Window Shopping

[FastFreddy2]

Been really bored with things recently. Not been the full ticket with so much sadness around, and also feels like my life has been all work and no play for too long.

Went 'window' shoe shopping today.

Had planned to go wearing heels, but decided against at the last minute as the first venue was Camden, a place well known for its poor quality paving....

Background to this is the ALDO Outlet store, and SELECT clothes stores have both provided bargain priced and interesting styles at their stores in Camden. Not been to either for a while, so with half an excuse to go, I went.

ALDO has been revamped, and it is a much more pleasant place to shop. Nothing there to buy today, but it was a much better experience with more styles on display, and more room to get around them.

SELECT proved to be a bit of a temptation I had to miss. They had some VERY high heeled slouch style calf length boots for £20. I tried the 7, but needed a size 8 they didn't have.

Disappointed, I went from Camden to Brent Cross.

Nearly tried on some block heeled fully enclosed shoes at TopShop, but the school-girl in front of me kept the assistant so busy I left. [Thinking I would come back later, but time ran out to do this.]

Miss Selfridge. Nothing.

Went to New Look. Nothing there.

Office. Nothing there.

Marks and Spencer ..... Finally got to try on some high heeled boots fitted. £59 was bit steep for me, though they were quite comfortable.

Dune, nothing.

Fenwicks with Kurt Geiger, Pied a Terre, Nine West and others ..... Nothing.

Zara, found a couple of style to try on. One fitted moderately well, but was suede, and again £60 a pair......

ALDO (retail). Nothing of interest. [Though have my eye on a pair from their on-line Sale.]

Popped into SELECT at Boreham Wood, no boots there in the style I'd seen earlier.

So ...... Had an afternoon's entertainment shoe shopping, but no money spent. Bargain!

.....

[shyguy]

Sounds like a good day in the end then Freddy, and it got you out of the house. I hope things pick up for you and the good times return soon.

[Ludovic]

I went to an ALDO store not too long ago. The store was almost empty, only two clerks. I spotted the sale rack and asked if they had any in my size. She looked up the computer and then went to fetch them. Tried them on right there. The two girls looked but didn't offer any help. Didn't buy them as they were still too expensive.

[FastFreddy2]

Had a busy start to the day, helping to serve and clear up, 44 large English breakfasts to a group of visiting international guests to a Round Table. [Members Group, usually tied to a specific town.] It was very hot, and I must surely have lost a couple of pounds in weight.

Decided to conclude yesterdays 'window' shop by going to another town. This time it was Luton.

Seems my market stall holder friend [older Asian lady] has finally given up selling shoes, and probably retired at last. She'll be missed.

Went to Peacocks and saw some block heeled courts. Had a bow on the front [that I guess could be removed] and were £25 for PU shoes. Bit pricey I thought, but they looked high. Reason for going the Luton, was the SELECT store, and the Internationale store. SELECT for a further attempt at getting those boots mentioned earlier, and Internationale for some courts I'd seen in Stevenage last week while out with Mrs Freddy. [stevenage only had size 7.]

In SELECT, their shoe range was poor. No chance to find those boots, which was disappointing.

Tried on some shoes in BHS. These were girls shoes in a 'trainer' style, and some ordinary low heeled (girls) ankle boots. The casual shoe went for £29 and while it fitted, it could have fitted better. No sale (yet). The other boot was okay, and might have been a goer but it was over £50 and could not be repaired when it wore. I'd rather buy a better shoe for that money, even if it means waiting to get the better shoe in a sale?

At Internationale. there was plenty of platform shoes on offer, and at reasonable prices too, and two pairs in the style I was after. But as with Stevenage, only the wrong size.

Walking back to the car via Peacocks, I decided not to go home empty handed again, and bought the overpriced shoes.

Driving homeward, I thought I would try the Stevenage Internationale again. I had rung earlier in the week to get a size check done, and had been told they only had size 7, not the size 8 I would probably need. I thought I might buy the 7 and try them later [when my very hot feet had cooled]. At the store, I had to trawl through a fairly large [and literally top] shelf full of shoes joined as pairs by thread. Before I found the 7's I was looking for, I found an 8!!! Ressssssssult. Got my £12.99 ready at the cash desk, only to find the shoes are in a sale and got rung up at £6.

After driving home, I tried on both pairs of shoes. Both fitted, though the Peacock courts were short on toe-box, and large on heel. The round toe stiletto's from Internationale, which were the same high height, fitted like the proverbial glove. [And £19 cheaper than the Peacock shoes....]

Pictures to follow.

@Ludovic.

I've started a thread about ALDO elsewhere. [Link here ]

We've maybe a different attitude to sales staff and selling in retail stores over here. Anyone pushing for a sale or seeming disingenuous, is likely to switch off the buying interest. ALDO in the UK always seem a bit pushy, and I'd suggest the attention you had would be just about perfect for me. ie. Help if I want it, to be left alone if I don't.

Compared to the KG/Kurt Geiger/Carvela group, ALDO are very favourably priced, though I have never paid full price for any style from either group that I've kept. KG boots are typically bought during the Winter/Spring sales. ALDO typically 3 to 4 months after the style initially becomes available. Though I did have to wait more than a year for one particular style to be discounted..... [i've the patience of a Saint when it comes to saving money. ]

Reason for edit: Link added.

Edited September 10, 2011 by FastFreddy2

[FastFreddy2]

Returned the [in my view] overpriced Peacock shoes today .....

And bought a second pair of the Internationale shoes for £6.

Both styles have a heel height of 4 1/2", though the Peacocks felt higher. [Good or poor design?]

Will be wearing a pair for a while tomorrow, all being well.

Reason for edit: Messed up the second link.

Edited September 11, 2011 by FastFreddy2

[FastFreddy2]

Had more bad news on Sunday morning.

After an early start on Monday and an out of town appointment, did some more window shopping.

Saw some boots I would like to have bought, but these were obsolete styles with only smaller sizes available. Most notably a couple from H+M.

Style 1.

Style 2.

Trawling the internet Sunday night for the right size in >> these << I managed to buy a pair in EU 42 from the St. Albans store. Probably not to keep, though the jury is still out on that. They fit okay-ish, and have a very manly [wearable] front to them, but £65? Note the sizing on the box...... They are NEVER a size 9, and NEVER a US 11 1/2. Actually they are closer to a small US10 and possibly small EU41. [40 1/2 even?]

Saw >> these << in Dorothy Perkins. Wearable, but £45 for PU boots? Has the world gone mad?

Had a little try-out with the Internationale courts today [Tuesday]. They are very comfortable, and very stable. In fact the heel is so stable [ie no twist what-so-ever] they feel like you are walking in block heels! Possibly I should do a short review ....

Reason for edit: Grammar.

.....

Edited September 13, 2011 by FastFreddy2

[shyguy]

I'd love to read a review of the internacionale shoes.

Some nice boots linked too, a little expensive for me too.

Particularly liked Style 1. The DP boots were nice too. Great finds.

[Ludovic]

I prefer style 1 and Dorothy Perkins boots as well. I don't like wedges at all. Personal opinion

[FastFreddy2]

Update ..... [bit of light trivia really]

SELECT proved to be a bit of a temptation I had to miss. They had some VERY high heeled slouch style calf length boots for £20. I tried the 7, but needed a size 8 they didn't have.

I now know this style is circa 2 or 3 years old. I'd trawled many many stores, only to find [by contacting head office] they are an obsolete style. Talk about temptation ...

Went to Peacocks and saw some block heeled courts. Had a bow on the front [that I guess could be removed] and were £25 for PU shoes. Bit pricey I thought, but they looked high. Reason for going the Luton, was the SELECT store......

In SELECT, their shoe range was poor. No chance to find those boots, which was disappointing.

..............

Walking back to the car via Peacocks, I decided not to go home empty handed again, and bought the overpriced shoes.

The Peacock shoes are on sale at a much more reasonable £12, I discovered recently. Too late to go back for an 8. Hey-ho.

....