You are only 40 once and 40 is the new 30! I have never been fussed about going big to celebrate my birthday nor have I had a birthday bucket list before 40. But when I heard that Hotter shoes was offering a couple of bloggers the opportunity to test out their Chase shoes, I jumped right into it! I have always known that Hotter make really comfy, durable shoes. The reason I know is because I have been wearing the Dew shoes almost every day for two years and its still wearable although the soles are worn.
Coincidentally with my birthday weekend, my sister and her girlfriend happened to be in Paris so I decided to fly over to meet them for the weekend to celebrate in style.
It has been a couple of years since I last visited Paris when we went as a family to Paris Disneyland but we didn’t spend any time in the city itself! This time around, I was quite nervous as I was travelling alone and don’t speak French! Luckily, these days we all have smartphone apps and Google maps was invaluable to help navigate. I am so glad that we have not left the EU yet which means that my calling/data charges are still under standard rates and I can still use the EHIC Card if anything happened!
I arrived pretty late on Friday and didn’t travel around much. The following day, we decided to take a walk to the Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile. It is one of the most famous monuments standing at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly named Place de l’Étoile. Little did we know that it is also happened to be the Yellow Vest Protest Saturday which meant many places where blocked by the Police and Army and there were quite a few metro stations that were closed. Luckily, I had these comfy shoes on and was able to cope with a lot of walking.
This is a classic trainer with a twist! It comes in a range of colours and prints designed to add a little bit of personality to any outfit. The shoes are ergonomically designed to cradle your foot and have easy-to-open laces and zip fastening. I have chosen the Pebble Grey with Floral print style. Normally, I wouldn’t be so bold to choose a floral print but I thought to myself, it is time to acquire a different style! They come in a standard or a wide fit range and from sizes 3 to 9. I opted for the standard fit in size 8, which I think is true to size. There is a little room for my toes to wiggle and they fit nicely on my feet.
As you can see, it comes with a zip on the side but I didn’t have to use it when wearing, which makes me think that the zip is more for style than function. I love the soft leather lining inside the shoe and the sole is ultra-lightweight and flexes with every step you take. Even though they are so light, there is no discomfort on my soles when walking through stones and uneven ground. The secret of the soles is that they are filled with millions of air bubbles that help to take the pressure off your feet. I love the style of these shoes and enjoy walking in them. They are lightweight, flexible and breathable.
The shoes took me to a lot of places and they were especially drawn to patisseries. How could I celebrate my birthday without a cake! No chance of that! In fact, we visited six patisseries in two days and ate a lot of delicious cakes, but hey, who’s counting?
Some of the places I visited in two days included Hermès Paris, Foundation Louis Vuitton and Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile.
Did you know that Hotter are based in the beautiful county of Lancashire? They have been manufacturing stylishly, comfortable footwear for over 50 years now. They started off making slippers and now they make shoes and bags and have over 50 shops across the UK. To find out more, do check out their stores or use their app (App Store only) to enjoy free delivery and free returns, for the first 12 months.
Disclosure: We received the sample for the purposes of writing this review, however, all thoughts and opinions remain our own.
