I love boots. Always have done.

I remember being about ten years old and getting a brand new pair of boots for school. The excitement as they crunched on the gravel down the path to the school gates was palpable. They were just a pair of boots, but they made me happy. 

The end of the school holidays were always made brighter by the fact I could choose some new boots. I went through DM’s, platforms, suede flats and – when I was older – cowboy boots. These days, during the colder months, I live in my converse hi-tops and my various pairs of flat boots. I have sheepskin lined suede boots, Ugg boots, ankle boots and – now – black biker boots.

These beauties are Earth Spirit Biker Boots from Barratts and cost £68. They’re comfortable, versatile and I LOVE them.

They go with pretty much every staple daytime outfit I own: black opaques and a dress, skinny jeans, leggings and a baggy knit. I have lived in these boots for the past two weeks and have even shunned my heeled boots on a rare night out to the pub in favour of these beauties. That’s dedication.

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Disclosure: The boots featured in this post were a sample pair sent to me for the purpose of this review. All opinions remain my own – they really are THAT good. 

Linking up to Wednesday Wardrobe at Emma and 3.

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I’ve written here before about not being particularly materialistic. When it comes to furniture, I’m happy to opt for second hand and give it a bit of upcycling love. Although Boden kids clothes are my achilles heel, I’m just as content dressing my toddler in the second hand versions rather than the pricey brand new ones. My car is anything but flashy and my coat is not designer.

But. Well, I have a confession to make. I am a bit hooked on boots. Especially the ones on offer at online clothing and shoe store Zalando.

Given five minutes free time on the internet, my eye will immediately wander over to look at pretty boots and trainers, adding more styles to my personalised lists on Shopcade. It’s my new favourite (and very indulgent) hobby.

That’s why I got a little over-excited when I received an email from the Zalando team offering me the chance to do a review. I’d first come across the site after reading the rave reviews and tweets from my blogging mate Nickie at I Am Typecast, so I was no stranger to the types of lovely things on offer.

I had no idea, however, of the extent of gorgeous boots Zalando feature. It took me a good hour to trawl through all the different designs, creating a shortlist of my favourites before finally picking the ones I wanted.

Eventually, I plumped for this slightly rock chick pair from Even & Odd:

I have a real thing for black ankle boots, already owning two other pairs. In my defence though, none of the boots in my current collection have pretty stars and studs on or sport a gorgeous wooden heel.

I wore them all day – including driving 50 minutes to work in them – and they left me with no blister at the end. They were cute enough to team with skinny jeans but I think they’ll come into their own with my favourite black lace skater dress. (Incredibly frivolous but it’s nice to feel nice, no?)

My new boots went rather well with my new black silk T’shirt – also from Zalando – which perfectly skimmed any wobbly bits.

(Yes, those are grubby fingerprints on the mirror. I have a toddler, what can I say?)

My sensible head is telling myself not to get too carried away with the love of snazzy new clothes, but I couldn’t help but notice the lovely feeling I had when I wore this outfit earlier this week. There’s something about wearing something I feel good in, which looks pretty, that makes me walk a bit taller. Call me indulgent, shallow and vacuous, but I just can’t help myself.

Every now and again, it’s nice to have something new to wear. Especially when it’s new boots.

Thanks Zalando!

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Disclosure: The products featured were provided for the purpose of this review. For more information please see my disclosure page.

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Nothing unusual about that for August – except the toddler isn’t actually naked. She wears not a stitch all over her body, but her feet are adorned with a pair of socks and some heavy duty boots.

A good look, I’m sure you’ll agree.

The thing is, my two year old is still wobbly when it comes to walking. At 26 months, she only fully mastered the craft of getting up on two feet before her recent birthday. She has hypermobility issues, which means she is very bendy, making it hard for her to balance properly.

Added to the bendiness are her wonky flat feet, punctuated by a complete lack of instep, meaning she walks with her feet splayed out, putting a huge strain on her ankles. With no shoes to keep them in place, her ankles touch the floor.

So it was with a huge smile that I let her remove her clumpy hospital Piedro Boots this weekend. These beauties may keep her stable, but they do nothing to keep little toes cool in the heat. And they certainly don’t complement nudity.

Every day that Frog is up on her wonky feet, her ankles grow stronger. Every day that she takes another step and runs to chase something, her hips gain strength and she increases in confidence. In the last couple of days she’s started jumping and it’s hilarious to see her attempt to take off, only reaching the dizzy heights of success (about 1 centimetre off the ground) on some occasions.

Frog’s physiotherapist has advised us to keep her in the Piedro boots for a little while each day, to take the strain off her ankles and give her hips and knees the chance to get stronger. But it’s also important she doesn’t rely on these boots to walk all the time.

So toes out on the grass and in the paddling pool occasionally are encouraged. As are other types of shoes with a bit less ankle support.

We’ve found these Skeanies boots good for days relaxing at home, when Frog’s ankles are ready to do a bit more work on their own, but not quite in the mood to go solo completely.

Plus, they’re really rather pretty and go with a lot of her more girly outfits. (Although, obviously, not the long socks with shorts. I have no idea why my toddler continues to rock this look.)

Frog also has a pair of hi-top trainers from Next, which she LOVES. The bargain price of under £20 means I also love them. The support is just about right for her hypermobile ankles when she’s ready for a break from the hospital boots – plus, they look utterly cool.

And the trusty faithfuls – bought nearly 6 months ago but which STILL fit – are these purple Ricoste Boots. After an entire evening searching every corner of the internet I finally found a pair in a minuscule size 4.

With her tiny feet, Frog has had to forego many of the mainstream boot brands on the high street up until now, but I literally cheered when I came across these beauties. They’re the boots that eventually saw her get up on her two feet and, for that, I’ll forever have a soft spot for them.

Unfortunately for my diva child, it’s likely she may struggle to walk in heels when she’s older. We’re told her flat feet are so extremely pronounced that she may have to wear special insoles right through adulthood. It’s not clear yet if it’s something she’ll grow out of. But, for now, her favourite boots (mine) are still out of bounds.

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This is not a review post as such, but I was given the Skeanies Boots for the purpose of a previous review.

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