It shows how our shoes reflect who we are, at every stage in our lives and it always reminds me just how important my shoes are!!!!

The Old Woman who Lived in a Shoe

I started off in a slipper, glass,

handsome prince etc, true love,

all fitted me like a hand in a glove,

but the tale went pear shaped,

hopes dashed, every plate in the place smashed.

So I moved out with my new born babe,

to a lace-up, brown, battered down,

on the right side of town,

decent school, nobody’s fool,

slept in the toe, bathed in the tongue,

ironed, polished, baked, kept mum.

Went up in the world when a red high heel,

in its own green field gave me time and space

(my girl on a gap year overseas)

to write, or paint, to sculpt, compose,

did none of those.

Junk food, telly, lost the plot,

moved to a welly.

Two wasted years. Tears. Cheap beers. Regrets.

Debts. Parents died. Cried and sighed. Ferreted

in a childhood’s sandal. Orphanded, vandal.

Inherited the family loot. Sunk the lot in a leather boot

which I ran as a wine-bar, showed no profit,

hopped it.

Then dossed in a Doc with a dyke who was kind,

but not my kind, so split, stayed friends, then

went round the bend when toy boy cruel,

tried to kill myself in a mule, failed, abseiled out

down a leather lace, saved face, felt saner,

chilled in a trainer.

Grandchildren came, so moved to a brogue

in a tree lined road, devoted, doted,

watched them grow, but felt myself get older, slow,

thickened, sickened, bones like matchsticks,

hair like snow,

dry rot in the sole and the tongue and the toe.

RIP. Farewell. Adieu.

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe.

Ok I wake to a view of a 100ft Jesus outside my cabin ! This was rather disconcerting as I for a brief moment thought I had passed over , rather than out ! from the Gin infused cocktails last night … However I was assured by the cabin boy this was a statue that protects Lisbon and I was very much alive (phew !) … may I point out the cabin boy came in with breakfast and to tidy the destruction that was my cabin !! Why is it when left on our own we turn into grunge teenagers !!? Only difference is the size of knickers strewn half under the bed ,,Bridget jones has alot to answer for !!

The Intrepid explorer ,,me ! as said has arrived in not so sunny Lisbon .Now here is a place to test drive the MBTs , miles of tiled pavements up and down steps and hills . I can now state that MBTs cope with wet and slippery conditions very well , didnt fall over once although I spied a fair few pump wearers who skidded past me with shouts of ” Its ok margarite i’ve got you ” ( in a northern accent ) and then promptly both land on their bum bags . Actually who invented bum bags ? totally unfashionable but a great landing pad .
Couldnt help myself but trawl the shoe shops ..busmans holiday and all that !
Its official however much you think England is in a financial slump our prices ( esp shoe envy ) are WAY lower than our European friends , spied a Camper clog ,, the very one on our site @ www.shoe-envy.co.uk/Camper-Shoes ..anyway in Lisbon 135 euros thats £128 blimey i hear you cry we can get them at shoe envy for £79.99 .
Defenite lesson here girls buy your holiday shoes before you go ditch the idea of a light suitcase and buying when there ,,Im here doing the research for you and saving you the pennies .
Anyway must run to catch the ship …
P.S Portuguese men hmmmmm … tanned , suited , white teeth and smell like a Debenhams perfume counter … thats one up on England there !!……

VIGO – Capital of Oyster & Pearl Fishing ( allegedly ,, useless info I thought I would  throw in )

Also home to ALOT of shoe shops ! Woohoo

Ok I have my MBT sandals on and I have several villages & Mountains to conquer.   Legs this morning feel ok , last night however, after a full day of wearing my MBTs they were definitely  weary, and there was a tightening at the top of my legs that I haven’t felt for a while !!  ooh er .   My feet though were not sore at all, which was a god send as I have a bunion I have named Bob , seems naming it helps me accept it  and not snarl when I  try to squeeze my mutant feet into sandals .   I have been told that putting eyes on it and cotton wool hair however is taking it a step too far , although it has opened up the discussion on bunion jewellery !!  Well you do it for toe nails,  seems a natural progression …diamantes ? henna tattoo ?

Anyway Vigo today , one of the largest ports in Europe , can take all the fleets of the world apparently !! zzz wake up im getting onto the exciting bit …

I have walked for many years as a pastime and I have to say these MBTs are the best shoes I have ever had . At the end of the day again my feet felt like they had been wrapped in velvet and with the adjustable straps on the toes , the instep and the heels you can adjust it as you walk.  If like me your feet tend to swell in warm weather MBT are brilliant – no blisters ,  no pressure patches at all , and again there’s that burn in the top of my legs ( in the muscles that is ) .

More info on the MBT tomorrow, but tonight we have the Captains dinner so it’s on with the Moda in Pelle Quimby wedges , totally girlie ..totally gorgeous -  you MUST have a look on line or in store – they’re a must for summer .

Will let you know of any goss in next blog.  N.B Note to self ” Dont invite the captain back to cabin to see your MBTs ” pretty sure it may be misunderstood .. any alternative captions for MBT on a postcard to shoe – envy )

Tre x

So my first day aboard ship and out to sea and I am eternally grateful for my new MBT Saba Chill sandal .    I have worn them all day ( not advised as you are meant to wear them in !) anyway with many miles round ship clocked up these MBTs are a god send .  Not only are they extremely comfortable, but the slight rolling motion caused by the “natural instability ” of MBTs seems to not only improve my posture but also counteracts the rolling motion of the ship ( then again that may be that third “welcome ” cocktail… sure we are only meant to take one but with a pair of sunglasses and a different hat its amazing how many you can get !!) .

I have spied several other MBT wearers and we all give each other that knowing look the one that says ” yes i too will have buns of steel !”

I will keep you updated on how extreme “the burn” is this evening after taking them off .. but for now I have another hat and a waiter who is carrying more cocktails who i havent accosted yet .

Tre

P.S. I decided against the fourth cocktail after calling the waitress Gerald , geraldine ,easy mistake…

Destroy are well known for their superb selection of boots, but here at Shoe Envy we have been wowed by their range of high fashion sandals for the coming season. Combining their top quality leathers with classic Spanish design, they have created a range of shoes so swoon-worthy that Destroy has taken an early season lead, gracing all the feet here at Shoe Envy HQ.

The Destroy DY1998 Coma Swing shoe is a particular favourite. The cheeky open-toed ankle boot style has been translated perfectly for the summer season with these gorgeous shoes. A serious platform gives Naomi length legs without causing any instability and the beautiful dark brown leather provides the ever important allure of Sienna Miller’s perpetual bohemian chic. I will be wearing these religiously this summer as I am already having considerable difficulty in persuading myself to wear anything else.

Destroy Disko Boots

However, come festival season my Destroy boots will be firmly back in their old stomping ground. A festival essential for years now, my Destroy boots handle the tough wear, come rain or shine (I’m not going to go into which is more regular…), that each festival throws at them. This year, teamed with floaty nude tones, my Destroy boots will once again provide perfect practicality with the key festival looks.

For those of you looking to extend your footwear repetoire beyond Destroy, we suggest that you check out new brand to Shoe Envy, ‘Bunker’. Another Spanish brand, thus offering the same high quality leathers and classic design, Bunker has already caused a stir amongst our staff. Their biker style boots are hugely on-trend for the coming season, and their arrival has caused a buzz of excitement that we just cannot ignore…

These are the PERFECT boots for festival season 2011…and our offices are awash with dreams of acheiving the dream look of festival chic this summer, thanks to these gorgeous boots! They fulfil every aspect of the niche; resilient, beautiful and the perfect combination with floaty florals. Hard wearing leather that improves further with wear makes these Bunker boots a purchase that will only look better and better as the season wears on. Rolling out of your tent into the sunshine each morning and pulling Bunker boots on to balance out your floaty floral festival look will ensure that you are ready to explore, dance and party until dawn this summer.

Oh, to be partying until Dawn in Bunker boots…Roll on festival season 2011!

Shoe Envy and MBT teamed up on Saturday for an advertised instore mbt test drive – we had wonderful sunny weather, doors open, glasses of champagne and bucks fizz and experts on hand to help explain the mysteries of these fab fitness shoes, MBTs. We had a fantastic ‘MBT Ambassador’ Keith, who knows absolutely everything there is to know about MBTs, with us for the day. He answered hundreds of mbt related questions, so we learnt a vast amount from him. Also, our lovely rep Ian, DID come up with cakes on this occasion, and they were GOOD – even better, we burned off most of the calories by wearing our mbts for the day!! (probably not Alex, who must have had 3 cream donuts at last count…)

All shop staff have been wearing the MBT FORA and MBT Mahuta trainer over the past few weeks, a little at a time, as advised to start off with, but with a whole day of wearing Saturday soon felt the muscles aching in places we didnt know or couldnt remember we had !! Funnily enough the Teenage saturday girls felt “the burn ” far sooner than the more mature staff which goes to show all that teen lying in bed till midday just doesnt pay off !!

There was a fantastic “buzz” in the shop all day with new and return customers popping in to try not just the MBT range but all the wonderful new summer stock we have . With the champers flowing and girlie chat it created a vibrant atmosphere and a sworn decree to repeat again very soon .

We found the MBT nafasi to be among the most popular style instore, closely followed by the MBT Saba sandals, which are mbt’s most popular walking sandals – i guess if you are a keen walker anyway, Saba is a fantastic option for the warmer months. Those who were sceptical to start off with, having tried other fitness shoes, were swayed once they had tried on the mbts and wandered round the shop for a bit. It’s hard to ignore the feeling in your muscles! And almost everyone agreed, MBTs look far better on than off – Tre our shop manager, looked fantastic in hers, with her bootcut jeans, and Helen who is a fitness trainer anyway, was right at home in her MBT Nafasi! Still wearing them today we hear

Thanks to all those who came along and joined in the experience and we look forward to seeing you all soon. For those who did not have the chance to come along to test drive the MBT , there is still time to come along and see our trained staff and be entered into the free prize draw to win your very own pair of MBTs to help tone those muscles for summer.

However, this season it would appear that there is a glimmer of hope for my black shoe-less wardrobe! Camper has released a selection of black wedge heel sandals, which combine Camper’s excellent comfort technology with beautiful on-trend style. I am entirely smitten by two pairs, and already having a number of Camper shoes in my collection (I am a sucker for comfort and style), I am now facing an entirely new dilemma in deciding which of these deserve the honour of becoming my black heel staple!

The Rachael 21401 Wedge Sandal  comes in black and nude, and the cross over style ensures that the leg is elongated; a crucial deciding factor when choosing black shoes for anyone without Kate Moss’s physique! Camper have created a wedge heel at the perfect height, offering the extra inches without leaving you teetering around like a bird on a perch, and the super soft leather moulds to your foot, meaning that you eliminate any chance of rubbing or blisters.  These sandals will team beautifully with dresses, skirts and trousers, are easy to dress up and dress down and are, in every way, prime for the position of black shoe staple, but there is competition…

This gorgeous Camper Rachael 21182 Wedge Sandal offers the same wedge heel, comfort design and super soft leather. This multi-strap style brings gladiator style bang up to date, and offers the perfect structure to offset this summer’s floaty, romantic fashions. The sling back heel and low cut on the front are super flattering to the leg. All this leaves me in a complete quandry…undoubtably both utterly delicious, but which one deserves the title of ‘Black shoe staple’? I have gone from years of serious black shoe drought, to this sudden flood of Camper wedge heel goodness, and it is a decision that I just cannot make! Your opinions will be greatly received in making this life changing decision…the future style of my feet depend upon it!

Well, now that the weather has turned nice, and looks like it may stay that way for a while, we at shoe envy are wondering what new treat we can get for our feet! I am feeling the urge for gold shoes (yes, it could be my inner chav?) but who cares! I’ve always had a thing about gold shoes, and we have some lovely new moda in pelle shoes, Moda In Pelle Oxina, in gold, of course, and I think these will fit the bill nicely. They add a touch of style, and for me, as I’m out of practise wearing heels, due to over wearing of emu boots, these will be just right!

The MBT ambassador visited us recently ( did not bring cake, so clearly does not know the shoe envy rules yet, but that’s ok Ian, there’s always next time) and he brought with him some MBT trainers for us to try out. We started off a bit anti, not thinking they would probably do anything, and not really digging the look, so hard to please you might say! We were given a pair each to try, and were told to walk ‘normally; around the shop – this was easier than i thought – the hard thing is standing still – due to the rocking motion that the instability part creates, your body is constantly moving to make up for the imbalance, but this for me is the best bit!

You can actually feel them working as soon as you put them on – bizarre! Unlike some other fitness shoes, MBT really do actively work your muscles – it’s unavoidable – as you have to work once they’re on! so we walked, and jogged around the shop, and quickly got used to the feel of the MBTs. Having tried Fitflops, and actually owning several pairs, I would say, that it takes a lot of wear to actually feel anything from them in a ‘work out ‘ type of way, but with MBTs, you know they’re going to work.

So we’re sold on them – only thing now is to choose which ones to get! They have lots of different types of Trainers, like MBT Nafasi, which i like – leather upper and quite plain and simple, or a shoe version called Kesho, in a maryjane style, which is about as feminine as it gets, as there’s quite a lot they need to fit into an MBT to get the results you would want!

My favourite from the range is the MBT Jambo, due for release in May 2011 – looks quite converse-ish and is a good mbt starter shoe, as apparently gives a less extreme instability, so a good one to get used to them with, and it really does look good.

Our store manager is going on a cruise in April so is going to test out her MBT Nafasi trainers whilst onboard – doing circuits etc, and report back to us on what she really thinks about them – Tre has lower back pain so can test from a fitness and corrective stand point – will be interesting to see what she thinks! We will keep you posted, as we dont let staff take proper holidays here – so Tre will be blogging whilst sailing the seas to let us know how she gets on with her MBTs!

You can see the range of MBT at shoe envy here:   MBT Fitness Shoes arrive at Shoe Envy