Product Review – SPAIR Sandals

Posted on August 14, 2012 by admin

Do you ever wish you could slip out of your heels and into a pair of cool flip flops instead?

I was recently sent a pair of SPAIR Sandals which cleverly fold into a little pouch which will easily fit into most handbags. Should you need to wear them, them, the little pouch turns into a bag that can be used to carry your shoes home. I have seen similar ideas on the market before, but what I really loved about Spair sandals is that they are 100% Recycled tires and earth-friendly leatherette.

They are actually a kind of solution to an environmental issue as stated on their website

improper disposal of over 300 million rubber tires per year is a serious risk to our health and environment. Disease-carrying pests and mosquitos breed in the stagnant water that collects in tire piles, and spread deadly viruses like West Nile, encephalitis, and malaria.

Whilst I haven’t had the chance to do a manicure to show off the actual sandals that I was sent, I have given them a try and can confirm that they are super comfy. I think they would be fantastic for weddings when I almost always feel the need to kick my shoes off by the end of the day so that I can strut my stuff on the dance floor.

The shoes are available in 3 colours in the US from www.spairsandals.com

Would you find these useful?

With warmest wishes

Ceri x

Ethical Summer Shoes In the Spartoo Sale

Posted on July 19, 2012 by admin

Yippee summer has finally arrived. This is great news for me particularly as the children break up from school on Friday and weeks of being cooped up in the house with 2 energetic children doesn’t really appeal that much. Sunshine for us means picnics in the park, bike rides, days out and camping trips.

If this summer weather has taken you by surprise and you are planning on swapping your welly boots for something a little more elegant, Spartoo has a fantastic sale on ethical shoes. With some great reductions on all sorts of shoes from sandals and flip flops to heels and even trainers or ‘daps’ as they call them round here, you are sure to find what you need at a great price. The shoes in the sale include some of my favourite eco brands including Pikolinos, Dream in Green and Terra Plana. They are made with respect from the environment and many are either vegan or made using vegetable tanned leather. What I really love about these shoes though is that they are made for comfort and to last, perfect for when you have lots of walking to do.

Here are a few of my favourites:

Ethical Sandals by Dream in Green

Wedges by Dream in Green

Sandals by Pikolinos

Marilyn Court Shoes by Terra Plana

What fun things do you have planned for the summer?

With warmest wishes

Ceri x

Pin It

Recycled Sandals – Brazilian Beach and Urban Style

Posted on June 30, 2012 by admin

I just wanted to share with you another fantastic ethical brand that I have come across. Marlandia is the exclusive U.S. online distributor for Retalhos Cariocas, a progressive Brazilian fashion house that transforms flip-flops with recycled and sourced
fabrics into sandals with a vibrant mix of Brazilian beach and urban style. They are now shipping worldwide!

Founder Silvinha Oliveira was born into the Barreira do Vasco slum, far from the beaches of Ipanema. With extraordinary determination, she worked her way through fashion school, returned home and created Retalhos Cariocas, which translates to “Rio Scraps.” Her vision is to empower local women by teaching them sewing skills and offering fair wages. She explains, “People from the favela… There’s a destiny of being poor, not being able to go to university, or get a good job. We’re fighting to destroy the mentality that a person from the favela doesn’t have the right to be someone.”

Today, the women of Retalhos Cariocas are fighting their way out of Brazil’s slums and creating economic opportunities to lift their community out of poverty. Through their use of fair trade labor and sustainable materials, Retalhos Cariocas has gained worldwide acclaim for empowering local women from Brazil’s slums, as featured in Cosmo India, Look Magazine U.K., Origin Magazine, and Forbes Magazine Blog as well as Rio Fashion Week.

The story behind these sandals is pretty amazing, you can see more in the video below but what I really love with this sandals is that they look amazing and really unusual. As you can see from the video, it is not just about fair trade, the design is also of huge importance.

I hope that you are having a lovely weekend. Please don’t forget if you have not already entered, my outfit competition ends today. I am enjoying my last day of freedom (in terms of what I wear) before I start on the Labour Behind the Label 6 Items Challenge. I will post more about this tommorrow but if you would like to read about it, you can do so here.

With warmest wishes

Ceri x

Pin It

Eco Friendly Sandals For Summer

Posted on May 25, 2012 by admin

I have been waiting for this moment when the sun is shining so much that the only shoes I can bare to wear is sandals, eco friendly of course! I Of course as I don’t wear socks with my sandals, it is really important to find a pair that is super comfy but also looks good with just about all of my summer clothes.

I have and have, in the past, had some really comfy shoes from Pikolinos, Birkenstock and Dream in Green, all which you can buy from Spartoo, so these would definitely be my first port of call for a fanastic pair of eco friendly sandals.

Birkenstock are the perfect daytime shoes whether you are on the beach or by the pool on holiday or even sight seeing. They have an anatomic sole and are easy to slip on and off making them perfect for holidays.

Dream in Green have some slightly more glamorous styles that are perfect for an evening out but also still good and comfy enough for everyday wear.

Last but not least, Pikolinos have some fantastic on trend styles this summer, with delicate and intricate designs that will look good with both dresses and shorts.

Now there is just time for a quick DIY pedicure before I get those tootsies out and about and sandals on for summer.

Hope you have a lovely weekend and enjoy the gorgeous sunshine. I am planning on spending as much time in the garden as possible.

With warmest wishes

Ceri x

Pikolinos – Ethical Sandals

Posted on April 21, 2012 by admin

I have mentioned in the past that Spartoo has one of the best selections of ethical sandals and shoes around including some fantastic brands like Melissa and Dream in Green. Today I wanted to share with you a Spanish ethical shoe brand Pikolinos.

I have a pair of Pikolinos shoes and they are fantastic quality, really well made with lots of attention to detail and also incredibly comfy. They are the sort of shoes that I really treasure and enjoy wearing. The brand concentrates creating on natural shoes made by artisans with respect for the environment. The leathers used to make their shoes are vegetable tanned and are chromium free.

For spring summer, they have some really beautiful beaded and cut out sandals which would be perfect for wearing with boho, ethnic and festival fashion type of outfits!

Sandals – Formentera

Formentera Dust Black Sandals

Moriara Black Sandals

Alcudia Lola Sandals

I would wear these ethical sandals with all sorts of outfits from casual dresses to maxi skirts and jeans for summer. Now all we need is a bit of sunshine.

With warmest wishes

Ceri x

Pin It