Mummy & Daughter Shoes for Florida

Last year when I went touring around the North East Coast of the US, I royally messed up my feet. I mean blisters on my blister and to be honest, a year on, they still haven’t recovered. It was all due to wearing “fashion” sandals and walking miles. I swore to myself that I would never make that mistake again and invest in some good pairs of shoes for any holidays that required me to be on feet for long periods of time. When I headed off to Florida in April I’d bought 3 pairs of flat t-bars that although they never caused me any blisters, the fact they were complete flat meant my legs ended up aching as Magic Kingdom is built on a hill. Ever since then I’ve been on the hunt for a pair that would be soft against my feet (ie real leather) but have support for the arch of my foot and therefore support the back of my legs, and the other week, Jones Bootmakers answered my prayers.

The sandals I went for are by Ecco, a brand known for great quality and comfort so I felt happy choosing them. These are the Ecco Flash* currently on sale for £42 down from £85. I was so excited for them to arrive because since becoming a mum footwear in particular sandals that maybe see the light of day 5 times a year thanks to the British Summer Time I can’t justify spending anymore than £10. Which is definitely the reason why my feet ended up such a mess last time around. On first impressions they feel super comfortable. Leather uppers usually are and they have great support for my foot arch. I love the tan colour as it’ll go with everything and unlike a lot of sandals that offer support for the foot, they’re actually nice to look and and not too clumpy. From ordering them to arrival they hardly took any time at all, so the service was something to be impressed by. Great if you need something last minute. I’m really pleased with Jones Bootmaker and I will be using the site again because you can’t beat their sale prices.

Of course, over the last 5 months, LM has grown like a mushroom resulting in all the shoes I’d bought for her last trip to no longer fit. Although I do tend to buy shoes that match all her various dresses, I do like to have one pair that is her “for all” shoes. At this time of year (because I didn’t want to buy earlier in case she grew again) it’s harder to find something as the shops are selling off their last few pairs of summer shoes and for some reason LM’s size has been popular leaving us with very little choice. I know what I wanted, a nice light pair of shoes, preferably leather and not patent with a closed toe. A closed toe might seem a little odd for a holiday in the sun, but a theme park holiday I feel it’s a necessity, all the people walking sometimes at a quick pace has me terrified that someone would step on her and she could end up with a broken toe. I do not want to be claiming on my insurance for something that could be easily avoided. Sadly at this time of year, closed toes mainly equal back to school shoes. Then I remembered Livie and Luca, the brand of shoes LM wore for her Princess and the Frock photo shoot back in March.

After a bit of discussion on Twitter with the Livie and Luca account (great response time to my questions) we established that LM would be best for a US 8 in the styles I’d picked out. In the end I went for one called Clove which came to around about the £25 with postage. They’re no longer available on the site as they were in the sale.

I really love them. I did have to put an extra hole in the strap because LM has such skinny ankles but they feel really soft inside, there is enough room at the toe and because they are quite high up the ankle I know not only her feet but her ankles will be safe from mad park rushes. Although they are white, the pattern on them stops them from looking bright white but since they are leather they will wipe clean well, so important for children’s shoes. LM loves that they have flowers on them, and because they’re light, despite being closed toes they will work perfectly for a holiday in the sun. Also, you know that thing about kids and boxes? Well, it’s true. LM loves a box and the box her shoes came in have little handles! She now uses it to transport her Tsum Tsum’s up and down the stairs! Winner!

Both Jones Bootmaker and Livie & Luca are British run companies that specialise in high quality and service, something I try to support as much as humanly possible. The service from ordering to delivery and the products themselves are second to none. Lets hope they keep our feet safe and comfortable on holiday!