SWAPPING HEELS FOR INSOLES, FASHIONABLY
Insoles; a word I wasn't too familiar with, nor do I think many of you are. Yes, we have heard it might be something for situations like those when one leg is shorter than the other or some extreme cases where one needs them to be able to walk. Little did I know that it was in fact quite common and that one day it would be something that would not only revolutionise my well-being but my wardrobe as well.
A couple of months ago my now husband surprised me with a trip to Venice and proposed. Filled with emotions and excitement we realised our parents had to meet and after we sat down one evening, we accidentally invited our closest 70 friends and family. Things got out of hand when everyone happily accepted the invitation, and before we knew it we threw a huge party at Laperouse in Paris. Dancing the night away in my latest wedding investment; a pair of glorious ivory pumps with crystal embellishment from Jimmy Choo, everything was fabulous until midnight, when my feets instigated strike. Now this was not the usual feeling of “late night party feets” where they scream; ‘We want a pause because you have forced us into another pair of more fashionable than comfortable heels”. Not this time, this was real pain. Heading home a little earlier than planned to my husband to be’s disappointment the pain continued the day after. Walking actually became quite difficult.
With fear of having done some real damage I finally contacted the doctor. Who prescribed me some skin treatment and said I had hardened skin where the front of the foot had worked more due the heel instead of the whole foot. Relieved, I went home, only to discover that the pain had gotten worse. This didn't just feel like something on the surface, there was something deeper going on. I decided to contact a foot specialist. I soon discovered there was a whole new world of these so-called podiatry doctors, after some manic research I soon found myself quite nervous sitting in a waiting room, thinking of all my favourite shoes that I had been gathering during my decade of working in fashion and how I was scared of not only losing them but my feets.
My ivory pumps with crystal embellishment from Jimmy Choo, photographed on our Civil Wedding Day by Abby Kemp.
Doctors have in my opinion a tendency to not be the most stylish people, at least when I meet them which is probably the cause of their mandatory white frock that leaves little to the imagination. However, Dr. Patel in front of me was wearing Louis Vuittons’s latest season’s sneakers, which not only made me feel a little more at home than the surrounding clinical atmosphere but also made me feel like she would understand my shoe collection and my emotional attachment to them.
Whilst jumping up, standing on one foot followed by the other one on a tiny sensor mat, confessing that it might not have been the first time I had worn high heels and regretting all my previous outfit choices, she analysed my foot structure and scribbled down notes quietly. My heart was racing, might I be able to walk again? I loved hiking.. Had I ruined my feets forever? Was style really more important than comfort? Oh, why had I not only such an expensive taste for shoes but also an unhealthy one? “You can stop worrying”, she said with a calm voice looking at my worried appearance.
Turns out it was years of wearing those flat ballerinas, you all know what I mean. The ones that go with EVERYTHING. Due to the low support to the foot my arch had fallen, and the higheels were not the main reason to blame but they hadn't helped either. My fabulous Meet the Parents Night had caused an inflammation in the bones hence my increasing pain. How is this not to worry about? I defied. She looked at me comfortingly, I wasn't alone. This was very normal. I protested I had never heard anything like this - but then again who speaks about insoles anyways?
The verdict: For 3 months I wasn't going to wear any flat shoes or high heels and only supportive shoes with my newly made insoles inserted in them. Supportive shoes? I explained I didn't own any sneakers except my old Nikes that were clearly only for my work out sessions and not office or social friendly. She pointed at her sneakers and said firmly that if anyone can find fashionable shoes it must be me, residing at Vogue. After the appointment whilst struggling to walk due the pain I decided then and there, enough with uncomfortable shoes and in with the salutary.
Once I arrived at home I boxed up my collection of fabulous shoes, some went to Ebay and others more personal collector items like my special made Chanel heels from THAT Métiers d'art show that were not produced in the end and are the only pair…Went onto the shelves as statues. It turned out quite chic actually!
Once the wardrobe had new space I went on the internet. I know many of you have been walking in trainers since forever and yes there are tons of beautiful shoes that are comfortable: New Balance, Adidas by Sam Smith, Common Projects and various others. However none of those felt like me, I realised shoes are VERY personal. So as anyone working in fashion I set on for some professional inspiration and went on www.vogue.com/runway. I decided to treat this very methodically and revisited all my favourite designer shows. Someone must have had a shoe designed for my taste. Grasping whilst researching that sneakers are playing a huge part in the pollution of fashion with it being made mainly with plastics, I searched for sustainable alternatives.
Then in the Chloe Spring ‘22 Collection I found the perfect match. The Nama Sneaker took Gabriela Hearst and her team more than eight months to create, with them looking at each and every component for ways to lower the sneaker’s impact. That includes knit pieces of 90% recycled polyester yarn from plastic bottles, 25% recycled microsuede, a welt that uses 25% recycled thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) and a midsole made of 25% recycled rubber powder. It was a strong look, something different and something that I could stand for. I know it was going to be an investment piece but hey this was shoes actually meant for walking. I went the next day to the store and bought them. The sales assistant was muddled by my propelled fitting with the insoles and it was then and there I decided to write about this revolutionary thing named insoles.
