“Purposeful” shoes. Do we need them in our shoe-robe?

It’s no bloggie secret that I’m a huge fan of heels. HUGE.

If I could, I would wear them all day. Every day.

Kitten heels, platforms, peep-toes, wedges. I love me a little extra height. Even if attaining that little extra height means I have to sacrifice any all comfort and opt for a taxi to take me 400 metres after a night out.

In fact, comfort rarely enters into my shoe equation. My flat shoes are technically not comfortable, either. (A client of mine who’s a podiatrist gave me the sensible shoe low-down in the shoe department of Myer. She told me that flat to the ground was bad (no support for you arches).  Also, ballet flats are not kind to your feet because you walk your toes need to scrunch up to keep you in them.)

So when the people at FitFlop offered to send me a pair from their latest collection**, I asked myself the question: is there room for comfort in my shoe-robe? Or, as my good friend and blogger Veggie Mama more succinctly described the Floretta FitFlops that subsequently arrived – is there room for a pair of  ”purposeful” pair in my collection?

Before I answer the question (or perhaps you have already answered it for me?), let me take you back in time to when FitFlops first flopped onto the footwear scene. It was 2007 and the first pair to hit the market was the result of two biochemists and a busy mum getting together to come up with a casual shoe that toned your legs as you walked.

I had a pair of those first ones. Yes, they did hurt activate the muscles in my legs (you can read about how they work here) but they really were not what you would call fashionable. Sorry, just putting it politely. My husband still shudders at the sight of me wearing them. Which I did because it was part of my job as a fashion journo.

Since then 12 million people have wrapped their feet in a pair of FitFlops and more work has been done on the style side too.

The shoes are still clunky (which they need to be to be of benefit to your feet and legs) but styles like Floretta, pictured above and below, are workable into a casual wardrobe and ideal for a busy mum who wants a foot-friendly summer alternative to sneakers when doing the after-school sport run or a trip to the playground. The high strap still has the effect of cutting off the line of your leg, so best to team with shorter shorts or jeans to lessen this effect.

So, to answer my question above … I think yes, there’s room for Floretta in my shoe-robe. I will just have to carefully pick the times that she comes out to play. Of course, I’m hoping those times will be frequent enough that my legs will soon start to look like this.

They will, won’t they?

I’m keen to hear your thoughts? Have you tried a pair of FitFlops? Are they too casual for your shoe-robe? Are your shoes more about show than comfort?

*The FitFlop Floretta shoes were sent to me for editorial consideration. For more on my disclosure policy, check here.