Children of the Revolution

No relevance to shoes but for some reason this made me laugh – can’t be a bad thing on a Friday

kathy — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 04:45:31 +0000

We love this email – Thanks Renae

kathy — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:09:26 +0000

Hi Kathy,

I am grieving for COTR! I live in London and have yet to find anything near the quality of shoes stocked by you. We’re surrounded by trendy but painful shoes, rather than unique and soulful. I wondered whether you knew of a sister store or stockists in the UK?

Many thanks and love to COTR,

Renae

We think there is a store called The Natural Shoe shop in Covent Garden which might stock similiar brands and have a similar philosophy. They have Birkenstock, Trippen and el naturalista.

Remember the boring old Clarke shoes?

kathy — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:51:26 +0000

The new Clarke shoes just in are not them. This time round they are in funky colours and designs.Clarke shoes are made for a moving foot – people who walk a lot. The other great thing about them is that they are a multiple fitting. So they work for people who have different combinations of wide forefoot, narrow heel or the other way around.

Because they are lightweight they have no heel drag so they last a long time.

They are a reputable company that has stood the test of time.

Celebrate your unique feet day

kathy — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:02:06 +0000

Tables are up – one with all our size 42s and up and another with 35 and under. Here’s some photos. Think! Beautifeel, Reiker. Have to confess – there are is a bigger range in the bigger sizes. it’s not a conspiracy, I just think people don’t know we have them unless they are brave enough to ask.

Allegria – it means happiness in Spanish

kathy — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 22:57:37 +0000

(This post was written by Sarah from the Brisbane store – Thanks Sarah!)

We are proud to announce that we have a new addition to our line of “wellness” shoes. Alegria (Spanish for happiness) is an innovative range of shoes that we are all very excited about. Made by the reputable Californian company PG lite, these shoes come in a range of fun prints and colours. Key features are the slip resistant rocker bottom sole that corrects posture, takes stress off joints and lower back as well as toning leg muscles while you walk. Now how could you not be happy about that?

They have removable innersoles so are suitable for most larger orthotics. Alegria have also used their forward thinking in the construction of their innersoles utilising a combination of cork, latex and memory foam to mould to and support the individual contours of your feet whilst also providing substantial arch support. They are particularly good for people who stand all day.

The almost feather like weight, soft cushioning and unique design is what immediately appealed to me when I tried these shoes on myself. The styles we have in store are wider than the average shoe so are great for people who are tired of trying to squeeze into or stretch their shoes.

You can never be too rich, too thin or have too many pairs of shoes

kathy — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 23:51:55 +0000

Blueberry bagels and shoe shopping in Sydney

kathy — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 23:39:38 +0000

Here’s the very gorgeous Sally B and Kate from Rozelle (and of course the Sally M who needs no introduction). These guys are the heart and (aherm…)sole of our Rozelle store.

Here’s an email I received from Kate yesterday – I can’t think of any more compelling reason to come to Rozelle and check out our beautiful stuff!

“We’ve had a great day here today. Come shopping for shoes (in Rozelle )in the early afternoon and you can smell the blueberry bagels cooking down the road…is there anything better than shopping and smelling the aroma of fresh bagels?? I don’t think so! Kate

Oh yeah and we have great shoes as well.

Here’s another Brisbane company we like – The Green Edge

kathy — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 01:27:50 +0000

While we are on the environmentally sustainable bandwagon for a minute – here’s a fairly wonderful shop that’s worth checking out.

The Green Edge is a not for profit organisation committed to making a positive difference to the future of the Earth and its inhabitants. We do this by assisting and encouraging people to make sustainable food and lifestyle choices that will enhance rather than harm the well- being of humans, animals and the environment.

They have a bricks and mortar store at 191 Wardell Street Enoggera and also sell lots of cool stuff online.

Check ‘em out

Sally talks about the shoes that changed her life and ignited the spark for Children of the Revolution

kathy — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 01:45:57 +0000

Sustainable shoes

kathy — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 01:16:06 +0000

Lots of people coming into the store seem to be telling us they are increasingly concerned about the environmental implications of the things they buy.

For years, Sally has been trying to include products that actively reduce their environmental footprint. Companies like El Naturalista (yes I know I’ve raved about them before) use natural dyes to avoid the damage done by traditional tanning methods. Other shoes like Groundhog, go even further by using a range of natural materials. The footwear uses material made from bamboo charcoal. The buttons, buckles and ornaments are made from coconut shells and wood tree resins. The outsoles are made from crepe rubber, which is a natural product that comes from the sap of Lactae Meva rubber tree. All the packaging is from recycled fibres and is unbleached.

The very popular Birkenstock are another company that are committed to sustainable production- and they are quick to point out that they aren’t newcomers jumping on the green bandwagon. They’ve been around for 230 years and really know what they are doing. Here’s why Birkenstocks are light on the environment (with thanks to the Birkenstock website for this information)

Birkenstock footbed components

Cork, latex and jute are some of the few sustainable raw materials used/available in the footwear industry. Of these components, cork is actually really cool stuff. Did you know?

Cork trees hold the ground water and provide cover and shade for smaller plants and animals and therefore are an important basis for traditional agricultural and farming economies.
Cork is a valuable natural resource with many uses.The bark can be peeled away and it will grow back.
Today every part of the cork harvest is put to use. Leftovers from the bottle cork stamping process are ground down in various sizes and then sorted by quality.
Birkenstock ground cork comes from the first quality by-products of the wine industry.

Low waste production

There is little waste from the production processes:

Cork latex mixture (the main component of the Birkenstock footbed) is made in small batches to minimize any waste. Any excess is recycled.
Scrap leather is used in the production of other materials, such as an alternative footbed liner material called LEFA.
Left-over EVA from the sole production process is broken down and further processed for use in children’s playgrounds, sport fields and sound barriers along freeways.
Three large heat recovery systems recover the heat produced and use it to dry the cork footbeds, doubling the energy efficiency of the machinery.

Recycled materials

Birkenstock footwear is packaged in boxes made of 90% recycled paper and printed with inks that are environmentally friendly.

Birkenstock manufacturing and production must comply with stringent recycling and waste laws in Germany where the manufacturer is responsible for all the packaging components and their recyclability.

Birkenstock Repair

You can repair your Birkenstock footwear — what a great concept in an age of disposable everything, including cheap shoes that clutter our closets or end up in garbage and then landfill!