It Ain’t Pretty But it Ain’t Half Bad

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Diving Shoes 003
>>I've never endorsed the Crocs, the Birkenstocks or any such 'summery' cult footwear because my reaction always consists of a raised superarched eyebrow and physical balking at the exorbitant price of an what is essentially to me an aesthetically disturbing shoe.  Something is a-changing though what with my recent conversion to the Melissa x Vivienne Westwood Anglomania 3 strap shoe so much so that I'm tempted by the current summer colours like lilac and aqua.  An even more affordable bit of feet rubber are these F-Troupe bathing shoes which as a reader pointed out have been Teen Vogued and after a joyful session of bounding about an empty Oxford Street this morning in them (EAR-LY breakfast meeting…), I'm fully convinced that another ¬£20 pop of colour is needed to augment the flats intake (incidentally, have had the most flat additions to my shoe collection this year compared to the four previous years…nothing to do with the dodgy ankle of course….).  

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40 comments

  1. Get your feet off the seats! Loving these shoes though, they may be the solution to my summer shoes problem…

  3. I’m looking for these shoes from a U.S. website in blue or purple. Can you someone help me out?? Also, do they fit true to size (I wear a US 8 – would that be a 38 or a 39 for these shoes?)
    I’m loving the juicy pop of color from these and the Melissa shoes (which I also covet — err, reading this blog is really hurting my bank account Susie! 🙂

  4. I agree with jodi! The United Nudes are a serious step up from those unfortunate cult shoes. I like the way the shoes look better off the foot, but I bet they’re comfortable anyway.

  5. I’ve always assumed that rubber shoes would be so hot (hence the holes in cros…they’re not just for those pins, right?). But, the styles from Westwood and Unitednude seem so enclosed. Are they not unbearably hot and make the feet sweaty?

  7. They are very cool. I still have a mental block about plastic shoes, though, after the nightmare that is my childhood jelly heels. Yes, jelly HEELS. Did you have a pair? 😉 x

  8. Ah yes, the sweat issue…yes, there’s sweat involved but who’s to say sweat is a bad thing….there’s plenty of it involved in the summer but I’m not bothered by it in the feet….that’s what showers, pools and beaches are for! I’m just glad that my fringed forehead doesn’t sweat too much… then I would be in REAL trouble…
    The United Nudes are great but to me sort of miss the point of a bounding summer shoe…I want to be able to run around, sans heel…. bound around in a stupid way without looking at all chic/elegant or actually, fashionable…

  9. i was eyeing these up on creatures of comfort the other day. might have to pick them up but i know i’m going to have the hardest time deciding what color

  11. These are the perfect “I just got caught in a pop-up thunderstorm and I don’t really care” shoes. I hemmed and hawed over them at Opening Ceremony a few months back but took a step back because of my fear of rubber rubbing on skin— I have to ask…any blisters to speak of?

  14. These are actually kind of cute and fun-looking. They say “carefree summer”!
    As a stiletto-wearing collector of expensive and impractical shoes, I’m embarrassed to admit this but…I have a pair of Crocs. Let me explain: I live on a small Caribbean island and in my leisure time, I sometimes hang around on boats, walking on wooden docks and trekking about. Those are the only occasions I wear such abominable-looking but sun-protective, skid-resistant, comfy footwear. (I guess I’d wear them gardening, too.) There, I said it! 🙂
    Anyway…once again, cute flats, love the purple hue!

  17. I want to get my hands on some of the westwood jelly-like shoes, keep convincing myself they are nothing like crocs.
    Have you seen ‘mammoth’ crocs….good god no

  22. I have to admit, I like the color- but the material and the cut-outs at the side aren’t my cup of tea. It is a big improvement on the company’s part, though!

  24. I love Melissa shoes. And the rubber to me feels different than the jelly shoes in the 80’s, they are more flexible and don’t cause blisters. My feet don’t sweat in them. If anything my feet sweat more in Ferragamo patent ballet flats than in the Melissa shoes.

  25. I hate to say this, but they remind me of those ‘ÁôΩÈ£ØÈ≠öÈûã’ (don’t know if you can read Chinese), if you know what I mean, those white plimsolls you wear in gym class if you go to primary school in Hong Kong..
    But of course, these ones are the glam version..

  26. Ooh! How cute! Are they comfy enough for walking for blocks & blocks? I always struggle to find comfy funky shoes! 🙂
    xx

  32. oh susie you’re killing me! since you posted these, ive found these shoes on a couple of different stores online but the shipping to australia is crazy. 20 pounds which is almost as much as the shoes!
    i’ll just console myself with the though that these beauties wouldnt fit my monsterously wide feet, since the fit looks quite narrow…

  33. I made a geeky collage of this exact pair (purple is definitely the better colour choice) and stuck it up on my blog a few weeks ago.
    I have a weird thing for rubber footwear.

  34. I have always wanted a stylish pair of rubber shoes (Crocs – bleeeurgh). These are the best I have seen so far, even if they do remind me of ÁôΩÈ£ØÈ≠öÈûãs too! I hope they are comfy as I just ordered a pair from ranshop.co.uk. Waiting very impatiently for them to arrive….

  35. Oh! Stephanie, I also live on Caribbean island. Both of us fans of Susie – what are the odds.
    Indeed, I find the rubber shoes particularly interesting because of the weather conditions here. When it rains, it really rains! And sidewalks are just so hard to come by. My solution has been to do something I’d never thought I’d do: buy cheap pleather sandals that I don’t mind wrecking.
    I’m afraid I don’t share your carefree attitude for sweaty feet, Susie. Its far too uncomfortable!

  37. girls, http://www.melissa.com, if you’re looking for them.
    unfortunately, melissa has one of those “IP address readers” (i’m not a tech geek, so it’s probably not called that way!) and the webpage that opens up in Brazil is different from the one that opens internationally. haven’t been on their international webiste lately, but chances are it will have information on how to find melissas in your country.
    the brazilian one is *oh-so-cute* and should be opened up to international customers. and it has some many more colours and styles. such a shame…

  40. Not all crocs are bad, they do sell ones that look like ballet pumps and besides I prefer espidrills (not sure I’ve spelt that right)they are breathable which is better for your feet
    Beth 🙂

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