Last week Hotter Shoes stores across the UK held a special Hotter VIP Evening for their top customers and I was lucky enough to be invited to attend at the Queensgate store event in Peterborough. The event had been organised by Store Manager Danielle who had worked really hard to offer a great VIP experience for their guests.
Walking into the store we received a warm welcome from Danielle and her team who gave us a quick run-down of the VIP event and then quietly backing out of the way to leave us to enjoy our evening whilst still knowing they were only a glance away if we needed help. Danielle had approached stores within Queensgate asking if they would like to contribute to the VIP evening and had received an overwhelming response, particularly from stores such as Tiger (who had provided money-off vouchers and gifts for the goody bags as well as partyware for drinks and snacks), The Body Shop, Lakeland, The Perfume Shop, Boost Juice Bar, Lush, Liz Earle at John Lewis, Thorntons, Tanning Shop, Dorothy Perkins and the Handmade Burger Co even popped along with a tray full of freshly prepared burgers, chips and coleslaw – mmmm yummy!
First up we met with the lovely Lakeland Representative who was on hand to demonstrate the amazing Lavazza Amodo Mio Minu Coffee Machine. We were given a number of coffee pods to choose from and enjoyed a lovely hot cup of coffee in just a few minutes to perk us up ready for our evening.
Now anyone who knows me well will know that I am pretty rubbish when it comes to making a decision quickly. When it comes to shoes I am even worse because I have specific needs when it comes to shoes. Given half the chance I would prefer to be barefoot all of the time but that’s just not possible. I have sprained my ankles on more occasions than I care to remember so I need supportive shoes. I have a very high instep so I need shoes with a strap of some description to help keep the shoes on my feet, I have suffered from a condition in my feet which resulted in me having nerves removed from both feet so I need shoes which are comfortable and I am still young at heart (even if the bags under my eyes tell a different story) so I want shoes which look stylish too.
Having had a good look around the shop at the new Hotter Shoes Spring collection I took photographs of everything that I liked initially and then on a second circuit of the store I tried on the shoes which stood out for me the most. On the evening VIP’s were being offered a 25% discount on their purchase so it was possible to make a really good saving, it was just making the decision that proved the most difficult.
During the Spring/Summer months you will mostly find me in a pair of toe-posts or pumps of some description. Chasing around after the three little ones and spending most of my time outdoors walking, scooting and exploring with them I need comfortable flat shoes so these four pairs really stood out for me and I haven’t quite ruled out the decision to go back for the tan ‘Resort’ toe-posts just yet because they were sooooooo comfortable.
When I’m heading out on a Mummy day or shall a say a day with adults where I want to look that little bit smarter I always fall down at my shoes so I’ve been looking for some shoes which I can wear with jeans or a skirt and still look smart. I really liked all of these pairs but as I mentioned earlier I do tend to walk out of shoes which aren’t strapped to my feet thanks to my high arch so these were all a no-no for me. I really liked the yellow lace-ups but something else had caught my eye . . .
I have ALWAYS loved a ‘t-bar’ shoe, perhaps it’s the vintage lover in me. I dream of ditching my entire wardrobe and turning to vintage 50’s fashion but the coward in me sticks to what is safe and easy. I spotted these ‘Sandy’ shoes and it was love at first sight. They come in three colourways; light olive/flint, mauve shadow/pink and black. If I am completely honest, I would love all three but in the end, I chose light olive/flint because they are so eye-catching. Obviously they aren’t a shoe I will wear every day so I still needed a pair of shoes to wear with jeans when out and about with the Beans and I decided that the ‘Soft’ was the one which would enable me to move around comfortably so I chose them too.
The staff at Hotter Shoes in Queensgate were very patient with my lack of decision-making. They advised me on the best style of shoes to suit my foot shape (and issues) and as much as I liked the Precious slip-on, they just wouldn’t stay on with the shape of my foot and so the Soft was a better option for me. Every VIP who attended the evening received a special goody bag to take home as well as their 25% discount and it was packed full of offers and gifts to enjoy at home. In a world where bad customer service is constantly winding me up, it’s nice to find a company who really appreciates their customers and goes out of their way to tell them so.
Have you been to your Hotter shoe store yet? What are you waiting for?
