Summer Kicks Series: Rist’s Navy Leather Wynwood Low Tops

Early this spring, MSP introduced you to the luxury sneaker brand RIST. After a successful Kickstarter campaign this June, they’re set to release their debut line this September. After some deliberation & some enthusiastic brand outreach, I scooped up a pair of the Wynwood’s in navy blue before the line drops to the public. It’s honest to say, these kicks have been well received by people on the street and might be one of my favorite pair of sneakers that I worn in quite some time. 

Navy Blue Leather Wynwood Low Top Sneakers  – RIST | Custom Essential Navy Blue Pants – Indochino | Navy Blue & White Dotted Shirt – H&M | Green Sea Dragon Timepiece – Zodiac x Hook+albert | Grey Fade 502 Sunglasses – True Vintage Revival

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There’s a laundry list of details that make the Wynwood sneakers one hell of a “must cop” pair of kicks to add to your wardrobe. Here are my top 4 reason they made the MSP Kicks Of Summer list;

• Leather Quality/Fit: these two characteristic go hand-in-hand. High quality calf leather outers & tan leather lining make for a sturdy pair of sneakers. Unlike most leather sneakers, the structured integrity of the shoe’s shape is never compromised. All of this together makes for a shoe that continually hugs the foot and never loses its sleek silhouette
• They’re Essentially A Formal Sneaker: with a style that’s reminiscent of a whole-cut Oxford shoe, but, all the trapping of a traditional sneaker – these sneakers are chameleon-like in their approach to style. Rock them with a suit, jeans or shorts and they’ll be as refined as all your tailored pieces and they’ll dress up your casual gear
• Clean Design: when brands have trended toward the “flashy” low top sneaker with colors that would blow out your retinas, it’s refreshing to find a cleanly tailor sneaker that’s unassuming. With a plain white sole, you’re really able to appreciate the rich and deep navy blue hue of the leather
• The Gold Details: the subtle addition of gold tip laces & gold cutout on the heel gives a subtle nod to modern-style and breaks away from what could have been a monotonous sneaker

The Shoe Girl Loves Ruby Stella!

I am so fortunate to be surrounded by some pretty talented and amazing friends in my life, and sometimes I think I take that for granted. I think I’d like to do some posts about just how awesome my friends are, starting with these two. So excuse me while I humble brag about my rad girlfriends.

These two babes, my friends Ruby and Stella are also two of my favorite jewelry designers! I love their stuff and I figured you would too.

The girls, like me, are following in their father’s footsteps (a seasoned professional jeweler with over 45 years of experience) but blazing their own trail. They make the coolest designs with the BEST quality- always using 14k solid gold and fully cut diamonds… meaning they’ll shine brighter than some other trendy jewelers that use diamond chips.

I’m a huge fan of their stackable, mix and matchable pieces. Whenever I see Stella she’s got a new combination of rings that look amazing! She takes them off and shows me how the pieces all fit together and how by just switching the placement or the combo of rings, you get a totally new look. It’s the coolest stuff, I swear! (Check out their Instagram @rubystella for all the different ways they wear their jewels) Here are just a small few of my faves…1. 14k White Gold Diamond Sapphire Evil Eye Bracelet-  We’ve all seen cute evil eye bracelets but this one is my fave! The eyelashes make it for me

2. 14k Rose Gold Floating Heart Necklace- I LOVE this simple yet perfect heart. Perfect worn alone or with multiple hearts at different lengths like Ruby wears

3. 14k White Gold Diamond Curved V Ring- This is one of my favorites. Check out how the girls stack this with other rings to make totally different looks

My Custom Made Wedding Shoes!

My beautiful and gifted friend, Lucia Roman offered to design me some wedding shoes and I’m not an idiot so of course I said yes! Lucia is our L.A.M.B. designer and is responsible for the designs of some of my favorite shoes in our companies history! She’s crazy talented so I knew I was in good hands…She sketched up several options and we picked the four that we liked best. Those four were made into prototypes and then the winner was made for me to wear on my wedding day! This beautiful pearl encrusted bootie was perfect in every way.Thank you so much Lucia!!! I love them and am happy that they will forever be a part of the memory of the best day of my life!!!

SHOE BLOG ROLL

Want to be on my blog roll?  Email me a picture of your favourite pair of shoes (beafunmum (at) gmail (dot) com), your web address and three words to describe your blog. Vertical pictures work best. It doesn’t have to be a fabulous shoe, although, I think every shoe is fabulous, it just has to be  a YOU-SHOE!

Browse the blogs below by clicking on the picture.  As you hover over the shoes, the name of the blog will appear.  Have fun!

If you love looking at gorgeous shoes, I’ve put together a designer shoe guide for buying shoes in Australia.

How to Make your Legs Look Longer

Truth: Girls love long legs.

If you’re blessed with them, flaunt them. If not, yes – you can still flaunt them! How to make those legs of yours look long? Well, it’s all about the shoes and the clothing. You just need to find what style tricks work best for your body or which patterns create the illusion of elongated legs.

1. Buy shoes with heels of any height, preferably pointy. Heels give you extra height, creating the illusion of an elongated leg. Opt for skinny heels over chunky heels to avoid adding bulk to your foot and lower leg.

2. Match your shoes with your pants or stockings. For example, try wearing a panty hose with black heels. This one-colour look creates a clean line, as the eye travels from the top of your leg straight down to the floor without stopping.

3. Go nude-or dark. Not in the socialite way.  Get nude coloured shoes. These are shoes that closely blends with the tone of your skin. Or cover your legs with dark colours. Black and other muted shades have a slimming effect, and wearing them on your legs will make your legs look more slender, leaner and longer.

@Sh. 2999

4. Look for open-toed or peep-toe shoes. Sandals and open-toed shoes expose more skin on the top of your foot. The more skin you show, the more leg an onlooker’s eye will see. And don’t forget to paint your toe-nails!!

5. Look for ballet flats with a pointed toe. Again, a pointed toe makes your foot look longer, which, in turn, may also help your overall leg look longer.

6. Know the Right Pair of Shoes for You. Whatever shoes you like, better know what clothes to pair it with. For example, jeans are best paired with ankle boots while long skirts look cute with calf length boots. If you have slim calves, try knee-high boots. Basically, the most effective way to elongate your legs is to show skin. That means it is advisable to wear peep toed shoes or flip flop sandals.

- See more at: http://blog.batakenya.com/#sthash.lzQEErxl.dpuf

Shoe Care Tips for Leather

Research shows that fashionistas are in agreement that – “You’re not dressed up, if Your Shoes are worn down”. Whereas physical health experts are in agreement that footwear is meant to protect your feet as well as the general well being of your physical body. Psychologists on the other hand are in agreement that what you wear on your feet is a reflection of your personality.

Available in Bata stores @Kshs.3299

When these three schools of thought are blended, we find that footwear protects your feet and at the same time, it is a reflection of your personality since your personal style says a lot about who you are.

However, we tend to forget that the beauty and lifespan of a shoe is dependent on how well we take care of it. For instance, shoe experts world wide are in agreement that leather is nature’s perfect shoe material:

Leather breathes which allows your feet to breathe as nature intended. Leather flexes and bends with every move you make. Leather is luxurious and durable. Leather is restorable and is an investment that requires personal care. Leather may cost a little more but will last a lot longer with proper care. (Atkinson Shoe Repair Inc.)

Below are some general tips on the best way to care for your leather shoes:

Available in Bata stores @Kshs.4299

1. It is possible to minimize the effects of exposure to water as well as other weather conditions such as excessive heat from sunlight.

- In case your leather shoe has been exposed to water, do not wear it while it is wet and do not expose it to sunlight in an attempt to dry it. Simply, allow  your shoe to dry at room temperature. Footwear should be kept away from direct heat because prolonged exposure to heat may dry and crack leather.

2. Don’t let dirt build up, clean shoes and boots regularly:

- Clean off dirt after every wear with a soft brush or rag

- Maintain the leather gleam: polish, polish, polish.

3. Keep your shoe shape by loosening laces or buckles before removing.

4. Use a shoehorn for slipping your shoes onto your feet, this prevents breakdown of the heel counter, the leather support between the lining and the upper of the shoe,  from losing its stability.

5. Don’t wear tight shoes. Wear an appropriate size for you.

6. Practice preventive maintenance. Repair your shoes before every-day wear turns into damage.

Keeping your shoes looking good is not hard to do. Shoe care is especially easy if you have just the right stuff.

- See more at: http://blog.batakenya.com/2011/08/09/shoe-care-tips-for-leather/#sthash.a3weGuIR.dpuf

Saucony Hurricane ISO 2 Review

I really like Saucony shoes, so I was happy to get this pair for testing. Unboxing them revealed the flashy “slime green” color scheme, which was a much tamer color scheme to the Saucony Zealots I ran in last year.

The Saucony Hurricane Iso 2s I was looking at really resembled the Zealots I tried, they had similar overlays, similar lacing setups, and similar external heel counters.

What makes the Hurricane Iso different is that it weighs a tad more to pack more support in the shoe compared to the Zealots.

I can agree with that, but I don’t think it’s that much more support. FYI, if you want more support, go for the Omni, the Xodus or the Redeemer line.

Saucony Hurricane ISO 2 General Info

Saucony Hurricane ISO 2 – Heel

The Saucony Hurricane line of shoes are a highly cushioned shoes with enough support to be considered stability shoes.

Saucony provides a cushioning scale and they rank these shoes just 2 points away from maximum possible cushioning. Their shoe with maximum cushioning is theTriumph.

The Hurricane line is probably on the high end of cushioning for Saucony, but it’s not a pillow-like slipper experience. You’re still getting a responsive ride while wearing these shoes.

Saucony Hurricane ISO 2 Sole Unit

Saucony Hurricane ISO 2 – Sole

The outsole has fair amount of rubber in the bottom, and I would categorize it as rugged when compared to many other types of stability shoes of the same class.

The zig-zag pattern under the forefoot is a more aggressive tread pattern when compared to the previous model that had patches radiating outward from the inside of the forefoot.

This newer pattern of tread for Saucony won’t probably be great for intense trail running, but it looks like the shoe is designed with road and mixed trail running in mind.

Saucony put their highly durable XT-900 rubber at high-wear locations, and their softer iBR+ rubber near the midfoot for better cushioning.

The midsole gets pretty fancy, Saucony is using their EVERUN technology as a stability and cushion boosting insert just beneath the heel. This EVERUN technology is also used in the entire topsole on the Hurricane shoe.

Yes, this is another tech term to throw around, so here are the numbers for EVERUN: 3x better property retention than standard EVA foam, 83% energy returned on each stride.

It’s no flubber, but I would agree it’s better than your standard running shoe foam and I enjoyed the benefits during my longer runs.

Oh, Saucony isn’t done yet with the midsole. They also have their signature PWRGRID+ tech for even more added cushioning, and they have a dual density medial post for added stability.

New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 Review

New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 General Info

The New Balance 1080 fresh foam brings fresh foam technology to the 1080 for the first time.

Their intention is to take the 1080 series to a whole new level by introducing state of the art technology packaged within its fresh foam midsole.

New Balance places a strong emphasis on how fresh foam was designed by collecting biomechanical data from runners such as wear tendencies and force patterns and directly using that information to create a one piece midsole.

They consider this new way of midsole design a smarter way of designing soles because they are able to actually pinpoint where runners need support and cushioning.

As a result of this new design process the fresh foam midsoles are able, in New Balances words, to deliver a supremely cushioned underfoot feel that respects and maintains a runners need to engage with the ride itself.

The upper of the 1080 fresh foam is also newly designed with an engineered mesh. It is designed to accommodate various instep heights and foot volumes and securely wrap the midfoot.

This shoe looks really nice. It’s not often that I unbox a running shoe and think it actually looks nice and I would wear it outside of a running atmosphere. The foam is thick and the shoe has a wide base.

The upper is made of various mesh materials that are woven together. When I put them on for the first time the cushioning felt firmer than I had expected.

The upper was very comfortable and left a good amount of room in the toe area which I like.

New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 Sole Unit

New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 – Sole

The fresh foam midsole is thick and supportive. This shoe has a wide base so it feels stable. The midsole is all one piece of foam that has a nice shape that fits my foot well.

When I ran in the shoe I found the cushioning to be a little firm for my liking. New Balance advertises this shoe as delivering a soft ride and I had trouble feeling that softness.

It felt firmer than I am used to with a highly cushioned shoe. Again not rock hard firm but certainly not soft.

From researching reviews of other fresh foam shoes, I knew the cushioning would not be super soft but I didn’t expect it to feel as firm as it did. It just didn’t have that nice comfortable soft ride I was hoping for.

The midsole and insole feel like they conform to the bottom of my foot perfectly so the new design process has given New Balance the ability to make a midsole that I would say is “shaped” perfectly in regards to stability and flexibility.

It has 2 well placed grooves in the forefoot of the outsole that form flex points allowing the shoe to have a smooth ride. Where I’d say it could improve is in the softness of the cushioning.

With the relatively recent surge of max cushioning shoes people are starting to really appreciate feeling a soft midsole with a smooth ride. The ride is smooth and the shoe flexes well but its missing that softness.

I knew not to expect Hoka-like softness but I certainly expected softer cushioning than what the fresh foam provides. I didn’t notice anything new, exciting, or impressive in this midsole that sets it apart from others.

I actually found this shoe to have a firmer ride than a lot of other everyday training shoes that I have run in.

New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 Upper Info

New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 – Top

This shoe fits true to size. Everything about the upper screams comfort. It is composed of stretchy mesh materials with plush, soft fabric used in the heel area. When I initially put this shoe on I was highly impressed.

The mesh materials used are forgiving and able to stretch with the shape of your foot. It hugs the midfoot and opens up nicely in the toe box area allowing room for toe splay.

The plush tongue of the shoe has a piece of soft fabric on each side that attaches it to the base of the upper giving this shoe a sock like feel. All of these features that this upper are comprised of seemed really promising until I ran in the shoe.

As I ran in the shoe more I came across a rubbing issue. While the mesh was flexible and able to stretch to the contour of your foot, I found that this flexibility was was mostly on the top and outside of the upper.

The medial side (inside) of the upper could also stretch but to a much lesser extent.

I found that the medial side right near the ball of my foot was stretching this mesh to its capacity which resulted in what felt like my foot rubbing and pounding against a firm strip of fabric.

There is also a seam located in this general area that attaches the New Balance logo to the side of the shoe which could also be part of the problem.

The thread attaching the logo to the shoe is causing the mesh to be less flexible in that area and causing a hot spot. I was also able to feel that the midsole extends into the upper in this area as well.

This basically creates a 1-2 mm lip of midsole that causes an area of irritation. This created blistering on both feet, and this was after a 5 mile run.

This is actually the first shoe thats caused blistering like this that I have tested. This came as a complete surprise because when I initially put the shoe on before running it felt extremely comfortable. Your mileage might vary.

AUBERCY BESPOKE BACK ON THE RISE!

I have always loved Aubercy shoes, not only for the immaculate footwear they sell but for what the brand (and mainly the people behind the brand) stands for. And what they stand for is passion and excellence above all, i.e. doing things from the heart and not for the money. That is why you can’t really buy Aubercy shoes outside of Paris (save for a rare selection of a few shops), as they would rather make sure that a shoe is sold properly than to just get a sale and possibly have their shoes sold in some shop where the sales assistant says anything to make the sale as opposed to saying the right thing that explains why the shoes are worth the money they cost.

Aside from my love for their shoes, what is great is that their bespoke program is back and is making exquisite footwear (they had a hiccup as the previous maker had left). Here you can see the just one of the beauties that they have recently created. To see a few more check the link below, especially the immaculate two toned oxford that is mind-blowing amazing!!!

All pictures courtesy of High Toned

SHOE TREND ALERT SPRING/SUMMER 2016 (3) – FLORAL & LEAF

No double spring is the time reminding people of flowers and little green sprouts.
Joyful and romantic floral print trend has been in full bloom for several springs in the past.
On the runway of spring/summer 2016, the designers have integrated it into their shoe designs with floral prints, intricate leaf cuts, floral shoe embellishment and adorable flower shaped buttons.
We especially love the golden leafs on Vivienne Westwood shoes, as if the sun is shining through them.
For those who are not willing to be covered by flowers from head to toe, a pair of floral printed or leaf embellished shoes can really add the summer style to your wardrobe.
Here are some of our favorite shoe designs in this theme from runway spring/summer 2014: