I have worn sneakers almost every day for as long as I can remember. In elementary school, I wore athletic sneakers every day and in middle school, I wore Converse every day. Before my senior year of high school, I discovered the shoe brand Greats and bought a pair of sneakers that I fell in love with and wore every day. My Greats shoes were the perfect everyday shoe, and when they became old and dirty they became my bar/rainy day shoes. This summer, I finally decided to upgrade my footwear and purchase a new sneaker that I could wear every day. I began the quest of finding a pair of sneakers with the following criteria in mind:
- Must be cute/timeless and can go with many outfits
- Must be good quality and can withstand everyday wear
- Must not be too trendy (I do not want a shoe that everyone is wearing)
- Must be comfortable
I started my search by looking at some department stores like Selfridges and Browns to see what was currently on the market and my thoughts are below.
Chloe
The first sneaker I saw and loved was the Lauren sneaker by Chloé. This sneaker retails for £425. The price point is high; however, I wore my Greats sneakers almost every day for five years, so the payoff of investing in a good pair of shoes is definitely worth it. I found the shoes at Selfridges, so went to go see them in person. The shoes fit my criteria stated above. They were cute, not overworn in London, and were leather which meant they would be easy to maintain. I got to the store and picked up the shoe and immediately felt that the sole was rock hard. The shoes were uncomfortable!! So my search continued.
Shop Shoes Here: £425
Good News
The second sneaker I liked was by the brand Good News which I discovered through the Browns website. I liked that this brand was based in London and that they were trying to become sustainable. These shoes are made with Polyurethane with is an alternative to animal leather. I was a little sceptical about the material and did not know how it would last in the long run. These shoes retail for £120 and I could not find them in any physical stores. Since I was not able to try them on in person I gave them a pass and moved on to the next brand.
Shop Shoes Here: £120
Axel Arigato — The Winners!
The third brand I discovered and liked was Axel Arigato. This is a Swedish shoe brand and despite being sold at many luxury department stores in London and having its own store in Soho, I do not see many of these shoes being worn around London. I walked into the Axel Arigato store in Soho and tried on the shoes. I was helped by a man who told me about the shoes, the suppliers, and how the shoes were made. It was wonderful customer service and a pleasant shopping experience. The shoes were very comfortable. They were sold out of my size in the sneakers with the colouring I originally wanted (with the bird) so I decided to wait a week and see if they came back in stock. They did not come back in stock and I wanted my new shoes before my summer holidays so I returned to the store to purchase my second favourite colourway (the green) and could not be happier with my decision. These shoes retail for £180 and are extremely comfortable. I broke them in on my three-week trip to Italy and the South of France where I walked miles and miles every day. I put these shoes through the ultimate test and they passed. These shoes receive the Alicia stamp of approval and I would recommend them to anyone.
Shop Shoes Here: £180
XO, Alicia
