Monthly Archives: November 2011

Mums, When is the the right age for a child to wear high heels?

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Schools are closed. Our little darlings are home. They seem to grow a bigger each passing day and so are their demands!

Says Belinda : “My daughter is crazy about high heels! She wants high heels and will hear none of it when I explain that she can not wear heels yet. I mean, she is (ONLY)5! My little girl wants high heels but I don,t think her little bones are ready. Besides, heels are meant to make the wearer look sexy. Children are NOT supposed to be sexy! “

Tell me mums, (and dads!) when is the right age for a child to wear high heels? Do you buy high heels for your young daughters? Do share by leaving a comment below..

Caring for Leather Shoes in Wet Weather

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Rain. Some consider it a blessing others consider it a fashion menace. Why a menace? Because you can’t dress as you please under rainy conditions.

Whereas clothes’ designers have come up with fashionable apparel that is suitable for rainy seasons, shoe designers are yet to conclusively come up with a shoe that serves both utility and fashion during the wet season. This leaves a majority of shoe wearers in a dilemma as to whether to go for a chic looking shoe to match their attire or a weather-appropriate shoe that does no justice to their overall look. In most cases, they choose the former.

Wearing your regular leather dress shoes during rainy seasons has quite a number of challenges. It is virtually impossible to avoid mud and water during such a season, of course with the exception of the few who own vehicles. In as much as regular cleaning through polishing or using water resistant sprays will help the shoes to remain in a good working condition for a while, shoe experts are almost unanimous that leather shoes should not be used during the rainy season.

Naturally, leather shoes are sturdy and last longer if they are kept with great care. However, when trudging through the rain water and/or mud, one always runs the risk of ruining good footwear. Repeated contact with rain water spoils the leather and the shoes will be rendered un-wearable within a short time.

Remedy

If you have to wear your shoes in the rain, below are a number of precautions which shoe experts believe must be taken in order to ensure that your shoes serve you satisfactorily under such circumstances.

1. Ensure you have multiple pairs of shoes: This will give the wet shoes ample time to dry properly before storage and subsequently, the next wear. Damp leather is sensitive to heat, which will harden the shoes, and form cracks, when flexed.

2. How to dry the shoes: Leather should never be dried directly under sunlight as they will become as dry as sandpaper thus form cracks. As a means of artificially drying the shoes, you can either stuff them with newspaper crumpled into balls or even stuffed tissue papers, as they absorb the water from the inside part of the shoes.

3. The problem of moisture: The glue that firmly holds the upper to the sole is weakened by moisture. In addition, if the shoes are not used for a long time, moisture may even cause cracks in the soles. A small packet of baking soda or charcoal will prevent moisture, odor and bacteria from accumulating in the shoes.

4. Socks are a must: Even if they get wet, socks act as a barrier between the skin and the leather. Direct skin contact with leather footwear especially when wet, can cause bacterial growth.

5. Regular polishing: Wax polish is always good on shoes, as they repel water, and prevent shoe damage. This however, is limited depending on amount of water the shoes are externally exposed to.

Whereas these remedies will provide simple solutions to the challenges encountered when wearing your favorite leather shoes during rainy seasons, it is still highly recommended that you avoid exposing your shoes to such wet conditions if you want to maximize their durability.

Please share with us any more tips that work for you.

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How to walk in heels

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We asked you to share tips on how to walk in heels. ”Always remember to tip toe when walking on stony ground….your heels will last longer” , offered Joyce Mungai. ”Practice walking in them in your house…You don’t want to face the agony of falling in full view of your colleagues in office”, Gatwiri Wa Kamau reasoned.

Most ladies will agree that heels are the ultimate symbol of femininity when it comes to ladies footwear. They come in handy for the office, formal occasions, as well informal occasions such as dinner or clubbing. Wearing heels enhances your posture as a lady in that your legs look slimmer, your stomach flatter, and your entire femininity becomes unstoppable. It also does wonders for your stride. However, walking in heels is not a natural talent. It is a learned skill that is perfected by practice and discipline. It is an art.

Ladies, below are some insights, courtesy of www.wikihow.com on how to perfect your use of heels : -

Available in Bata stores @Ksh1899/-

1. Start small and work your way up: Don’t go from not ever having worn heels to slipping on some 4 inch stilettos. There are many heels to choose from, varying in height, thickness and shape. Training your feet will allow your ankles to develop the strength they need to walk safely and gracefully in high heels. Begin with a shoe that has a broad, low heel (2-3 inches) and plenty of support over your foot and on the heel. Next, become comfortable with kitten heels (low, skinny heels; usually sandals). These will help you start learning to keep your balance. Move on to boots with a higher, but broad heel. It’ll help your foot get accustomed to being at a steep arch, but the broadness of the heel and support from the boot will ease the transition. Try high wedge heels, where the heel is fully attached to the sole of the shoe, giving you increased balance and comfort while still allowing you to get used to having the heel of your foot placed high above the level of your toes. These will have less support than boots, and if you get ones with a slim wedge, they’ll be a good transition into stilettos. Once comfortable with all the above designs, you now qualify to wear the ‘mother of all heels’ – the stiletto. These are also referred to as ‘spike heels’ and are 3 to 4 inches long. Wearing anything higher than this will give you plenty of grief and less of beauty.

2. Choose your shoes carefully: Not all high heels are created equal. Stand in your shoes on a hard floor with your knees straight, and see if you can raise yourself on your toes an inch. If you can’t, the heels are too high for you and so you shouldn’t wear them. If you try to wear heels this tall, you’ll end up walking with your knees bent forward, and that’s a good way to get very sore, not to mention looking rather daft.

3. Take baby steps: Walking in high heels isn’t like the walking you learned to do when you were a child, so you have to do a few things that might feel counterintuitive. First, take small, slow steps, making sure not to bend your knees any more than you normally would. You’ll notice that heels tend to shorten your stride a bit. The taller the heel, the shorter the stride ends up being. Second, put your heel down first right before your toes (don’t plop them down at the same time, and don’t put your toes down first). Once your weight is on the balls of your feet, shift your weight forward, as if you’re walking on your tip toes. Third, keep your legs close together. Catwalk models will often cross one foot slightly in front of the other to give their hips a little more sway, but it’ll take some extra practice to master this art.

4. Practice: Wear your heels for a day around the house before you wear them out. This will not only allow you to get used to wearing them, but it will also create scuffs on the bottom so that they’re less slippery. Make sure you practice doing all the things you would normally do while walking, such as:

- Changing direction. Walk, stop, pivot or turn around, and walk some more.

- Expose your heels to different surfaces. You will likely need to walk on both floors and carpets, and you may one day be expected to walk on a slippery or wooden floor.

- Dance. If you’re planning on wearing your heels to a nightclub or a party where you know you’re going to want to boogie down, then dance to the beat of your own drummer in the privacy of your home until your comfortable shaking things up in your heels.

- Don’t forget about the stairs! Place your entire foot on each step as you come down the steps, but only place the ball of your foot on each step as you go up. Hold onto that railing gracefully, just in case.

- Walking in heels indoors is very different to walking in them outdoors. Without the soft cushioning of a carpet, or the flat even indoor surface, walking in heels can be ten times as difficult. Even minor surface flaws in tarmac will present difficulties, so try walking up and down outside your house a few times. A good place to practice after you’ve gotten the hang of it in your house is to wear your heels to the supermarket. Use the shopping cart for balance.

5. Give your feet a break: Sit down every twenty minutes or so. Unless you are switching them with flats, don’t take your heels off, this will only allow the pain to worsen. Your feet swell a bit after you take off the heels, which make it harder to put them back on after.

“I read somewhere that when you are on heels try and swing ur booty, it will help ur stability.. ;-) ”  - Gloria Bunei. I think you read swinging your hands Gloria. :) Swinging your hands while walking in heels helps with balance. While we are still at it, it is in fact true that , wearing heels causes ones hips to sway more.  Mboya Sunday Olivia, agrees.

A word of caution from Loise Loloh Mburu though : “Avoid wearing your most rocking heels as a 9 to 5 thing. Save them for special occasions. Your feet will thank you.” Well said Loise!

Do share with us any more tips on how too walk in high heels…