Feeling Stylish

… I don’t seem to have anything to wear! Nothing to keep my feet warm (other than UGGs, which I’m loathed to wear out of the house), no boots to go with a nice dress, nothing waterproof and nothing comfortable. When did this happen? I had 60 pairs so shoes. That may now be down to only 45 but why am I struggling so much?

I may be broke at the moment (hence the selling of my shoe collection) but I do need to sort myself out with some winter boots/dress boots.

I’m going to buy one of these and I think it’s between the first two. However, those cowboy boots are exactly what I’m looking for! Tell me which I should buy, please.

As I’m getting better and better at walking in heels I wanted to have a think about heeled boots. Something a bit rock and something that would certainly keep my toes warm during winter. My current shoe situation is Converse, UGGs and DMs none of which are really practical (or attractive, now I think about it) for winter.

Here’s a want list of cute winter boots.

These Tone Ups Chalet Snow Boots appeal to my love for chunky, warm footwear. However, I realised I’ve fallen at the first hurdle on the ‘heeled’ part of this post. Let’s ace it, I’m always going to be a flat shoes girl.

The Fru.it Gisella Snow Boots are also gorgeous and would go a little way to do some leg lengthening. Even since I bought my Leopard Wedges last year I’ve been wanting another pair of low wedge boots. These might be the ones.

These Sibel boots by Betty London are bright, furry and have a comfy(-looking) heel. I have a pair of Betty London sandals and they are rather comfy considering they are quite high. Although due to the weather this year I only managed to wear them once.

These Air Step Jazz Fur Boots need to get on my feel now! Furry without being generic snow boots. Oh my god I want you. (And at £203 would never be able to afford you.)

Whenever I’m trawling shoe websites for inspiration I often find myself gravitating to Atelier Voisin but these shoes are possibly the most gorgeous I’ve seen from the brand. I love the chunky heel, the colour, the material and that great big tied sling back. These are £122 over at Spartoo (down from £174).

Wear these shoes with bare legs and a dark floral dress. Keep all other accessories simple and let these beauties stand out!

Want.

I am by no means a runner, I am someone who jogs and complains about it. But I’ve been doing this a short while and there’s a lot I’ve learned. As a beginner runner I hope there’s something I can share with you. I enjoy running but I never realised just how much there was to take into consideration.

Shoes.

Get proper running shoes. If you can get a gait analysis done at a running shop (their shoes tend to be quite expensive though so if you are strapped for cash find out what they recommend then buy from somewhere such as Spartoo.)

I overpronate, which greatly affects how I run, where I might get injured and what shoes I need to buy to correct this. Runner’s World explain this here.

Because I’ve been finding myself with some calf and shin pain I’m thinking my current shoes aren’t really doing the job. I currently have the Asics shoes below. They are a great mid-distance running shoe that aren’t too highly priced.

They’re comfortable and nothing rubs but I’ve just got this feeling that they aren’t right for me. They’ve now also done a great deal of miles so it’s probably time for an upgrade.

Other things to think about

• You can’t always run through the pain, if anything hurts then you should take a look at how/where you are running.
• The impact on your joints is huge when you run. Bear this in mind if you have bad ankles, knees, hips or lower back.
• It’s easier on your joints if you run on grass or treadmill than if you run on road/pavement.
• Walking quickly at an incline burns as many calories as running.
• Stretch! It helps to prevent injury. Dynamic stretches before you run so you just warm your muscles.

I am not an expert. These are just things I’ve learnt from being a beginner runner. If you have any questions or are injured then please consult a physiotherapist, doctor, personal trainer or similar. If anyone would like to correct or further inform me on anything above then please do so!