This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
I can hardly believe I did this, but I wore a brand new pair of shoes to Goodwood races. How foolhardy does that seem when my biggest worry is how comfortable my feet will be on occasions like that. The moment I slipped them on I just knew I would be able to wear them the entire day.
Over the last 12 years, Annabel and I have reviewed quite a few shoe brands that offer both comfort and style. The particular brand I’m giving a huge thumbs up to now is called Vivaia.
One of the brand’s taglines is Step Into Conscious Comfort – well slipping into my Aria ballet flats was like having angels kiss my feet. No seriously, they are that fabulous.
Apart from the comfort, I felt confident I wouldn’t have any blisters because there is a cushion inside the heel. And the insole is built for maximum trainer-like comfort. The shoes are super lightweight too and great for wider feet because the knit uppers stretch in four directions to prevent your toes being squeezed.
Vivaia footwear is also environmentally friendly – this isn’t just a sales spiel, they really are sustainable. Each pair is crafted from six plastic bottles. Oh no I hear you say, sounds like sweaty feet hell… but no, quite the opposite. TBH my tootsies were LESS sweaty than usual due to the supportive insole being breathable, supportive and moisture-wicking.
Yet another benefit of these marvellous shoes (apologies for all these superlatives but I really do love them) is that most of the styles are…. wait for it…. machine washable. No worries about wearing the palest of colours, just pop them in on a cold wash and hey presto, they are clean as a whistle again.
The Vivaia website is brimming with incredibly stylish designs that fuse modern technology with sustainable production. You’ll discover flats, heels, sandals and loafers in a host of colourways. While you are there you can take a quick quiz to find your fit which is really handy as quite a few of us are still a little cautious about buying our shoes online.
Annabel chose the same style but, as you can see from the photo, hers are a vivid fuschia. In fact there are so many colours to choose from – including a whole selection of neutrals.
BROWSE VIVAIA HERE
GREAT NEWS: Enjoy an exclusive 15% off when you use the A&G promo code: aag15
Goodwood gear: Grace’s Ditsy Print maxi dress is from Long Tall Sally £29.95, Aria Ballet Flats from Vivaia £80.47 less 15% if you use A&G’s exclusive discount code (see above). MMIL’s dress is from Hope (sadly now sold out) and her leather bow ballet flats £39.50 are from M&S. Both our hats are from Get Ahead Hats in Petworth 01403 820365.