A while back I went through about a years worth of folders on my laptop looking for shoes I hadn't yet shared here but already had pictures of. I've no idea why I didn't get to review these at the time. I bought most of this collection the day it launched as it was and remains one of my all-time favourite releases. It was the Family Reunion collection in Spring 2019, celebrating 20 years of Irregular Choice and this specific range focused on character heels, which you should all know by now, I love. It was a near perfect launch for me; bright colours, quirky materials and trims and obviously these amazing character heels, reinvented, some of which we hadn't seen since their original release. The cat heel was one of those. I think a lot of people skipped the first release as all styles were open toed. I absolutely adored the heel mould, so they could've been boring-as and I'd have still bought a pair (I got Mouse Trap). They're not my favourite uppers, but I do like them. Anyway, the 2019 release was everything I could ask for in a shoe, there's nothing I dislike about these. The heel itself is a little darker than the original (the colour in the contours of the cat) and the placement changed slightly, with it pushed backwards, sticking out the back of the shoe a little more. On the originals, the back of the cat basically fits down the instep of the sole, so on the newer version, you do have a gap between the heel and sole, rather than that wedge-like form previously. There's a small concealed platform and I find this heel comfortable and easy to walk on. Even in the newer format, it's not a particularly fragile heel, that I worry about.
The shoe has a T-bar and a removable butterfly-cat in a teacup. This part makes the shoe for me, so I honestly would never take it off. The T-bar is very skinny in contrast to the chunky shape of the shoe, which I personally don't think works (without the cat). It's so detailed; the cat is furry, there's embroidery, actual plastic whiskers, it's stunning. It does dominate the shoe, so I know for some people it may be too much, but I loved how over-the-top this range was. The uppers are a blue based floral fabric with artificial flowers attached and an applique heart with an arrow through it on the counter. The heart and butterfly-cat mirrored the boxes that season.
There's a lot going on, but like I say, I love it all and very little over the past couple of years has excited me the way this collection did.
Size wise, they are quite snug. They have a stubby, short toe, so it's there I feel it a bit cramped and this is in my regular size 5/38. In the olden days I always sized up in characters, I rarely do now. I don't feel I need the bigger size, even the second time I tried them on, they'd loosened up a bit and felt comfier. The heart buckle isn't the worst one I've tried to fasten, the strap isn't too difficult to get through, but it's also not the easiest. I find pinching the sides of the strap always helps with difficult shaped buckles like hearts or stars. There seems to be a good variety of holes there and the T-bar adjusts on the ankle strap, so you can re-centre it depending on which hole you're in (which I always appreciate).
I think they make my feet look tiny, but wide. As they have that short toe, there's barely any front to them but the cat detail definitely widens and covers the whole foot, so they aren't a delicate style. These are a definite favourite of mine within my character heel collection, though the fawns in this line were my ultimate favourite (they're probably in my Top 10 IC's of all-time).
Wearing: Pale blue lacey tights, Topshop (old).
Fit: 4" heel and 3/4" concealed platform. Adjustable heart buckle fastening on strap and removable cat detail on T-bar (slip vertical strap off ankle strap and take cat off, then thread back through).
Comfort: May pinch a little in the toe area. Easy heel for me to walk on, sturdy.
I love the flowers!
ReplyDeleteSuch a fantastic design.
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