Ah shoe shopping, retail therapy at its finest :) As so much of my website relates to online shopping, I thought I would share a few experiences and stories of my own. I have to admit, shoes are one category in which I don`t yet adhere quite as strictly to the organic and fair trade guidelines that I promote elsewhere on this site. Hopefully this will change with further research! However, there are some good news stories within the companies I promote (and the purchases I have made).
Top Right: a pair of Taos shoes, purchased at SoftMoc.com - a Canadian company. Shopping was a breeze, with prices in Canadian dollars, and free shipping! Will not ship to PO Box, and don`t advertise any special eco-friendly brands or corporate responsibility practices.
Top Middle: purchased at Planet Shoes, located in the USA. LOVE the brands they carry, but are a bit pricey once you`ve switched currency to Canadian, and added duty and shipping. The red flats were on sale for $55.50 (USD) but ended up costing me $118.25 (CDN), so I would advise shopping here more as a special treat. They will ship to post office boxes however (in Canada but not internationally). Planet Shoes also offers a whole ``Eco-Logical`` department, as well as carbon-free shipping options, and attention to sustainability in both footwear and packaging. I promote them on my Fashion page for these reasons, and because they approved me for their affiliate program (others did not). They do have some pretty good sales, as well as a rewards program, so if you are a true shoe fanatic it is possible to do okay. I am really happy with this cute pair of Mary Janes, and the cork footbed which is designed to neutralize odors (as well as being really comfortable).
Top Left: beautiful Blowfish sandals from Shoes.com (now Shoeme.ca). Sale price of $46.32 became $67.77 with taxes and shipping (free shipping didn`t apply as order was under $100). Blowfish is another brand I really like, comfy and casual yet unique. This pair has a stacked heel that you hardly notice.
Bottom Left and Bottom Right: my prized pair of Poetic License flats, and a sweet pair of Rocket Dogs (black) purchased from Shoeme.ca - a great Canadian option. With sales and discounts I ended up getting both pairs for the same price as one pair ordered elsewhere. Free shipping, and can deliver to PO Boxes. I love Poetic License and was happy to find an option without heels - their sizing is European, but if you follow the charts you should have no problem.
Finally, my `Bordo` oxfords by Naya (Bottom, Centre), also from Planet Shoes - this one goes back 5 years :) I thought these were one of the most stunning pairs of shoes I`d ever seen but foolishly let that emotion sway my judgment and I ordered a half size smaller than usual (as that was the last pair left). I can wear the shoes but don`t do so very often due to the lack of wiggle room. The courier also had problems delivering to my apartment building and the order got sent back once (one of the reasons I prefer PO Box delivery) - perhaps I should have taken it as a sign... ;)
Shoes... you gotta have them, right? The above shows several years of purchases, and for the most part I wear them until they are worn out and try not to get out of control with my shopping habits. Since I`ve moved back to the farm the nearest shoe stores are an hour away which I hope partially offsets the environmental impact of shipping. It`s a bit of a cliche, I know, women`s love affair with shoes, but it does help to lift my mood just a little when I wear each carefully chosen pair - the compliments don`t hurt either ;) A small indulgence in the lighter side of things.
Top Right: a pair of Taos shoes, purchased at SoftMoc.com - a Canadian company. Shopping was a breeze, with prices in Canadian dollars, and free shipping! Will not ship to PO Box, and don`t advertise any special eco-friendly brands or corporate responsibility practices.
Top Middle: purchased at Planet Shoes, located in the USA. LOVE the brands they carry, but are a bit pricey once you`ve switched currency to Canadian, and added duty and shipping. The red flats were on sale for $55.50 (USD) but ended up costing me $118.25 (CDN), so I would advise shopping here more as a special treat. They will ship to post office boxes however (in Canada but not internationally). Planet Shoes also offers a whole ``Eco-Logical`` department, as well as carbon-free shipping options, and attention to sustainability in both footwear and packaging. I promote them on my Fashion page for these reasons, and because they approved me for their affiliate program (others did not). They do have some pretty good sales, as well as a rewards program, so if you are a true shoe fanatic it is possible to do okay. I am really happy with this cute pair of Mary Janes, and the cork footbed which is designed to neutralize odors (as well as being really comfortable).
Top Left: beautiful Blowfish sandals from Shoes.com (now Shoeme.ca). Sale price of $46.32 became $67.77 with taxes and shipping (free shipping didn`t apply as order was under $100). Blowfish is another brand I really like, comfy and casual yet unique. This pair has a stacked heel that you hardly notice.
Bottom Left and Bottom Right: my prized pair of Poetic License flats, and a sweet pair of Rocket Dogs (black) purchased from Shoeme.ca - a great Canadian option. With sales and discounts I ended up getting both pairs for the same price as one pair ordered elsewhere. Free shipping, and can deliver to PO Boxes. I love Poetic License and was happy to find an option without heels - their sizing is European, but if you follow the charts you should have no problem.
Finally, my `Bordo` oxfords by Naya (Bottom, Centre), also from Planet Shoes - this one goes back 5 years :) I thought these were one of the most stunning pairs of shoes I`d ever seen but foolishly let that emotion sway my judgment and I ordered a half size smaller than usual (as that was the last pair left). I can wear the shoes but don`t do so very often due to the lack of wiggle room. The courier also had problems delivering to my apartment building and the order got sent back once (one of the reasons I prefer PO Box delivery) - perhaps I should have taken it as a sign... ;)
Shoes... you gotta have them, right? The above shows several years of purchases, and for the most part I wear them until they are worn out and try not to get out of control with my shopping habits. Since I`ve moved back to the farm the nearest shoe stores are an hour away which I hope partially offsets the environmental impact of shipping. It`s a bit of a cliche, I know, women`s love affair with shoes, but it does help to lift my mood just a little when I wear each carefully chosen pair - the compliments don`t hurt either ;) A small indulgence in the lighter side of things.
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