Dilemma Time.....

Now as you may recall I have previously blogged about my problems in the shoe department, namely my inability to keep my feet in high heels until of course my discovery of toupee tape!!  So you would think that when going on holiday that with the mixture of heat & humidity my problems would just disappear.

Oh no!!  In fact not only can my legs develop ever lovely cankles, my feet can swell too!!!  Which when teamed with my claustrophobia & loathing of anything tight makes wearing shoes on holiday an absolute nightmare!!!  

Factor in my ability to trip over the tiniest crumb, I mean seriously only I could nearly fall head first down a flight of stairs when wearing totally flat sandals on our way back to the car park on Sunday & no before you think it, it wasn't a result of too much presecco!!  All I can say is thank goodness I was holding hubby's hand otherwise I might have been readmitted to hospital 14 years to the day I was admitted for our son's birth!!!

Of course it's not for the love of trying...each year I will purchase a pair of fairly sensible heels that aren't of the skyscraper variety making sure they're not too narrow or pointy & will even wear them a few times before embarking on said holiday.  And each year when packing said shoes I'll declare to hubby that this year these are the ones....the ever elusive pair that will go with anything, that I can walk unaided in & will fit me on holiday no matter how swollen my feet get.  But each year I end up resembling one of the ugly sisters from Cinderella trying to either cram my swollen feet in or after 5 minutes of smug walking to dinner thinking I've cracked it develop painful blisters.

Now in my defence the hotel we stay at is a good 10-15 minute walk to the port & on the way back has a fair old hill to climb.  Plus of course you've got to factor in the uneven pavements & cobble stones along the way too.  So each year I gamely dig out my new summer heels & walk to the port for dinner only to hobble back with hubby & son both banning me for attempting the same fate (punishment) the next night.  I'll then spend the rest of the holiday when people watching (gosh don't you just love doing that on holiday?!!!) envious of all these stunning women I see sashaying before me in their stunning summer dresses teamed with pretty high heels.

Whilst I dare say I could take steps to overcome these problems....I'm thinking nightly bathing feet in surgical spirit 2 weeks prior to departure to 'toughen' them up I also have to secretly admit that when on holiday although I may wonder in awe at the women who can pull their high heels on, I'm quite happy just to sling on a pair of flat sandals & know that my feet are going to be happy.  Cause ladies let's face it if our feet our happy, we're happy & if we're happy everyone else is going to be happy too ;)

Of course that doesn't stop me hoping to stumble (no truer word has been said!!) across the perfect pair, so on that note I've taken a peak at what's available at the moment that fits with my criteria of happy feet & have to admit I've found a few pairs that could mean that this year I may have cracked it!! 

Starting with these espadrille sandals from John Lewis.  Now I've tried wedges in the past, in fact last year I managed to travel there & back in a pair without too much injury but because of my heel slippage I need a pair that have an ankle strap.  I absolutely love these ones from John Lewis....a gorgeous colour that will go with everything with a sensible-ish heel, my only concern would be that quite a lot of the toe area is encased & with my fat feet at the best of times this could be a dis-aster darling!!! Luckily for me they are now only available online in a size 5 which is far to small for me even to contemplate squeezing my feet into.  Of course they might be available in store in my size but I'm going to be sensible & listen to the doubt in my mind...from a blister inducing point of view.

John Lewis Llanes Espadrilles £70

The next ones that crossed my radar are this gorgeous pair from Dune.  This time in a silver, which is again a great colour to go with everything.  A sensible sturdy & not too high heel (tick) & not too much strapping from a blister inducing/fat feet point of view (double tick).  I could be serious tempted by these babies had I not had a lovely strappy pair that were similar in design from the heel strap point of view, which some how & don't ask me how cause even I can't work it out my heels still managed to slip out of!  I mean seriously my heels should be called Houdini!!! I think it has something to do with the fact that the straps just cross over at the back & some how they slip down, although as I'm typing this I'm thinking toupee tape, so these could be a contender. 

Dune Haria Silver Mirrored Block Sandal £75

This next pair of gold sandals from Dune could also be promising as not only do they have lots of adjustable straps, they also have a small wedge heel so there'd be no tottering involved with this pair.

Dune Gripper Multi Strap Wedge Sandal £65

If however, you prefer a more dainty looking shoe, that isn't as expensive, then I really like these silver kitten heeled ones from Next, which I am VERY tempted to try.  A great price & a nice size heel too, if they're in stock I may just have to order these babies, although sadly they're not made of leather which may make them slightly harder on the feet.

Next Silver Mirror Kitten Heel £30

Now of course not everyone wants a metallic pair, so if you prefer something a little different these gorgeous snake print ones from Kurt Geiger may just fit the bill.  Again not to much strapping with a small block heel & I LOVE the snake print!

Kurt Geiger Nina Snake Print Sandals £95

Or for a nice pop of colour they're also available in yellow, which would look stunning when teamed with a tan.

Kurt Geiger Nina Sandals in Yellow £95

Or at a far more affordable price how about these green ones from Zara?

Zara Medium Heel Sandal £19.99

Finally how about these block heel ballet shoes from Zara?  Now I have to admit these little beauties have already found a home in my wardrobe (see outfit 2).  I mean they tick all my boxes....my love affair with all things gold plus of course they're ballet shoes which I know suit my feet PLUS they have a great little block heel that even I can't (well at least I hope I can't!!) topple over in.  Add in the fact that they give you that all important boost in the leg slimming department & are made from leather then it makes them totally love at first sight in my eyes!  Plus of course being shoes & not sandals they can be worn all year round so cost per wear...well we're talking pennies surely?!!!

Zara Leather Block Heel Ballerina £29.99

Finishing with my outfits from the past couple of days where by sheer fluke I happened to be wearing royal blue for the arrival of our new baby Prince!

Outfit One

Necklace - Zara

Blouse - Zara

Jeans - Zara

Sparkly Ballet Flats - Zara

Outfit Two

Necklace - Zara

Bracelet - Mango

Dress - Zara

Studded Belt - H&M

Block Ballet Shoes - Zara

Outfit Three

Necklace - New Look

Vest Top - H&M

Bangle - Banana Republic

Skirt - Zara

Studded Sandals - Zara

So there you have it my latest quandary....is it just me or do you have the same problem?  Should I attempt yet another pair of heels or do I just stick to my trusted flats?  

As always I'd love to hear your thoughts x