LongBay Rubber Slippers

Although these are sold as beach, pool or outdoor slippers, they are perfect both for indoor and outdoor use as I can wear them with socks when it's a bit cold. I use them mostly at home or around my house, so I cannot comment on how the sole reacts to slippery wet surfaces on a pool or at the beach. 

 

As sizing is hybrid, meaning for two sizes (6-7 for ex.), depending on your size, they might be a bit roomier than needed (that's my case) or a bit tight. In my case, they're on the larger size, but not really that noticeable. Despite the chunky design and having a solid rubber platform, they're quite light.

 

They have a thick rubber platform so they're perfect for people with who have a bit of weight on, like me, as it releases pressure from ankles and knees. For the rest, they are extremely comfortable and pleasurable to wear and walk with them and they feel like a cushion to my feet.

 

They look a bit chunky and unrefined but, once on, they look alright.

Read More

Sof Sole shoe goo - Clear

I've used this glue three times and I've had mixed results. The flat soles of my ugg boots totally unglued themselves, each one on separate dates; I used this glue and they were restored to its original goodness with little effort. I've also used this glue with a pair of flat leather boots whose point was unglued and the results weren't that good because, although the point got glued, there is still a gap with the dry glue visible, which looks horrible.  

This isn't an instant glue that seals surfaces on contact. This glue needs of some pressure on the shoes to make the parts being sealed make contact. I can put a rubber band and some pressure on my ugly homey boots or cheap shoes, but doing so with my good shoes isn't an option because it will deform or damage them.  The results are great for shoe flat parts not as much for small edges or points.

I love the smell of this glue; it reminds me of bygone cobbler shops.

Read More

Beserk (Online Store)

Beserk Website

I've purchased from Beserk online many times, especially small homewares, incense stuff, Hot Chocolate flat shoes, and alternative cruelty free make-up (Lethal Cosmetics, Medusa Cosmetics, Lime Crime, Starrily etc.). My experience has always been fantastic.

Their website looks quite bad, outdated and fit for weird 15yos., and it could be a bit more polished so that doesn't mislead first visitors. Beserk is much more and you'll find plenty of cute items of clothing, imported shoes (from the uber-sexy to the uber-comfy) and vegan cruelty-free fantastic makeup bands. For sure, if you are into witchy Wiccanish stuff, this is also a place for you.  

Price is just OK, taking into account that many of the products they sell are from imported cult brands.

Shopping from their website is really easy and straightforward. They have a fab rewards program that can save you a good amount of money (you get 1 reward point for each dollar spent, and when you have 50 you get $2.5 off, 100 = $5 and 200 = $10.

Dispatch is decently fast, and parcels are handled by  AuPost, so you'll be super-informed of when your parcel is leaving or arriving.  

Many people ask me about my shoes and makeup, especially, and they're surprised that they come from Beserk, so that says a lot about the need of the store to better think their homepage and whole design.

One of the things that bothers me is that, to get free shipping, you have to spend $99, but that's a bit high taking into account that this is a big store and that shipping via AuPost is quite cheap for large businesses with many postal transactions. I think 50 bucks would be a more reasonable benchmark for free shipping.

Also when you have some rewards point to use, you cannot use them with any other discount code, so that means that you can qualify for free shipping because you've spent over $99 but applying the rewards takes you out of it. It is a bit dodgy and loses them money, if they made their accounts they'd realise just that.

They don't publish honest reviews that have less than 4 stars, so that's dodgy and unprofessional. So, that being the case, I ignore their reviews as they're cherry-picked for sales purposes. Dodgy!

Read More

ASOS (Online Shop, UK)

Website
Facebook

ASOS is an international online retailer shop settled in the UK that sells a great range of men and female fashion, beauty and jewellery products at great prices. Young people, from 16 to 34 y.o.a. are their preferred target. They cater for all sizes, from petite to oversized. In a way, ASOS is a "very fashionable right now" sort of shop, although they also sell items from well-known designers like Calvin Klein, Stella McCartney, Dita Von Teese, Ralph Lauren, and Armani Exchange among others. They even have a marketplace area to buy/sell pre-owned, second hand and vintage clothing.  

Although usually ASOS is not my cup of tea, this is a great place to shop from, and I especially like their lingerie and hosiery areas. I bought a couple of fancy tights, which are ridiculously expensive in Australia, for a very good price.

ASOS offers free shipping to Australia on all standard orders, no matter how much (or how little) you spend. This is great, always, especially if you just fancy little cheap things, which you would not buy if you had to add a shipping fee.

ASOS' website is very easy to browse, very simple and clean to the eye, still very well organised and extremely informative. They even have a corner devoted to fashion trends. The photos are zoomable, their refining search system fantastic, and Australian sizing and prices are shown all the time as the ASOS Australia online site is where you are automatically directed if you live in Australia.

Major credit/debit cards and PayPal are accepted for payment, but you will need to register before checking out. ASOS stands out, to me, for the great service and diligence with which they fulfil your orders. I placed my order on a Sunday, and the parcel was posted that very  day! This is the first time that an online shop does that, and I buy online a lot. Confirmation order and tracking link were provided a immediately, and the tracking link was updated and emailed to me once the parcel was handed over to Australia Post. My parcel (normal standard shipping) took less than a week to reach my place in Western Australia from the UK. That is... how to put it?... wow! That is what usually takes parcels from the Eastern States to reach WA.

I will definitely order from them again.

Read More

Carmen Steffens (Perth WA)

93-93 William St
Perth Western Australia 6000
(08) 9324 3556
Website
Hours:
    Mon-Thu 10:00 - 18:00
    Fri 10:00 - 20:00
    Sat 10:00 - 17:00
    Sun 12:00 - 17:00

Carmen Steffens in a Brazilian franchise with hundred of shops overseas that sells both women and men's leather and silicone shoes and bags.

Semi-hidden in the Raine Square, the Perth shop is relatively small, but very spacious, with a nice seating area in the centre. It has a very European feeling. They have a focus on good quality, bright colours, attention to the detail, glitter and sexiness. They only bring a few pairs of each model, so you get a very exclusive thing when you buy one of their products regarding both style and colour.

I especially like their flats and ballerinas, which are not only beautifully designed, but also very comfortable. The silicone flats are beautiful, cute, and comfy, and they are not smelly or sticky on your feet.

Customer service is wonderful, with very warm and accommodating staff. Even if you are just browsing around and do not buy anything, they are extremely friendly and welcoming.

They really put a lot of effort in packing your shoes. They put a big of fancy in their carry bags, provide wonderful satin-red silk dust bags for your shoes, and even give the payment receipt in an elegantly designed paper wallet.

DOWNS
+ Pricing is a bit high. Wait for discounts and sales.
+ The sizing can be a bit awkward sometimes for Australian standards. They have the Brazilian, American and European sizing marked on the shoes, but some of the pairs fit one size and a half, if that makes any sense, so they can be a bit small or loose on your feet, if your feet, like mine are a bit uneven. You might need to buy insoles to find the right fit.
+ Their International website is partially written in Portuguese. 

UPDATE JANUARY 2013
The shop at Wesley has closed down.

Read More

Nine West (Forrest Chase, Perth WA)

Forrest Chase Shopping Centre
207 Murray St
Perth Western Australia 6000
(08) 9325 5052
http://www.ninewest.com.au
Hours:
    Mon-Thu 9:00 - 17:30
    Fri 9:00 - 21:00
    Sat 9:00 - 17:00
    Sun 11:00 - 17:00 

The Nine West branch shop on Forrest Chase is an open shop that has always wonderful window displays. The interior has a very classy minimal celled wall showcasing their bags and shoes, and, to top up all, a great lighting that really makes the products on display look their best. In fact, the whole shop has an air of elite and luxury that is, however, very far from what it is. 

 
The design of their pieces is trendy and classy, with a good mix of classy flats and the latest trends in shoes, handbags, wallets and clutches. The pricing is fantastic for the handbags but a bit up for the shoes having into account that the materials and overall quality of the products is  medium in the best cases. Still they look like a million dollar! Kudos to Nine West. Still, plastic is plastic, no matter you call it faux-leather or synthetic. I would not mind the syntheticity of it, if the materials were softer in the shoes and less rigid in the bags.

The shop-attendants are welcoming and helpful, and let you wander around freely or approach you depending on your shopping aura and vibe.

Nine West is a perfect place for decently priced fashion seasonal fixes, especially for those that you do not want to spend much money on as they are not going to be trendy next year. Nine West is also a perfect place for Vegans and animal activists who do not use leather but want to look  "à la mode".

Read More

Belinda Peck Shoe Boutique (Perth WA) - CLOSED

Shop H6, Hay St Level
207 Murray St
Perth Western Australia 6000
(08) 9226 0364

Hours:
Mon-Thu 9:00 - 17:30
Fri 9:00 - 21:00
Sat 9:00 - 17:00
Sun 12:00 - 17:00
 
Belinda Pack is a little gem of a shoe shop that you might have passed by hundreds of times, stop by hundreds of times, and tell yourself, I fancy that! It is located in the Carillion Arcade, in one of the passages towards/from Hay St.

The shop is very small, with one of the walls occupied by stands for the newly arrived shoes, and the other one with the stands for discounted shoes, promotions and sales. A little part of this wall is devoted to special-occasion shoes, very classy and timeless, and rarely discounted as they are part of their Swarowsky crystals collection. They also have a central stage for the shoes they want to showcase at sale times or when they receive new stuff. A mini-theatre of a shoe shop!

The shoe are mid-quality, mostly leather, at affordable prices (average Au$80-150), but at bargain prices during the sales. Their discounts and sales are fantastic, and I always wait for them and buy at least 40%-70% cheaper. The shoes are always fashionable, classy and good looking, and have a great selection of flats and sandals, boots, and special events shoes, plenty of colours, textures and styles, from working girl to fancy night girl.

The girls at the shop are awesome. Each time I go I try at least five of six different models in different sizes, which makes a lot of shoe trying and shoe retrieving! They are are always patient, helpful and cool even if I don't buy anything after trying a few pairs. They always treat you with courtesy and class.

The way Belinda Peck packs its shoes is wonderful, too, so fanciful, with classy foldable boxes and individual fabric shoe protectors! The soles of the shoes have a plastic skin attached to them, so they don't get dirty or damaged when people try them on.

They have an order service for special sizes, smaller or bigger than normal. You decide which shoe you want and they make it for you. You pay 50 bucks extra for the pair, but if you have difficulties finding your sizing, 50 bucks is nothing. The price of resoling your shoes!

One of my fav shoes for stylish flats and walking shoes in Perth, but also for special occasions. It is very European in conception and service.

The shop does not have a web address, just a tiny space on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BelindaPeckBoutique

Read More