Getting retrospective with Hotter Shoes
I’ve been a fan of Hotter Shoes for some time now and have a couple of pairs that I love and wear often. However, they’re not the most obvious place to go looking for vintage style shoes. They certainly don’t market themselves as a vintage brand and have many modern styles on offer but, if you’ve never ventured into one of their shops, or explored their website, then I’d highly recommend it.
Of course, when I was given the chance to write a review of any of their shoes, I literally jumped at it and immediately knew which pair, as I’d had my eye on them for a while.
Hotter Shoes produce a great selection of very era inspired footwear, including several gorgeous 1920s Mary Jane styles, the fantastic 1940s inspired Donna Heels in many different colours and the oh-so-cute 1950s style Antoinette Heels. Not only that, every single pair is incredibly good quality, they are very well made and the detailing is really well thought out. These aren’t the cheap type of shoes that will fall apart after a few outings.
Their Fontana shoes remind me so much of the co-respondent/spectator shoes that were incredibly popular during my favourite era, the 1930s, and just like their vintage counterparts, the Fontanas are two-tone in classic white and tan real leather. The white section is detailed with punched holes and is trimmed with a tan stretch edging around the top to create a perfect fit. At the front is a cute bow in matching tan leather. The back section of the shoe and the 1¾” inch heel are also in tan and the heel features a gold coloured trim where it meets the shoe, giving it a luxurious feel.
One thing I love about Hotter Shoes is how comfortable they are and these certainly don’t disappoint. In fact, after wearing the Fontana Heels for a whole day I still felt like I was wearing a pair of really comfy slippers! This is thanks to their unique Pyramid Technology, a pyramid shaped foam pad hidden deep inside the sole which contracts and traps air as you walk, acting like a cushion to the balls of your feet.
I’m a UK size 4.5 and so ordered the size 4.5 Standard Width and they fit absolutely perfectly, there’s no pinching or rubbing at all. With their women’s shoes, Hotter offer many of their designs in Standard and Extra Wide, but also offer Extra Extra Wide Fit and Slim Fit on a select few. This allows you to choose exactly the right size for you. And for someone who finds that most size 4s are too small and size 5s are too big, it’s refreshing to find a company who offer a wide range of half sizes.
The Fontana Heels are £75 and are definitely worth it to have comfort all day long. However, if your budget doesn’t stretch that far, they do have offers on quite frequently, so always double check on their website before placing your order. They also have a great selection of ‘Last Chance’ shoes that you can get at knock down prices.
To create my 1930s look I teamed the Fontana Heels with a vintage 1950s blouse and a brown wool crepe skirt I made from an original 1930s pattern. I then accessorised my outfit with a vintage brown wool felt and velvet hat, a tan leather belt, a vintage brown double-handled handbag and vintage 1930s jade drop earrings.
Disclaimer: Hotter kindly provided me with the Fontana Heels in exchange for this review, however all views expressed are my own and reflect my honest opinions.
