2010 in review: Shoes...

new year, new beginnings. i believe in looking back at the year that has passed, perhaps seeing things in new perspective and setting new sights/targets for the new year. rather scarily, i've somehow acquired 23 pairs of shoes in 2009. at the beginning of 2010 i told myself this had to stop, and i should buy less, buy better.

how did i fare for 2010, here's a little summary:

the last pair of shoes i bought, the cheapest pair amongst all and the most frivolous: my h&m red suede slip ons.

the only pair of black shoes i bought all year: the northampton made joe casely-hayford for john lewis "mentor" oxford shoes. i can't wait to wear this to work. i have a little superstition: always a new pair of shoes for the first day back at work in the new year. the gorgeous shoes are also available online here.

the shearling lined christophe lemaire brown zipped boots. especially happy since mr lemaire himself noted in a recent interview that these are his favourites too. keeps my feet warm and toasty. the shoes are also available online here.

if i can have a personal favourite amongst all my shoes, it's the above rhinestones embellished christian louboutin trainers. yes, not for everyday wear but it will definitely cheer me up when i need a little lift. also available online here.

in a moment of madness, i bought the puma retro/cartoon sneakers. i thought it would be great for holidays, and at £20 how could i say no.

despite having lots of shoes, i still love the comfort and laid back style of converse shoes. loving the fall winter 2010 missoni x converse series. style and comfort can indeed go hand in hand.

the "greenest" pair of shoes i have: timberland "earthkeepers" boat shoes. made entirely from ecological, friendly and sustainable materials. great summer shoes.

the most lightweight and comfortable pair of shoes i bought in 2010: the dark brown lamb skin lace ups from hermes. amazingly sleek. seeing the orange soles, my colleague actually came up to me and asked "are you wearing hermes shoes?"

ahhhh.

the second pair of hermes shoes i bought this year, was the above kangeroo skin nude colored lace ups. still in the box in a pristine condition, i look forward to wearing them on a suitable occasion.

one of my personal favourites: mr hare "capote". the embellished christian louboutin sneakers was my favourite this year, "capote" is a close second. oh love.

the blue suede pierre hardy desert boots. i have a thing for suede shoes, can you tell?

my first ever pair of christian louboutin shoes: the cream canvas "rantus" trainers. unfortunately i seem to have bought a size too small, feet will hurt if i stay out too long.

zara side zipped suede boots. i wore these on several 'dressed down fridays' at work. really like them.

missoni x converse from the first collaboration series. i actually got recognised by a reader (hey robin!) who saw the shoes on the blog, how amazing is that!

my first purchase in 2010: the brown suede lace ups from louis vuitton.

15 pairs of shoes i acquired in 2010, a marked improvement as compared to 2009. 2011's motto: buy less buy better. happy shoesday!

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2010 in review: Shoes...

new year, new beginnings. i believe in looking back at the year that has passed, perhaps seeing things in new perspective and setting new sights/targets for the new year. rather scarily, i've somehow acquired 23 pairs of shoes in 2009. at the beginning of 2010 i told myself this had to stop, and i should buy less, buy better.

how did i fare for 2010, here's a little summary:

the last pair of shoes i bought, the cheapest pair amongst all and the most frivolous: my h&m red suede slip ons.

the only pair of black shoes i bought all year: the northampton made joe casely-hayford for john lewis "mentor" oxford shoes. i can't wait to wear this to work. i have a little superstition: always a new pair of shoes for the first day back at work in the new year. the gorgeous shoes are also available online here.

the shearling lined christophe lemaire brown zipped boots. especially happy since mr lemaire himself noted in a recent interview that these are his favourites too. keeps my feet warm and toasty. the shoes are also available online here.

if i can have a personal favourite amongst all my shoes, it's the above rhinestones embellished christian louboutin trainers. yes, not for everyday wear but it will definitely cheer me up when i need a little lift. also available online here.

in a moment of madness, i bought the puma retro/cartoon sneakers. i thought it would be great for holidays, and at £20 how could i say no.

despite having lots of shoes, i still love the comfort and laid back style of converse shoes. loving the fall winter 2010 missoni x converse series. style and comfort can indeed go hand in hand.

the "greenest" pair of shoes i have: timberland "earthkeepers" boat shoes. made entirely from ecological, friendly and sustainable materials. great summer shoes.

the most lightweight and comfortable pair of shoes i bought in 2010: the dark brown lamb skin lace ups from hermes. amazingly sleek. seeing the orange soles, my colleague actually came up to me and asked "are you wearing hermes shoes?"

ahhhh.

the second pair of hermes shoes i bought this year, was the above kangeroo skin nude colored lace ups. still in the box in a pristine condition, i look forward to wearing them on a suitable occasion.

one of my personal favourites: mr hare "capote". the embellished christian louboutin sneakers was my favourite this year, "capote" is a close second. oh love.

the blue suede pierre hardy desert boots. i have a thing for suede shoes, can you tell?

my first ever pair of christian louboutin shoes: the cream canvas "rantus" trainers. unfortunately i seem to have bought a size too small, feet will hurt if i stay out too long.

zara side zipped suede boots. i wore these on several 'dressed down fridays' at work. really like them.

missoni x converse from the first collaboration series. i actually got recognised by a reader (hey robin!) who saw the shoes on the blog, how amazing is that!

my first purchase in 2010: the brown suede lace ups from louis vuitton.

15 pairs of shoes i acquired in 2010, a marked improvement as compared to 2009. 2011's motto: buy less buy better. happy shoesday!

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Timberland "Earthkeepers" boat shoe

i can still remember my first pair of timberland shoes. i was 16, received one of my first few paychecks whilst working for perry ellis during the holidays. my brother had a pair, and i wanted one too. and so i went to their shop, tried on a pair of brown leather boat shoes and happily handed over my hard earned cash. it was just like the pair above, but in brown with leather laces and perhaps a different rubber sole. so my thing for shoes go way back.

timberland very kindly sent over a pair of their latest boat shoes called "earthkeepers", asked if i could do a review and take it out for a road test. it brings back so much fond memories, and it's also nice to see that the shoe has evolved slightly keeping up with the times but not losing it's signature.

"earthkeepers", as the name suggests, is a collection of shoes that promises to be green for the environment. a series of products that aim to preserve our earth even when the shoes reach their mortality, and not add on to the burden of the earth breaking it down. the shoes are designed to be taken apart when we're done with them, and 90% of the components can be recycled. the leather upper could be detached and sent to their factory in the dominican republic to be cleaned and refurbished.

the cream colored rubber soles are made from "green rubber", where 42% of it's components are from recycled materials. and when we're done with the shoes, the rubber soles can be sent back to the factory in malaysia for recycling, thereby making more rubber soles for future "earthkeepers".

the laces are made from organic cotton, and the metal hardware are removable and can be reused in other footwear or recycled.

i find it really amazing, that a company is willing to adapt it's classic designs and rework it using sustainable and renewable resources. all "earthkeeper" products can be returned to any of their stores, and they will ensure that the parts will be broken down to be reused and recycled. i really do think it's an amazing idea, and so glad that a big corporation is doing it.

the whole eco-idea went right down to the packaging: the shoe box is made from 100% recycled materials. i am so impressed with timberland's green credentials, i really looked at the mighty boat shoe in a different way. green ethos aside, is it really comfortable and good enough for the coming summer months?

there's only one way to find out.

the shoes fit true to size. i matched it with my current favourite topman slim fit chinos and hot pink blue specked dot socks from paul smith. the boat shoes were a masculine shade of grey, and should go with most casual outfits. being non fashion fashion shoes, the front is cut wider and that makes it more comfortable. i honestly feel comfortable in those shoes, and they are lightweight, great for the summer, great for the environment, great for our conscience.

i look at my shoe collection and it is pretty dressy. this makes for a welcomed change. the shoes are coming with me on my next summer getaway.

click here to find out more about timberland "earthkeepers" series, or to purchase a pair online.

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Timberland "Earthkeepers" boat shoe

i can still remember my first pair of timberland shoes. i was 16, received one of my first few paychecks whilst working for perry ellis during the holidays. my brother had a pair, and i wanted one too. and so i went to their shop, tried on a pair of brown leather boat shoes and happily handed over my hard earned cash. it was just like the pair above, but in brown with leather laces and perhaps a different rubber sole. so my thing for shoes go way back.

timberland very kindly sent over a pair of their latest boat shoes called "earthkeepers", asked if i could do a review and take it out for a road test. it brings back so much fond memories, and it's also nice to see that the shoe has evolved slightly keeping up with the times but not losing it's signature.

"earthkeepers", as the name suggests, is a collection of shoes that promises to be green for the environment. a series of products that aim to preserve our earth even when the shoes reach their mortality, and not add on to the burden of the earth breaking it down. the shoes are designed to be taken apart when we're done with them, and 90% of the components can be recycled. the leather upper could be detached and sent to their factory in the dominican republic to be cleaned and refurbished.

the cream colored rubber soles are made from "green rubber", where 42% of it's components are from recycled materials. and when we're done with the shoes, the rubber soles can be sent back to the factory in malaysia for recycling, thereby making more rubber soles for future "earthkeepers".

the laces are made from organic cotton, and the metal hardware are removable and can be reused in other footwear or recycled.

i find it really amazing, that a company is willing to adapt it's classic designs and rework it using sustainable and renewable resources. all "earthkeeper" products can be returned to any of their stores, and they will ensure that the parts will be broken down to be reused and recycled. i really do think it's an amazing idea, and so glad that a big corporation is doing it.

the whole eco-idea went right down to the packaging: the shoe box is made from 100% recycled materials. i am so impressed with timberland's green credentials, i really looked at the mighty boat shoe in a different way. green ethos aside, is it really comfortable and good enough for the coming summer months?

there's only one way to find out.

the shoes fit true to size. i matched it with my current favourite topman slim fit chinos and hot pink blue specked dot socks from paul smith. the boat shoes were a masculine shade of grey, and should go with most casual outfits. being non fashion fashion shoes, the front is cut wider and that makes it more comfortable. i honestly feel comfortable in those shoes, and they are lightweight, great for the summer, great for the environment, great for our conscience.

i look at my shoe collection and it is pretty dressy. this makes for a welcomed change. the shoes are coming with me on my next summer getaway.

click here to find out more about timberland "earthkeepers" series, or to purchase a pair online.

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