costing £60 at the time of writing they certainly aren’t the cheapest shoes that you can buy. However if you like to invest in good quality and need comfortable footwear I recommend giving these guys a go!
As a new company the range is very much focused on Spring/Summer at the moment but I’m looking forward to seeing what they have in store for Autumn/Winter. My choice of pump comes in 6 different colours so the range is quite versatile, whilst there are also lots of thong style sandals to choose from too.
It’s safe to say that Strive Footwear gets the Loved By Laura stamp of approval. I’ve been wearing my pair almost daily since they arrived as they’re perfect for the office and casual weekends.
Initially I did find that I got a slight bit of rubbing on the back of my left heel, but other than this I’ve had absolutely no issues.
Thanks Strive Footwear, for allowing me to wear a pair of beautiful Summer pumps for the first time in my life!
Do you have a problem finding footwear or are you lucky enough to be able to wear any style? What are your tips for keeping comfortable?
Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored, however I did get to keep the shoes – hurrah! See my Disclaimer page if you’re interested in reading more about how I decide what makes it onto Loved By Laura!
