Espadrille DIY






Yes, you may recognise these espadrilles from a previous DIY I did just before my trip to India in February and yes you are seeing double. I always buy shoes that I know I will get a good wear out of (or if they're a bargain) twice. The second pair have been through general wear and tear through the daily commute - since they're an off white colour I was expecting them to get dirty quickly, hence the two pairs. They're far too comfortable to throw away so I've decided to inject some life back into them by up-cycling them with some metallic leather I had laying around. Heres how I did it;


What you need: 
  • Leather 
  • Silver pen (or any pen that shows on the leather or material you are using)
  • Fabric Scissors
  • Aquilim (non toxic footwear glue)
  • Brush


1. With the Aquilim glue cover the entire surface that you intend to cover with the new leather on your shoe (Leave the glue to get slight tacky)










2. Once the glue has got slightly tacky place the leather over the top of the glued surface, rub down air bubbles and make sure the entire surface is covered with leather. Using a silver pen outline where the leather should be trimmed to allow for neat edges.










3. When you are happy with the silver pen marks, peel back the leather (dont worry to much - this particular glue is a contact adhesive so both surfaces have to be glued to insure a secure bond between the two materials) and cut around the silver lines you have drawn.







 

4. Using the Aquilim glue, cover the shoe surface (again! - as peeling back the leather would have removed the glue) and the leather and leave both of the surfaces to dry for a couple of minutes.





5. Place the leather onto the shoe and gently guide and stretch the leather into place (leather is an extremely malleable material so don't worry to much the leather does sometimes shrink when combined with the glue - a gentle tug will put that right back into place) Line up the sides and be sure to rub the air bubbles out. If there are some areas that have impossible areas with crease just peal the leather back and lay it over again - do this until you're happy with the outcome!



6. with the excess leather simply trim these areas down and fold them under. Remember to glue both of the sides you are sticking together to insure you have a secure bond.















7. aaaaaannnnnddddd they're ready to wear!












Heel Protectors



With Ascot and the Wedding season well underway, these babies are just what you are looking for. I saw these heel protectors on a lady at a dear friends wedding i was at on the weekend and thought they were just genius! I hate when my heels sink into grass and its inevitable that if your at ascot of a wedding yout heels are bound to bear the brunt from being on the grass, either for photos or for placing your bets if you're at the races. The heel protectors are cheap and easy to source and the best thing is you'll never have to worry about ruining your heels ever again. They are available in clear and black, (personally the clear plastic works best as it goes with everything) and indifferent sizes to go over different sized heels. There are a number of brands that you can buy them from but eBay has a great selection. You'll either love them or hate them, but for (on average) £2 you can afford to try them and make the decision for yourself!



Shoe of the Week

Etro Sandals




From Etro's 2013 collection I still haven't gotten over these beauts! Though they're a statement for any outfit they are also extremely classic for the summer. Leather weaving, with a slight gladiator feel will always stay in fashion as summer sandals. I have chosen this particular colour way for shoe of the week just for the bold contrast between the black and white leather. Other colour ways that were available and just as amazing were a tan and white weave pair and also a dark biege and white weave - to check out the different colour ways these shoes are available in go to our High Heels High Hopes Pinterest account that I'm slowly developing!


SHOE OF THE WEEK

'Sexy Thing' - Aquazurra



Like most 'Shoe of the Week' posts, an explanation isn't really needed as the shoes speak for themselves. These beauties have been chosen because of two main reasons. Obviously one of them being the simple yet elegant design of the shoe, including the subtle and functional wrap up ankle lace (which is bang on trend I have you know!) but also the shear demand for the shoe by celebrities. I have seen every notable A list celeb in them from Kim Kardashian to Gigi Hadid in either the black or nude versions. (the nude is my favourite colour by far) I just love them, I'm massively keen on understated simple and elegant shoes and these shoes tick all the boxes!

so go on have a scroll and see how they are being paired up with different outfits!










F - Aquazurra 
T - @aquazurra 
 I - @aquazurra
Finsk




London based footwear brand Finsk first launched in 2004 with Finnish footwear designer Julia Lundsten heading up the design direction. The Finsk allure is due to the unique modern design that's avant-garde and most importantly wearable. Many of the conceptual designers I tend to post about have great ideas and really provoke the design boundaries, however they're sometimes unobtainable or unachievable in the commercial environment. Finsk fill that gap with exceptionally handcrafted footwear made in Brasilian ateliers with local craftsman that have honed in on traditional shoe making methods and techniques that conform to the Finsk brand. The materials are locally sourced, from the leather to the sculpted wood work to keep the production line as ethical as possible.




Ego



Fast fashion is a serious business especially in the UK where women want what they've seen on the runways, in their hands as early as yesterday. The same goes for shoes, so I was excited when Ego released their fresh new line with lace up sandals and gladiator style sandals. The brand is fresh and fashion forward with some cracking prices. Now I know its difficult to stray from comfort shopping in Zara, and if you're anything like me thats a tough habit to crack but why not try something new, inject your wardrobe with some new brands like Ego that don't break the bank account either. Ego regularly update and add new styles so make sure you don't miss out, and if that isn't enough don't forget to sign up to their secret sales emails where there are some real bargains to be had!









Shoe of the Week

MSGM - Tassel Sandals




There's no questioning why these MSGM Tassel Heels have been given the honour of Shoe of the Week. Aren't they just fantastically eccentric? They don't really need much explanation but I'll give you the reasons why I chose them this week. 1) because they're just perfect for the summer and since we have officially entered summer territory I think they're pretty fitting 2) I FREAKING LOVE TASSELS and they're seriously in at the moment and 3) even though they're from a couple seasons back they definitely still have a place in the boyfriend fit, ripped crop jeans department with a simple plain slouchy top!








F - MSGM 
T - @MSGM_