FOOTWEAR FOCUS ROAD TEST
Emma Cooke discovers comfort and style in the Tara Mary Jane peep-toe heeled shoe by Aetrex
blister plasters, and a great deal of funny looks as I hobbled down the High Street, before I twigged why the other office ladies were stashing plastic bags with shoe-shaped indents under their desks. While arming myself with boots and an old Tesco's bag
I
(I definitely pulled that look off well, tramp chic is SO coming back this season) sorted out the problem of the walk to work, I still found myself chained to my desk. The few metres to the kitchen may look insubstantial to an outsider, but in the wrong heels the floor can feel as if it's made of hot coals! Anyone at that time who had the habit of taking other's drink orders became my personal saviour. Fortunately, it seems Aetrex has come up with a solution, with its 2012
Spring/Summer collection promising 'extraordinary comfort and support, without compromising on the highest fashion standards’.' The particular shoe which FT editor, Cheryl Taylor, suggested I swapped for my regular torture devices – I mean, high heels - was the Tara Mary Jane peep toe heeled shoe from the Aetrex Spring/Summer Essence collection. The brand has an impressive amount of technology behind the footwear,
with its designs based on foot health and comfort, made from ‘luxuriously soft full-grain leathers and moisture transferring polyester linings’. Most Essence styles also feature Aetrex's IQ150 memory foam footbeds and built in Lynco support for an ‘unmatched comfort experience'. The memory foam footbeds caught my eye, offering the prospect of much-needed relief for my sore feet! These heels are wonderfully well made, looking sturdy and long-lasting
from the good quality leather used. They are attractive too, breaking a personal stereotype I have that all ‘comfort’ shoes must look bulky and out-dated, because shoes offering comfort as well as style would be like having your cake and eating it too. Aetrex heels are perfectly fitted with a classic design, making these shoes a practical buy design-wise as well as in regards to foot health – a classic heel such as this transcends the fluxes of fashion trends. An interesting design detail is the removable strap on the shoe, which surprisingly changes the look of the shoe significantly. With the strap, the shoe has a vintage, 1950's feel to it, whilst without, the shoes become more elegant, less reminiscent of jive parties, more of cocktails and little black dresses. The heel itself is good quality, sturdy, and thick enough to give support without being clunky, and a nice height, supposedly 2 and 3/4 inches, with a 1/4 inch platform, but looking more. After a week of solid wear, my new heels now feel like a
second skin. I've most recently been wearing them to salsa classes, and am feeling the results of all that orthopaedic technology – my feet have never felt so good in high heels. I breeze straight to my desk, no longer needing to make the furtive 'shoe- swap' in the ladies. Instead, I can try out my salsa steps in
the kitchen waiting for my tea to brew, and it definitely feels like this is the closest I've come shoe-wise to having my cake and eating it too!
“After a week of solid wear, my new heels now feel like a second skin. I've most recently been wearing them to salsa classes, and am feeling the results of all that orthopaedic technology – my feet have never felt so good in high heels.”
Details:
Essence™ Fashion Comfort - Tara – Mary Jane Peep Toe • Mary Jane peep toe with elastic gore topline • Removable adjustable buckle strap for versatility • Smooth or textured leather upper • 2 3/4 “ heel with 1/4” platform • Built-in Lynco® shaped footbed for superior arch support • Memory foam top cover • Built-in met pad for forefoot pressure relief • Blown rubber outsole for resilience and support • Aegis® anti-microbial linings to help protect against fungi, bacteria and odor
MSRP: $139.95 Wholesale: $65.00 visit
www.aetrex.com Contact: Eric Desmonts, Executive Director of International +1 201.833.2700 x232
edesmonts@aetrex.com
n Footwear Today Magazine's January issue, it was brought up that 'A third of women walk to work in comfortable flats before changing into heels at their desk'. If only I’d read that before I started my most recent office job! As it was, it took me the better part of a week, two packs of
16 • FOOTWEAR TODAY
• MAY 2012
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