shoes Archives - Adventure, baby!

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Think Global, Act Local: Inkkas Shoes Review & Giveaway

January 2, 2014 / Fashion, Giveaways, New York Food / 26 Comments

One of the absolute coolest things about living in a cramped city like New York is that you’re bound to have people in your circles who are doing really cool things. I recently discovered that one of my Brooklyn neighbors is the creator of this beautiful line of shoes, called Inkkas.

Inkkas.com is a socially conscious clothing company founded in 2012 on the principles of fair trade, philanthropy and authenticity. All production, sourcing and manufacturing of the shoes is done South America. The shoes are handmade of authentic South American textile by South Americans. As well as being beautiful, they’re ethically made and afforable (yay!). Kids’ Inkkas are $46 and adults’ start at $65. A portion of all proceeds is donated to to help protect the Amazon rainforest.

I was supremely thrilled for the opportunity to try out Inkkas shoes for myself and Miss E. Sidebar: it seems a lot of people actually named their child “Cheese” last year (no judgement!), so to start the new year off, I’m changing my daughter’s online pseudoym to something a bit less . . . dairy-like. Miss E it is (and sometimes Missy E, if she’s being sassy).

Back to the shoes: my slightly more subtle (in terms of design) Inkkas are the Concrete Jungle Low Tops (also available in High Tops). I like that the pattern is funky but not so over the top that I can’t just throw them on while wearing other colors. Missy E on the other hand, adores her very brightly colored Cotton Candy Kids.

I took the Inkkas shoes on our trip to Mexico a few weeks back since we needed some comfortable shoes to run around in (and to search for lizards in, and to take trips through lagoons in, and to eat guacamole in). Not only did the shoes fit the aesthetic of the trip (the patterns are reminiscent of traditional Mexican textiles), they’re also really comfortable, making them the perfect shoes for both kids and adults to wear all day.

GIVEAWAY
The kind folks at Inkkas are giving Brunch With My Baby readers the chance to win their own pair of Inkkas shoes. Enter via the Rafflecopter widget below.

Entry open to US mailing addresses only.

Giveaway open Thurs Jan 2, 2014 to 11:59pm Wed Jan 8 EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Brunch With My Baby were provided with samples for reviewing purposes.

Home For The Holidays: Pediped Review & Giveaway

December 17, 2013 / Fashion, Giveaways, New York Food, Product Reviews / 28 Comments

Baby, it’s cold outside! While you’re pulling on the boots and wrapping yourselves in the warmest possible coats you can, you still need to dress up for the holidays (or, if you’re anything like us, dress your kid up and then throw on something passable for yourself as an after thought).

Big boots are great for the cold, but they are NOT great with indoor heating, which is why Missy Cheese will be wearing a pair of Pediped Flex Janes for all her holiday functions (this toddler keeps a busy dance card). She’s such a super active kid that she will only tolerate comfortable shoes that let her move freely and climb things that toddlers aren’t meant to climb (like, say, kitchen stools, or Christmas trees . . . but, I digress). The Pediped Flex Janes are not just pretty-looking shoes for looking good in photos, they’re also so practical and comfortable that kids won’t refuse to wear them. Added bonus — these shoes double as school shoes, so Cheese will be wearing them to school in spring.

Pediped shoes feature a Flex Fit System™, which is an additional insole that can be inserted into the shoe for a snug fit and then removed to make room as your child’s foot grows. These insoles can reduce shoe size by almost half a size, extending the life of the shoe. When you’re forking out big bucks every few months for even more shoes, you really want those babies to last as long as possible!

It’s also worth noting that the makers of Pediped have been hearing for years from their “grown-up” customers that they want nice-looking, comfortable shoes, too. Pediped’s answer? A shoe line for adults, called Brian James, which launched last spring. We were sent a pair of Brian James 3.0 Booties to test drive, and I have to say, they are so comfortable — made from soft leather, and with a heel that is easy to walk in — plus they make my legs look great (woo!). The magic is in the making: Extra padding on both the ball and heel of foot. My feet are thanking Pediped’s consideration.

GIVEAWAY
The kind folks at Pediped are giving Brunch With My Baby readers the chance to win their own pair of Pediped kids’ shoes. Enter via the Rafflecopter widget below.

Entry open to US mailing addresses only.

Giveaway open Wed Dec 18, 2013, to 11:59pm EST Tues Dec 24, 2013.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Brunch With My Baby were given a product sample for reviewing purposes. All opinions are our own.

Shopping

October 19, 2009 / Shopping / 1 Comment

Shoes from Nine West (justification: one of them was on sale, promise!).

New Tokidoki bag – last one, I swear …

Retail Therapy

September 22, 2008 / Shopping / 0 comment

A few recent purchases! No more, seriously!

Coloured gladiator sandals at Nine West. I have the pink pair on layby.

The taupe and black sandals – I bought the taupe ones and wore them today. They were super comfy.

I also bought a new Lesportsac back from DFS store in The Rocks. I bought it so I had a bag that my Mac laptop would fit in for travel as well as to cart my sports clothes to and from work instead of in the Coles green bag I’ve been using up till now. Print is called “Charmed” and it’s supposed to only be on sale in Hawaii. Not sure what it’s doing in Sydney! I have tried to step away from the obsession I was developing with Tokidoki bags as they’re so expensive. This range is about half the price and just as cute! They also are completely man-made – no leather. Woot!

Front side – I love the hula girl in the centre.

Back side.

Close-up of the cute print.

I also bought these shoes fro Nine West. They are dual purpose. I needed to buy silver shoes to wear with my bridesmaid dress for Shelley’s wedding next year, and I thought I would get them now as I needed a pair to go with my new pink Alannah Hill dress that I am planning on wearing to two weddings in the next few weeks. I love how they are more of a pewter than straight silver – I think it makes them more wearable. The cute little stones match the beading on my AH dress pefectly.

Skechers Awesomeness

July 31, 2008 / Shopping / 0 comment

I have a Skechers fetish. They are my favourite casual sneakers because:
1. They’re super comfy and are great for trekking all over the world.
2. They fit my ugly orthotics in them perfectly! My podatrist would be so proud of me for choosing such sensible shoes (Last time I went to see him I wore black flimsy ballet flats – he was not amused).

I found a Skechers store at the DFO factory outlets at Homebush. I bought two pairs for $79 and $69 each. I will keep the tan and blue ones till my current black ones wear out, and wear the pretty taupe and pink lace ones to work. Bliss for my feet when compared to the high-heeled MJs I bought recently. I am excited to wear the taupe and pink ones when I need foot rehab days at work. I also love that I can wear sneakers to work. I think it is the standard by which I judge whether I can work in a company. Can I wear sneakers? Nope – then I’m outta there.