Tested : UGG Adirondack Boots

So, off to Amsterdam I went after 20 years and spent the whole week in the fabulous city. I have to say I went prepared. I did my research and it came out the weather was going to be somewhere between 10 and 2 degrees Celsius with almost 90% humidity! (which made it feels like -3 instead) Light rain was also forecasted here and there. Honestly, I can stand cold weather but mostly the dry cold. I was in Paris one year in February and the temperature went down to -2 degrees low and there I was going around town perfectly. It's the humidity that I cannot stand. Just chill me to my bone! 
So for the trip I decided that I needed a warmer, comfortable pair of shoes. And after much consideration, I went with Adirondack Boots by UGG Australia. I was impressed and convinced by the 300 over positive reviews and went ahead with them. The result, I couldn't be more happy with them. My feet were cozy, warm and very comfortable. It got better after a few days of wear. They felt a bit bulky the first few use but once I got used to them, it was smooth sailing all the way. These boots are waterproof, fully shearling lined and come in 4 colors. They can be worn up of cuffed at the ankles into a short boots but I prefer to wear them up like the military boots. These boots have been tested and approved for cold temperature all the way down to -20 degrees, making them a great pair of snow boots. I had a chance to meet up with an old school friend in Amsterdam and she too had the same pair of shoes and couldn't say enough good things about them.
So, if you are looking for a warm pair of boots for this winter, I would highly recommend  these Adirondack boots by UGG Australia. Unlike their sisters the classic unflattering UGG boots (of which I also love!), this pair is stylish  yet they will not fail to keeping your feet warm!  

The Pedro Garcia Booties Saga (A Review)

I have been lusting over a pair of Pedro Garcia booties since November.  Ever since my post here, I couldn't stop the temptation and started looking around for a pair of these shoes.  Apparently this is the Birkinstock of high heels that would make wearing a pair feels so comfortable that one would look at it with different eyes! I started going from mall to mall looking for these shoes.  I found some pairs in Bloomingdales, Harvey Nichols and the shoe heaven of  Dubai, Level  Shoe District but they were not in the models that I like!  Mostly they look like some orthopedic shoes! I ran out of steam and knew that I had to go to the next level to get the shoes of my dream...

So I made a lot of research and found some pairs that I love BUT unfortunately there was none in my size.  Apparently (also through research) I found out that this shoes run small and I need to go half a size up meaning for a true 37 like me, a 37 and a half is the ideal size in this Pedro Garcia's shoes. After days if not weeks of searching - on websites, on ebay.. I finally found one pair on an online store in a 37, the closest to the apparent ideal size.  I pondered for days - to buy or not to buy and finally I bought.  Now here comes the next problem.  The company only ships in the US. Dang! This is never going to end, I thought. 

I had to thicken my face and asked for a favour from my dear friend J in Las Vegas for the shoes to be shipped to her address and later I would send my FedEx guy to have them picked from her. She agreed, bless her soul.  I scheduled the pick up before Christmas, a 'perfect' time.

The pick up was delayed due to the heavy traffic during holiday season and right after Christmas J was busy with her thing and was out of the house most of the time.  You see she ran not only one business but many.  On top of big catering company of which she is the cook, she organizes cooking classes and runs a series of holiday rental homes.

So to make story short (I am getting depressed just by writing), J managed to squeeze time in between her busy schedule to have the shoe shipped to me (bless her generous soul! Thank you J!) Finally after almost 3 months after my post, I received my Pedro Garcia pair yesterday. 

The Verdict

During my research, I got in touch with Kim at PopCosmo (she owns a pair Pedro Garcia's) and asked her about the shoes and she said that it is important to get the perfect size.  Now that I have them, I understand perfectly the reason behind it. This shoes are made like Birkinstock, they mold and hug your feet so you'd missed all the 'engineering' marvel of this super pair if the fit missed. It is by far one of the most comfortable pair of shoes I've ever worn, as comfortable as the YSL Tribute sandals, even more considering the height. It was worth all the pain and wait!

As for the size, a 37 in this style (called Chandra) is perfect for my true 37 feet.  That is the tricky bit about shoes in general.  Sizing can be over rated as it was created just for general guidelines and buying shoes online like I did here is a huge risk especially with new pair from a new designer.  I guess I was lucky this time :)

Don't forget to support my first ever Giveaway here, thank you!

Arturo - My Amazing Shoe Doctor! (A review)

It took me a long while to take this leap of commitment in buying the ultimate shoes, the dream red soles of all woman, Christian Louboutin.  So much thoughts went into the process of choosing the style, color and size but at the end I settled in for a pair of Bruges 120 in black.

source

Why Bruges 120?  Well, the shape of the shoes in general appealed  to me and the fact that the heels were not too skinny or too thick also played an important role not to mention the platforms that support the 120 heels, but above all the toe box of this style was the final deal sealer - rounded, roomy and comfortable enough even on my bunion!    

The only problem I faced in buying this shoes was the size. Now, Bruges is known to be true to size and a 37 girl like me should be fine with 37 but because of my bunion on the right foot, I was in between 37 and 37.5. I thought better big than small and went with 37.5 and they were slipping off my feet as I walked. I had to take them to see the shoe doctor, Arturo.

Arturo is the owner and genius behind Arturo's Shoe Fixx in Beverly Hills (on Santa Monica Blvd, between North Rodeo Dr and Wilshire Blvd) It is just a simple shop amid all the posh looking shops and restaurants in that area, you can easily missed it. I found out about this place while researching for a good cobbler that has good experience with Louboutin and since I was in Beverly Hills for a week last month, I took the opportunity to take my Bruges in for a fix.  

Arturo, in his late 80s attended to me and he was just sweet.  I told him my problem and he gave me a few options on how to go about it.  After a further discussion and him telling me his opinion, we decided to go with the additional leather inserts. Basically what he did was to add a piece of leather at the back of the heel area of the shoe to fill in the gap. I was asked to come back for a shoe fitting ( now, that's a first!) before he sealed the leather final.  The final results was amazing!  He even colored the top leather black (the color of the shoes) to hide the tell tale of the fix!  I also had him covered the front part of the red sole with red 'vibram' to protect the red color, (very popular among CL shoe lovers) no ugly peeling or discoloration with use and it also double up as anti slip.  All that services for $60, a bit pricey but it is worth every single cent considering my shoes just got fixed by the best shoe doctor in Beverly Hills! 

The leather insert and colored top bit

An example of worn discolored CL soles. Image source

Vibram added as anti slip and also to avoid ugly red color peeling known on CL soles

The vibram was placed beautifully no tell tale or anything seen!

I was thrill with the result and would recommend Arturo for shoe fixing, any shoes for that matter.  He also does handbag fixing and his customers come from all walks of life with all types of shoes.  I know the area could be a bit intimidating but once inside his store you'll realize that it is after all a typical cobbler with a friendly old man that is good at what he's doing, like the best plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills!