Feeling hot, hot, Hotter!

What a lucky blogger am I. I spent last Tuesday evening in somewhere akin to heaven. Daddy's idea of purgatory. A shoe shop.  Not just any shoe shop though. I was in the Cardiff branch of Hotter Shoes, along with some other very lucky bloggers, making the most of our chance to get to know the brand.

Now, I had heard of Hotter Shoes before, but I'd only ever seen them in a very old fashioned independent shoe shop. The kind of shoe shop that has a wide range of granny slippers, orthopaedic shoes and the kind of footwear that bears more than a passing resemblance to a Cornish Pasty.  I wondered therefore, what they wanted with me. I know I'm cracking on a bit, but really?

Well, it turns out that Hotter are so much more than granny shoes. While the company started out making slippers, they've applied the Comfort Concept to shoes, making fashionable yet practical and Very Very comfortable shoes for everyone, not just the bingo brigade.

Soles that are bonded to the uppers, to make the shoes more durable. Millions of little bubbles in the sole to give flexibility and bounce.  Gore-tex®   linings in their outdoor shoes to keep water out but allow feet to breathe.  A range of different uppers using the same soles, so when you find one that is right for you, there's a whole selection of different looks that will feel just as good.  Design details inside and out. And the majority of shoes made in the UK.  The UK 's biggest shoe manufacturer, at that.  And still a family business, which makes me really happy, to see that sort of commitment to the business and getting it right.

Hotter pride themselves on giving you a great fit, and their in-store staff are trained to help you find your "Hotter Moment", that time when you try on a pair of shoes and they are so perfect and do comfortable you never want to take them off.  As opposed to a "Hotter Flush", which is something people of a certain age suffer from, or what happened when Squeaky asked to use the staff toilet!  That's right, I took Squeaky along with me (occupational hazard when Daddy works shifts), and even she got in on the act trying on shoes.

I was really surprised by the colour ranges, summer is all about ice cream pastels, and some of the shoes looked simply good enough to eat.  All I needed was a cone,  and a drizzle of strawberry sauce!

I selected a beautiful pair of baby pink vintage style shoes, the Valetta, with an RRP of £72.  While not the cheapest pair of shoes I've ever owned, the quality and the fit are superb.  I've got a wedding to go to in a couple of weeks, and a vintage village fete. I think these will be perfect, and they'll look just as good with skinny jeans as a full skirt. And I definitely had my Hotter Moment.

Yes, these really are my feet.

Disclosure: I was invited to attend this event free of charge, and gifted with a pair of shoes of my choice. I was not told what to write and all opinions are my own. Links are provided for convenience only, I am not a member of any affiliate scheme and will not receive payment for their use.