Shoe Search at Westfield, London…

Some of you may remember my recent article (it was a rant actually) about the lack of beautiful flat shoes available on the high street. Over the years, I have found that shoes which are well made, flattering and affordable can be very hard to find indeed.

With this in mind, I took my search to Westfield, London. With a  a wide variety of stores all in one place, I knew there would be lots to choose from. Plus, if I didn’t find anything I liked, I could always just have a bite to eat in one of the many eateries – after all, drowning your sorrows in ice-cream doesn’t really sound so bad. Armed with a camera and a long list of requirements, I set about my flat shoe search @westfieldlondon…

2pm: After sitting in Saturday afternoon traffic for 20 minutes, I arrive at Westfield. Desperately in need of a pick-me-up, I head straight to Costa for a coffee. Top tip: Always opt for an espresso rather than a full cup of coffee before shopping. An espresso shot will give you a real caffeine kick without making you feel weighed down and without you having to lug around a cup whilst shopping. Having no clue about the layout at Westfield, I take a logical approach and decide to shop floor by floor.

2.30pm: I head for All Saints.  They are a little on the pricey side, but All Saints generally have some good designs in both clothing and footwear – plus there is a sale on! I spot a pair of sliders and a stunning pair of metallic gun metal loafers. Both come in at under £100 (£49.00 for the sliders and £89.00 for the loafers). Top tip: If you have normal to wider feet, try a size larger than your usual size. All Saints shoes can be smaller than the standard.

2.45pm: My attempts to Tweet and Instagram come to nothing, due to an unreliable 3G connection. Top tip: If you are trying to surf whilst you shop, opt for Westfield’s free Wi-Fi service. I didn’t and ended up wasting time looking for a better signal.

3.00pm: Next stop, Urban Outfitters. I am greeted at the door by a cool looking sales person who smiles and says “hello” – good start. Heading upstairs, I come across some metallic rose gold crossover sliders. They look comfy and I guess that the pretty colour helps with the somewhat unflattering style – that said, they are great value at £35 (they were £55). Just as I am about to leave, I notice a pair of patent sandals that look  like they might have been a pair of Dr Martens in a former life. They have ankle straps and three more straps that go over your feet – they may be bulky but I love them! I try them on and decide not to buy them as they make my feet look big – nice idea though.

3.30pm: I spot Kurt Geiger and make a b-line for the store – to say I am a fan is an understatement. On entering, I am faced with a wall of shoes (mostly Birk style sliders).  I grab a pair of nude and gold sandals that appear to be a cross between space age style and Grecian, they are confusing – even at £39 I am not convinced. I walk around the store, only to spot a pair of glittery Carvela loafers in champagne, with a black bow and gold buckle *swoon*. When I wake up, I realise I have nothing to wear them with and put them carefully back on the shelf.

3.50pm: I’m on my way to Pull & Bear. I get lost and bump into a stand for the Shoe Embassy. They have a bubbly sales assistant who is wearing a pair of fab shoes. She shows me a pair of orange lace-ups which I love!  They come in a range of shades and at under £60 are a steal – also, the leather is exceptional.

4.20pm: I arrive at Pull & Bear and straight away spot a few pairs of adorable  flats.  There is a pair of nicely designed gold and black sandals which include a gold toe bar and thick black foot strap. They show a lot of foot, however the design is dainty and won’t make my size 7 feet appear bigger than they are, like some flats do. I find a pair of orange peep-toe casual flats with a back ankle strap, a pair of orange and tan, suede pointy flats with an ankle strap and a pair of tan, buckled ankle boots. The final find is a pair of white canvas shoes, with black leather toe patches. Everything appears to be in the sale and under £25 – score!

4.50pm: After spending way too much time in Pull & Bear, I head off to Zara. I have heard good things about their current collection and have high hopes for a star find. After a quick stop in Dorothy Perkins on the way – where I find a neat pair of pastel blue, t-bar, pointy flats (£20)  – I reach Zara and a huge crowd of customers. My first look around turns up a pair of patent, pastel and metallic coloured, pointy flats. These shoes tick all of the trend boxes but look far too uncomfortable to try on my already sore feet. Much more comfortable are the tan Zara Basic asymmetric cut-out sandals (they are called wrap around sandals). They are rather like an unusual shoe/sandal hybrid, but definitely worth a second look. They have been reduced to £29.99 and I am guessing would look fabulous with shorts.

5.00pm: After hours of walking I am famished. As I am on a diet I head for the food area in search of a low fat snack. I choose a Vietnamese street food place called Pho. I take a seat with my order which is some kind of vegetable and seafood wrap with a satay and sweet chilli dip, it is delicious! I order a Vietnamese coffee which is also mind blowingly good – so good, I drank it too quickly and forgot to take a picture of it.

5.45pm: It is the last leg of my search and I head for H&M. There is a bit of a crowd, as is always the case with H&M. I spot a pair of black Grecian style sandals and sliders in cream and white. The prices in H&M are just ridiculous, so I buy a pair of snakeskin sandals (with ankle straps) without even trying them on – they are £20 and look amazing when I finally do try them!

 6.30pm: I am exhausted and slightly annoyed that  shopping can be such hard work  at times (first world problems). I spot Zara Home and head there to buy some cutlery (I said there’s a sale on!) On the way to the cutlery section I spot even more shoes. A pair of funky, colourful slippers and more Birk style sliders grab my attention – it seems I have antennae for pretty shoes…

Westfield provides shoppers with everything in one place – from Mac (yes, I also bought make-up on the way to the car) to Marks & Spencer. Yet, after hours of shopping, I had only visited a few of the shops available at Westfield  and came away with only one pair of shoes! Hmmm, I guess I will have to come back and do the whole thing again in a few months.

To view all of the photos, from my flat shoe search visit us on Instagram:

You can make a date to enjoy the sights and sounds of Westfield London. For more information on key dates and activities go to: http://uk.westfield.com/london/make-a-date
Why not watch a performance whilst you shop! For more information about Westfield’s live music events go to: http://uk.westfield.com/london/westfield-presents