Monday, July 9, 2012

Summer Shoes: Lucca Sandals, Seville Espadrilles and Boden Bow Espadrilles

First of all, sorry for being a bit MIA and not responding to all your comments from my last posts. I read all of them (they are always a great treat, thank you guys!!!) but I was away for a weekend, mostly with no access to the Internet. I will try to go back and reply, at least to those who have asked questions. Sorry for the delay.

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Have you been going crazy with the recent 30% off at J.Crew and great in-store prices?  I tried to be good and did not buy anything on Final Sale, but I did get a backup for my white linen perfect shirt and 5" white chino shorts, plus extra linen shirt one in green (they are promo priced but not FS). I also bought the seersucker pencil skirt in store. My breaking point was discovering that it is machine washable! 

I did go to the store with some returns last Friday and I tried on some of the sale shoes. I thought I would review them, in case anybody is considering them.
Lucca suede 
sandals
Lucca suede sandals


I own the Lucca sandals in apricot from 2011. I bought them at only 20% off full price, because I thought they will be cute, comfortable and fun sandals that I can use a lot. I liked the retro cone heel and strappy style.

After I bought them, I realized that because they are not leather lined, my foot was sliding and they were not as comfortable as I had hoped. Also, my regular 8.5 turned out slightly too long. I still say they run TTS, I  take 8 in many open toe sandals. I am mostly 8.5 in J.Crew heels, but mostly because they run narrow.

Size 8, TTS
The sandals were $69 in store before additional 30% off. That changes my perspective a little bit. With this price, I would not be so concerned if I haven't worn them to death.

$69.99 before 30% off

They seem more comfortable in 8. The wide straps do look a little funny when you wear them with skirts and dresses. I like them more with pants and capris. The suede is very soft and the heel is stable. The color is TDF.

If you need/want  sandals in this color and don;t mind the straps, these are comfortable and good price.

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Seville wedge espadrilles
Seville wedge espadrilles

I like the look of those wedges, especially in bright colors like Modern Red or Casablanca Blue.

Size 9
They are comfortable and easy to wear. The wedge is stable and it does not feel high at all. My problem was that I am in between sizes. They only come in full sizes and the 8 felt tight but the 9 was slipping off. If I had to choose I would probably go with an 8 and hope they will stretch. They probably would, I just didn't want to deal with the breaking-in process. Other than that, they are really cute and I think the price is acceptable, at $69.99 minus 30% off. 

Comfortable
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Oh, and I almost forgot but I did get the Soludos Espadrilles in red stripe. I still think they are flimsy and they will fall apart before the end of the summer, but at $13.99, I can accept that they are disposables. They are super comfy and stinking cute. I got size 39 and the fit is perfect.

I am weak, what can I say?



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Bow Espadrilles
Since we are on subject of Espadrilles, I want to mention Bow Espadrilles that I got few months ago from  Boden, unfortunately, they are still not on any major sale, I guess they are selling well. They are $51, which is not bad for leather lined shoes (coming in cute box and fun print fabric bags).

I took size 39, which is usually very consistent for me in Euro sized brands. There are rather wide, which is fine with me, but if your feet are narrow, they will feel loose methinks.

Boden shoes with Oilily dress
      
The heel is only 2" and that includes 3/4" platform, so they feel like flats. Because of that, they are not the most flattering/leg lengthening, but that is the trade-off.

Size 39
At first I thought they are a little stiff, and I almost returned them for that reason. But I decided to give them a try and they softened very quickly. They were one of the very few pairs of shoes that did not give me blisters and my feet are very sensitive. 

I bought them in navy and they go with almost everything in my summer closet, but I think the red, stripe and silver are also great. I think right now only navy is available in all sizes, but they do have popbacks as well. 

In case you order them and they don't work out, Boded shipments come with return label and are very easy but it does take some time to get your money back, usually about 3 weeks for me. 


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That's all folks!!!


Have you bought anything with the 30% off?
Do you own/like any of the shoes I reviewed?


Please share, it would be no fun without you!!!


24 comments:

  1. Thanks for these reviews - I always love your reviews. I hope you had a good weekend!

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    1. Thank you Cate! My weekend was good, just busy and we drove 650 miles, so a lot of time in the car :(

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  2. I am sized out too in the Seville canvas espadrilles but strangely the satin and canvas fit differently (TTS). I LOOOOOVE those, couldn't pass up at $48. I personally think that Boden shoes are not worth the price , I ordered a pair of embellished flats a couple of years ago and they honestly looked like a project carried out by my daughter (and they weren't even comfortable). With all the brands out there I think one can find better-looking shoes (even at JCrew, on sale)

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    1. Ikwym about Boden shoes, some have those macaroni like embellishments, lol. But some basic styles I really liked and the are leather lined, which is crucial to me, I can deal with man made fabrics in clothes but I really suffer in man made lining. These shoes are my only purchase from Boden in the last year and I used to buy much more.

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  3. Thanks for the great shoe reviews. I almost bought the espadrilles too- so cute- but was concerned about their strength, as I had read some conflicting reports. The stripes are adorable.
    Pat
    (This may be a duplicate comment- I don't know if I hit "publish" or "preview" before!)

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    1. I think you are smart about the Soludos, they will not last for sure. When I tried them several weeks ago one pair ripped on me in the fitting room :( Definitely disposables, but after all, one can spend just as much on lunch.

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  4. Thanks AJC - I own two Luccas from last year - the melon and the apricot - I would agree - they are not worth full price, but at the price you paid, well worth it. I love the wedges - and the shift- but am waiting for a sale. I am truly shopped out of summer and must now concentrate on fall as i think I threw most of my fall/winter wardrobe out last spring!

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    1. I am totally shopped out and cannot think of anything I can justify for the summer. I did not buy the Luccas, even with this price, I simply do not need them.

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  5. Hiya,

    I have the Lucca sandals in bright orange. I have been waiting to wear them but I thought I should send them to the cobbler to make the soles anti-slip first. I love how soft the suede is!

    Btw, I finally got my purple J Crew Lucille dress in eyelet last night! I followed your sizing advice and bought size 8. Goosh, it fits me PERFECT! =) I even bought 2 skinny belts (green and peach) to go with the dress! I love the dress so much that I am considering the white one and the Cotton Silk version. The white Lucille eyelet will be a bad move because I will get it dirtied in no time.

    Btw, can I check if you tried on the J Crew No.2 pencil skirt in eyelet? I read over at Gigi that she is wearing a size 8. So I wonder what is your comment about this skirt. =)

    Thank you again for sharing your reviews! They do help me to shop! =)

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  6. Sorry, I was refering to the no.2 pencil skirt in circle eyelet. =)

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  7. Thanks for the post. Do the Seville match the Java tunic? I'm not that great over 3" heels so if I find the Valentina the perfect height do you think I can up the ante ?

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    1. Hi Marsha, Sevilles are more orange red and Java tunic is more pink. They do look like they match in the pictures, I know.
      I think height-wise you can do Sevilles, since they are wedges, that will not feel much higher than Valentinas imo. I usually like only up to 3" heel but I can do more in wedges, especially with a platform. I walk to the train station (and back) in my Ellen Tracy 3.5 nude wedges with no problem and I would never attempt it in Valentinas.

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  8. Thanks for the shoe reviews! Do you like any of the flats this season? I tend to go for those as I wear a 9.5/10 and try to call as little attention to my large feet as possible lol. :D I was eyeing a few things online from the 30% off sale, but managed to resist buying anything. There were definitely some great deals to be had though (especially on cute pencil skirts!)

    Holly

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    1. Hi Holly, I like the Cece ballet flats, I think they actually improved the quality of those with the little wedge and some padding. That said, I don't have any simply because I could not justify another pair of ballets. I think some of the flat sandals look cute, but they are overpriced imo. I think much better deals on cute shoes can be found in any department stores.

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  9. I adore the shoes you tried on, but I have pretty much stopped buying J. Crew's shoes. I'm not sure why, but I havent really seen anything I was absolutely crazy about since the Miller Moto boots (which I LOVE). I am happy to report I scored some things I had been eyeing on the 30% off sale :) heart throb bikini, ella pop art polka dot dress, and selima sunglasses - so excited to recieve these beauties :)

    Tasia

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    1. Tasia, I am with you. I didn't buy shoes from J.Crew except for the Saludos for a long time. I used to love their boots and I have several pairs but recently they just did not seem to have the quality.
      Nice sale scores!

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  10. I love the espadrilles! So pretty and fun for summer :)

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    1. Espadrilles just say summer to me and that's why I like them!

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  11. Really its nice review for Summer Shoes. thanks for this post.

    online electronics store UAE

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  12. I love those Lucca Sandals, sad to hear they are not that comfortable. But hey, they look great:) Awesome price too! Thanks for the post!

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    1. My Lucca's (in the same color) are extremely comfy! Perhaps, this is because I did not own any previous years' versions. I am able to walk an entire day in them and am just fine. Also, I pair them with shorts and skirts, although everyone's reviews I've come across express that they look better with pants and capris. I would try them for yourself before ruling them out...they're a great price. I had to size down 1/2 from my Mona size.

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    2. Perhaps I should clarify. I said they are not that comfortable because I have them in half size too big and also because they don;t have leather lining. This may not bother you, but my feet tend to sweat and slip in not leather lined shoes, especially that the shoes are slightly too long. I think if you get the right size and you don't mind the non leather lining in general they will be comfortable and good price. hth.

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