New Trainer Deliberations & What I've been Wearing...

Yesterday, while in town, the girls and I sheltered from a heavy shower in Foot Locker at Donegall Place. I need to take a moment here to wonder at how truly awful this store is....from the dirty, tired looking fit-out to the ugly uniform they expect their staff to wear, I'm amazed the business is surviving the UK high street in the current climate. It's like a blast from the 90's...and not a good one. I couldn't even reach down the trainers I spotted while browsing as they were up on stupidly high display shelves (I'm 5'7" and was wearing heels). Please someone tell me they're getting a refit and a new uniform soon?

Anyway, the torrential rain was marginally less attractive so we stuck with it and I managed to find a member of the team to get me the trainers I had my eye on in my size and try them on. And despite the less than impressive surroundings, I bought them because I instantly loved them. The colour, the shape, the fit. Could they be the black trainer I've been looking for?

New Balance 373 Trainers - £54.99

Not too dark and solid a black, not too clompy, no sporting connotations - very much a fashion trainer - I can even see these working with opaques and a skirt. I think? And they're FABULOUS with a bit of leopard!

So they're home with me now though something has been stopping me wearing them so far. I can't quite work out what it is as usually when I am so keen on an item, I'll find any excuse to wear immediately. Possibly I'm hesitating over the the cost as I'm not able to afford them this month (don't tell)? Possibly the fact that my wardrobe has become more formal in recent months and I'm concerned I'll not get the wear out of them?

But taking these photos, I realise I do rather like them and so I will mull over for a little while longer. Hopefully Foot Locker is going anywhere in the next 30 days....

In my searches for them online, I can only seem to find this colour way on the Foot Locker site so  it perhaps is exclusive to them in some way? You can check them out here.

Size-wise, New Balance come up neat so I'd recommend sizing up. They do come in some half sizes though, which is handy. I bought the 6.5 (US 8.5) and I would say the 7 could have worked for me also but the 6 would definitely have been too small. I'm usually a 6 - a wide one.

I did find a bunch of other colour ways over on ASOS on this link

a whole ton of other colours (with a few overlaps) on the Office website on this link:

Zalando also have a wide range of colours, but not the one I bought...this one is close though:

Watch this space - or rather the Instagram space on this link...you'll see me wearing them there first!

Finishing with a few outfits from the last few days:

Black Top - River Island

Denim Shirt - White Company (past season - similar here)

Tan Boots - Fat Face - last year but their range this year is very good 

Jeans - Topshop Jamie in Indigo (current stock - I'm wearing the 28 x 32) 

Leopard Scarf - eBay (lots of sellers do these...the one I bought from isn't active anymore)

Grey Poncho - Gray & Osbourne (similar here)

White Shirt - TM Lewin

Blush Ribbed Knit - New Look (have bought 4 of these in different colours!!)

Grey Jeans - 2nd Day (similar here)

Grey Suede Ankle Boots - Seven Boot Lane 

Black Top - River Island
Denim Shirt - White Company (similar here)
Khaki Skinny Jeans - New Look (past season - similar here)
Scarf - Hush (SS16 Sale)
Black Boots - TK Maxx

I've been loving the denim shirt layering this week as you can see.....

Hope you had a great weekend - here's to a fab new week. Back soon with more leopard from a very unlikely source.

Ax
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