I think you're ready for this Jelly

No, this isn't a Destiny's Child post.

It's about a recent discovery at SM North EDSA.

There's a shoe store called Lyn. Because of my unfamiliarity with the brand, my curiosity led me inside. Once there, the shoes they had were very Charles & Keith in terms of the vibe.

But in one corner, there was a display of jelly shoes under the brand "Jelly Bunny." That's what got my attention.

The attention turned into browsing. The browsing resulted in me going home with this pair of jelly Mary Janes.

What makes it interesting is the material and the cap detail. Gave this to Ate Bullet and she swears by the comfort.

Looks like I'm ready to buy more from this brand.

En Pointe

One o Ate Bullet's fave pairs of shoes is a pair of ballet-style flats from Zara. 

They're black, made of satin-like material, and has a ribbon that can be tied around the ankle - similar to an actual ballet shoe. She likes it so much that she wears it on repeat.

Tried looking for the same pair at Zara, but it's all out. Wanted to buy her a back-up pair since she's into it that much.

Luckily, during my last SG trip, saw this pair from Charles and Keith.

It had the same colour and ribbon detail as the Zara pair, but this one had a pointed tip and was made of patent vegan leather. It's not exactly like her fave pair, but this one comes very close, and has a slight twist.

It's still on point if you ask me.

Hush now

These pair of Mary Janes from Hush Puppies caught my eye immediately after spotting it.

It's a classic in many aspects - from the colour, to the material, to the style - it's quintessential Mary Janes.

And according to Ate Bullet, they'r e extremely comfortable, too.

Then and now, Hush Puppies really knows how to make good shoes.

One shoe, two ways: Mary me

Since Ate Bullet is always on the look out for cool Mary Janes, this pair caught my eye.

Spotted it during my weekend mall run. This pretty patent Mary Janes in a rich, oxblood hue is such a stunner. From the material to the style to the straps, it's definitely a statement shoe.

Styling a pair like this is easy. So easy, here are 2 examples of how to rock it.

WAY # 1: Short order

To highlight the shoe, you can wear shorts to maximise its exposure. But not just any pair of shorts, but these shorts with an interesting pleated overlay from Incerun. Then, a knit top from Plains & Prints that echoes the colour of the shoe.

WAY # 2: Khaki classics

The colour khaki is also a good way to make the shoe stand out. So, got this khaki pair of trousers from Incerun, and the front pleats give it an oomph. The top is from a collab at Robinsons Department Store (more on that later) which has a touch of red that matches the shoe.

This shoe is truly a shoo-in for best sheo.

Ba(d)llerina

Here's the shoe that inspired the "Ballerina Girl" FMM feature.

It's a ballerina flat from Stradivarius that goes beyond the usual simple and classic flat. This one has a rocker chick and badass attitude.

There's so much going for this pair. The fire engine red colour. The studs. The ankle strap. The criss-cross details. It elevates the ballerina flat to stratospheric heights!

This kind of reaction is rare from me. But with a pair of shoes as phenomenal as this, it can't be helped. 

One shoe, two ways: You know the (Espa)drille

The CLN branch at Ali Mall is renovating soon. And you know what that means...

Renovation Sale!

Saw this pair of platform espadrilles and it was around 70% off its original price! It was too good to pass off. 

It's a very cool and versatile pair. It gives this very Castillian vibe and is a comfy way to elevate a look. 

LOOK # 1: Utilitarian chic

The main piece here is a cargo skirt made with twill, snagged from Surplus Shop. It has a dark khaki colour that works well with the espadrille. The top is the same hue of the shoe (it rhymes!) and it's from Memo.

LOOK # 2: Dressy & daring

This dress is from Straightforward. The sides have an interesting cut-out, and the back is open, with just a few straps. It might come across as casual, but the details make it dressy.

Given that you can wear it 2 times in an instant, it's proof how this shoe is such a good buy.

You know the espadrille

Having family in Spain made us aware of espadrilles at a very young age.

Whenever my Tita and cousins would visit Manila, we'd often see them wearing these fabric shoes with jute soles. Each one wore different styles of these shoes - some were mules, some were sandals, some were flat, some were heeled.

Aside from wearing them, they'd bring us some pairs as pasalubong. But we always had a hard time wearing them. It felt too casual to wear for going out, but it was too nice to treat it like slippers at home. So, we'd often wear them at the beach.

Whenever we'd go to BCN, one store we'd always visit it a local espadrille chain called Toni Pons.

It's been making espadrilles for more than a century, and is one of the more popular Spanish espadrille maker, along with Castaner.

Because the Philippines is heavily influenced by Spain, it's no surprise that Toni Pons will find itself here in Manila. Last month, they opened their first store in SM Megamall.

Maybe it's time for me to look for those pairs of espadrilles that I've hidden for the past years.

Looks like espadrilles will be back in style soon.

Loafing around

After seeing - and buying - these loafers from my haunts, it’s safe to say that Loafers are really back!

Some of these were bought in-store, some on-line. But the fact that it’s all over the place means that there’s a demand for it.

Gosh, it feels like the 80s all over again.

Loafing Around

Back in the 80s, when most of the kids wore the lace-up Gregg shoes in school, my siblings and I wore something very different.

We wore loafers. Or, penny loafers as they were called back in the day.

These were leather shoes that Tita Evelyn would bring us from Spain. Some were patent leather, some were matte. She would bring one for each one of us, and we'd always enjoy wearing these super comfy shoes.

But because they were uncommon back then, our classmates would sometimes tease us for wearing them. There was a time that my 2 Ates said that their classmates in St. Joseph's College would laugh at them because they were wearing "boy shoes." But that didn't matter to them.

A few years later, particularly in the 90s, loafers became a big thing. You'd be popular in school if you wore "Haruta" shoes, which were loafers from Japan. You could only buy them abroad, although sometimes, Tokyo Hanna in Greenhills would sell them.

Now, more than 40 years after they first came to my consciousness, loafers are back!

Most fast fashion brands have an iteration of these iconic shoes, and people are starting to wear them again. Actually, Ate Bullet was looking for a nice pair of loafers, and thankfully, they had them in Memo. And they had them in her size. And it was an automatic buy!

You really can't loaf around when it comes to trends.

Goody Two Shoes

When a pair of shoes is classic and versatile, there’s more than one way to wear it.

Take this pair of black mules from Rubi for example.

Its black color and round shape makes it easy to wear with almost anything. And here are 2 examples:

Look # 1: Corporate Cool

The shoes give this ensemble a fashionable and professional vibe. The top from The SM store is a long sleeved blouse with a ribbon detail on the cuff. The pants are from Kashieca, and has this dainty pattern against a brown backdrop.

Look # 2: Chic Classic

Here’s how a pair of mules can be party-worthy. Pair it with a chic dress with a very Audrey Hepburn-esque silhouette. This BCBL dress has bateau neckline that's highlighted by a black detail. And black piping echoes the color of the mules.

This dress actually has a lot of very fashionable details, but i’ll Share that separately. This,post is all about the shoes, so i’ll focus on that.

Two looks with one pair of shoes? Goody!

Walk in Faith

A few times, I've written about fashion brands - both local and international - who inject a touch of faith and spirituality in their products.

This weekend, I found another one. 

Bought a few jelly slides for my Mom and Ate, and they came in plastic bags with an inspirational Bible quote on it.

I think that's a nice touch when brands try to keep and spread the faith in any way they can.

The Force is Sneaking in

Once again, it's "May the 4th be with you" day!

That's why when Mark and I met up for lunch today, I brought him this:

An R2D2 sneaker from the World Balance x Star Wars collaboration!

Mark and I are both Star Wars fans. So I definitely don't need to force him to wear this.

P.S. I got the BB8 one for myself.

Shoe-biz

Interesting piece of trivia from mi prima, Esther. My nephew, Marcos, is an aspiring cobbler.

She showed me his shoe creations, and the boy has talent.

Because of that, I gave him a book on different iconic shoes and the shoe designs that changed the way they're made.

Then, my cousin asked me if I could find shoe tools that he can use. And because of the proximity of Marikina, I was able to.

Hopefully, these will inspire him to make more beautiful shoes soon.

Converse-ant

With this blog as a witness, the early 2000s were my "Converse years."

Back then, I'd have pairs upon pairs of Chuck Taylors and Jack Purcells, and would wear them on a daily basis. When HKG was my home, this was part of my uniform - Converse, ripped jeans, button down and pull-over.

It was in the 2010s when a doctor - yes, a doctor - suggested that I change my shoe brand from Converse to New Balance. He said that since I'm an avid walker, New Balance has more cushion and is better for very long walks. 

That's the reason for the shift, and I've been an NB guy since.

But that NB streak is broken this week. 

My niece, Alejandra, sent a pair of Converse to my nephew, Kevin, direct from Spain. But when Kevin tried it on, it was just too big! So, they asked me to give it a shot and try it on. Surprise, surprise, it fits like a glove!

So now, a pair of Converse x CDG has found its way into my shoe rack.

Welcome back, Converse!

Balancing act

I really miss buying and wearing New Balance shoes!

Thankfully, Biboy sent over a new pair last month and i’ve been wearing it even if i’m not really going anywhere. Harhar!

Soon, these shoes will be out and about.

New Crew

Considering that people like myself practically don't go out anymore, getting a new pair of shoes is the farthest thing from my mind.

But when I saw this pair of New Balance x J. Crew 574s, it made me want to go to the US, snag a pair, and walk around as much as I can!

Hoping and praying that this is the year that we'll all be able to do that.

Sneaky!

With our "work from home" arrangement, it's uber rare that we get to "dress up." and even rarer to wear shoes. Heck, I think all my New Balance shoes are wondering why they never get to leave the house anymore.

So, this is no time to think of shoes. Much more buy a new pair.

But this pair sneaked up on me and pounced on me online!

I know for a fact that I don't need a new pair of sneakers.

But they're so cool! *sigh*

Mule love it!

As it was during my last SG trip with Mark, my shopping chores were actually done before my arrival.

Did a few shopping runs at the zalora.sg website the last month, and all I needed to do was to pick them up from Jo.

My favorite purchases from this run? Mules!

First, this mule with tri-color fringes. It gives it this carefree, bohemian vibe, but because of the color, it's very classic chic.

Second, this velvet, bejeweled pair. Can you say luxe?

Ate has had a mule phase of late, that's why I'm sure she'll love these!

Perfectly Packaged

There are many reasons why I shop at Zalora.

First, the selection. They have a good range of fashion forward products - from clothes to shoes to accessories to stuff in between.

Second, the convenience. Yup, it's true when they say you can shop 24/7. There are times when I'd be shopping at 1:30am. (Hey, I can't sleep. No judging.)

Third, the speed. Some of the stuff I ordered actually arrived a day after I ordered them. Nifty!

Fourth, the packaging! Their products are always impeccably packed. Their clothes are in see-through dust bags with tissue lining and silica gel. And then, there are the shoes!

Look at these 2 pairs that I got from them. They came in sturdy, high-quality boxes that don't easily fold or get crushed.

The boxes aren't shabby either. The one from Velvet has this nice, blush color and is well designed.

Then, the shoes from Zalora come in individual dust bags, aside from the nice box.

If that's not enough to delight you, maybe this will. These shoes actually cost less than the ones in SM Department Store! (And those are really affordable to begin with.)

Now isn't that just perfect?

The 90s called. They want their shoes back.

Because back in the 90s, one of the biggest shoe trend was the pointed mules. It was a must have in every "woman of the 90s" wardrobe. My mom and sisters, my female officemates - they all had it. (And in the case of the women in my family, in different styles and colors, too.)

When I dropped by SM today, surprise, surprise, the 90s mules are SO back!

So, we have the "shirt inside the slipdress," "flannel checkered polo," "ripped jeans and Doc Martens," and now this.

What 90s trend will be back next?