By Brandy | Published:
April 24, 2012
Spring is here and we’re ready to show off some cute styles for warm weather from some of our favorite brands.
For the girl who loves glitz we present the Stride Rite Buffy!
What’s not to love about this super cute style?
Sequins? Check.
Bright colors? Check.
Frou-frou decoration? Check.
I recently sent these to my little cousin Riley who is the biggest four year old diva I know. She loves all things sparkly and is a total shoe girl. She absolutely loved them. I’m pretty sure there was squealing on the other end of the phone line when she called to thank me. She told me she had the perfect red dress to wear with them but thankfully she went with something that matched a little better.
By Brandy | Published:
November 2, 2011
Love ‘em or hate ‘em there is no denying that Ugg Australia still makes one of the most popular boots for winter. I have to admit when the craze first came around I wasn’t so fast to jump on board but once I put them on my feet I knew I couldn’t live without them. They are perfect for those cold days when your kids want to just bundle up and stay inside but they must get up and go to school instead. They’ll keep their little toes nice and toasty and they look so darn cute with their tights or jeans! The hard part is which style to choose! Let’s recap some of my favorites:
The number one boot for kids by far is the classic short. It’s the original so it’s hard to beat. I love the core colors but I love the fashion colors as well. These are easy and practical and can be handed down without going out of style. My favorite color is the chestnut.
A close second to the classic version is the Bailey Button. Same great features as the classic but with a little toggle and button to add some flair. These also come in my new favorite color for this season…navy!
After the success of the Bailey Button, Ugg came out with an update that is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen! The Bailey Bow! This boot has a cute satin bow in the back which is so adorable. It comes in pink and black but of course pink is my favorite!
And if boots aren’t their thing maybe try the slippers. I love the Dakota. Just a classic slipper that’s great for chilly evenings. It has a traction outsole so it can be worn outdoors too.
And last but not least I love, love, love the new snow boots from Ugg. The Bobbey is a great looking boot that will keep them warm and dry. It’s fully waterproof so the kids can play in the snow for hours and their socks won’t get soggy. They come in great colors for girls and boys but I love the classic look of the grizzly.
Posted in Boots, Cold Weather, Cold Weather, Slippers, Uncategorized | Tagged Bailey Bow, Bailey Button, Bobbey, Boots, Classic Short, Dakota, Slippers, Snow Boots, Ugg, Ugg Australia, Ugg Boots |
By Brandy | Published:
October 27, 2011
Here at shoes.com we are gearing up for winter. While I’m ready for cooler temperatures, I’m not quite ready for snow so we’ll save the snow boot post for later. Instead we’re reintroducing a classic. We’ve brought back Superga!
Superga has been around for almost 100 years and the classic 2750 has been an iconic style from the beginning. It’s super versatile and comes in lace or velcro. It can be worn to school or worn outside to play. The best part is that it’s machine washable!
The 2750 comes in lace or velcro and a ton of great colors. Right now we have the basic core, go with anything, colors but look for bright fun colors for Spring 2012.
By Brandy | Published:
June 22, 2011
Hopefully you enjoyed yesterday’s post! Here is the rest of the story!
I was lucky enough to be a sizer for two of the days we distributed. Because I’m the kids shoe buyer I get asked a zillion questions everyday about kids sizing, and the sizing chart we have on our website has been a pain in my side since the day I started here (until my hero Bill came along and redid it for me! Yay!) So it was kind of funny that I would be a sizer on this trip. I say I was lucky to do it because it allowed me to see what the kids were wearing (or in some cases not wearing) before they would get their new shoes. Some of the kids had shoes but they were badly worn or just not appropriate for the conditions they live in. Children in America have a pair of shoes for every activity they do. Soccer or baseball cleats for sports, dress shoes for church, tennis shoes for play, here most have one pair of shoes for everything they do. Imagine trying to play soccer in boys dress shoes. And on top of that imagine those shoes being two sizes too small. Many of the children had no shoes at all and their feet were cut and scratched from everyday life. In the moment I wasn’t thinking of these things because I was trying to entertain the kids but it was definitely something I thought about once it was over.
The kids we helped this week were given Crocs and they treated them like gold. Many of us in the fashion industry think Crocs are silly and we would never wear them but these kids would get them and then rush over to the side to take them off and put their old shoes back on so they could save them. I saw one boy who just couldn’t decide if he should keep the strap on top of the shoe or wear it around his heel. They were so happy to have these new shoes and they could not stop smiling! Sometimes we would not have a child’s exact size so we would give them a size too big so that they could grow into it but I didn’t hear one single complaint. Some of the bigger sizes ran out quickly and we would have to take the child’s information so that we could send a pair to them later and again, not a single complaint. These kids stood in line with 100 other kids and not once did I see pushing or fighting. There was no complaining or whining. There was just pure joy at the fact that someone was there to help them and give them something they so desperately needed. Something that we all take for granted.
There is so much more I could say about these amazing kids and that has been my issue in telling everyone about my experience. When someone says to me, “How was Africa?” I’m not sure what the correct response is. Amazing doesn’t seem like the right way to describe it. While my experience was amazing it just doesn’t seem like the most fitting word to use. This trip made me think. It made me reevaluate a lot of things. It made me see how much joy I, one person, could bring to a child’s life. I was able to give them hope just by showing up. I was able to provide them love (even if it was just for one day) through a hug. Yes the shoes were important but listening to some of their stories or playing with them was just as important. So I think the best answer I could give to the question, “How was Africa?” would be, “You just have to go and experience it for yourself.”
And now you get happy pictures!!
They were so excited to show off their new shoes!
We Love our new Crocs!
They even match the uniform!
He wanted to save his for later.
He was saving his too...or maybe he couldn't see them through the sunglasses I gave him!
By Brandy | Published:
June 22, 2011
Hello everyone! Sorry for the lack of updates! If you read our sister blog Sole Food you know that I have been on a trip to Tanzania with Soles4Souls. Here is Part 1 of the recap I posted on there yesterday!
I’m finally back from my trip to Africa with Soles4Souls after about 30 long hours worth of flights! I returned on Friday and have been thinking about what I wanted to write for this blog ever since. When I would tell someone that I was going to Tanzania to pass out shoes to orphanages and schools I heard the same response over and over again…”what a life changing experience.” I knew I would come back with a different mindset but I had no idea how hard it would be to express it.
I have always been someone that wants to help people. I volunteer with several local charities and I’m always trying to think of a way I can do more. I thought this was a great opportunity to see firsthand the difference I could make in someone’s life. I have always loved this quote by Edward Everett Hale: “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything but I can do something.” Sometimes volunteer work can be frustrating because you don’t see the results and you wonder if you are actually making a difference. This opportunity was a completely different experience and it’s been very hard to process and take in.
We spent the week in Kigoma which is a town in western Tanzania. We visited 8 orphanages/schools and were able to provide hundreds of kids new shoes! Some of the places we visited were nicer than others but the reaction to us coming was all the same. As soon as the kids would see our big purple bus pull up they would run out to greet us. It was sometimes overwhelming to hear the roar of the children as we were getting off the bus. They would patiently wait while we got set up and then they would line up to receive their new shoes. Each distribution ran the same with one or two people sizing the kids feet on paper size charts and then sending them to the next group of people to get their feet washed and then finally to get their new shoes. After the kids had received their shoes we would have time to play and talk with the kids.
I apologize for the two parter but since I’ve been gone for two weeks I have a lot to catch up on! I’ll have more on the actual distribution tomorrow but for now it’s back to reality which unfortunately means meetings! I’ll leave you with some pictures to ponder in the mean time!
Greeting us at the Bus!
Old Shoes outside the Dorm.
Standing in Line for New Shoes!
Girls Getting Their Feet Washed
By Brandy | Published:
March 21, 2011
Sometimes I come across little girls shoes that I would love to have for myself. The Haviva by Primigi is one of those shoes. I absolutely love the snakeskin print and would totally wear these out with jeans and a t-shirt to run errands in. What do you think?
Haviva by Primigi
By Brandy | Published:
March 17, 2011
Posted in Athletic, Casual, flip-flops, Sandals, Skate, sneakers | Tagged Chuck Taylor, Converse, Crocs, DC Shoes, Green, Jack Rogers, Keen, Tsukihoshi |
