Oh how upset I was when my red £7.99 ballet pumps from New Look had to be thrown away the other week. You might think that after buying them in March 2011, I am going to tell you that they fell apart, but they didn't. You might think it is because I live down an unmade road and all the stones etc used to hurt my feet whenever I walked to the village in them, but no it wasn't, and even though their soles were as thin as a cigarette paper, they lasted for ages, years in fact.
When I scrolled back through the blog, I couldn't actually believe how old they were! I had always intended to replace with something more sturdy at some stage and fell in love with a Chloe pair on NAP a few years back. Sadly they had a £350 price tag and didn't look any more sturdy than my New Look ones which fell foul of a torrential downpour a few weeks ago when my daughter and I were about a 15 minute walk away from the car (where is Noah when you need him?). We got so wet my feet were sliding about in them and my toes actually ached from trying to keep them on, it was a case of mind over matter and I had to concentrate so hard, I tried to forget about my lack of umbrella, ruined blow out and panda eyes. Then after two days of trying to dry out the sodden footwear, I had to admit defeat and chuck them in the wheelie bin.
So now a replacement pair has to go on the wishlist, I so hate it when I have to replace things but nothing lasts forever I guess, but these were, for me, the perfect shade of red, not too pillarbox, quite a dark red and classic in style
1. JP Tods Laccetto Pumps £240. 2. Jones Bootmaker Red Pump £49. 3. Repetto Pumps£195. 4. Marc by Marc Jacobs Mouse Pumps £185. 5. Pretty Ballerinas Angelo Pump £110. 6. Tory Burch Reva Suede Pumps £205.
One thing is for sure, after browsing virtually every online retailer known to man, there aren't many red ballet pumps around in the High Street price bracket, far more high end, and although I actually wouldn't hesitate to recommend the New Look ballet flats to anyone, they no longer seem to have the red online. Maybe it's a purchase for the January Sales, the Tods would be beyond comfy I'm sure, and although I won't get much wear out of them now the weather has turned, it's all about getting the basics right at the moment. Lets hope I get some Birthday and Christmas money!
For me a red ballet pump is as essential as a black pair. They look fab with black, navy, camel and of course, by beloved leopard print. Are red ballet pumps one of your shoe cupboard essentials?