FitFlops, no longer a style free zone

So FitFlops, until recently I wouldn’t have thought to go near them, as I was under the impression they were a style free zone.

I know, I know, friends have told me they are marvellously comfortable, brilliant for walking over cobbles and rough ground, supremely good at pounding pavements, tough enough to garden in and so on, I’ve just always thought they were weird looking. But the brand is clearly trying hard to improve its designs and has just cleverly collaborated with some seriously good, older and younger talent from the fashion world.

First, the young Japanese designer Keiko Nishiyama, who graduated from LCF in 2013 and has been widely tipped to be a future star. She has created a beautiful floral print for a couple of best selling styles, inspired by research done at the Natural History Museum’s botanical library. I love the Keiko Shuv clog, at £80, but the Keiko Bon, at £95 is cute too. Floral footwear is remarkably uplifting to wear, but it’s hard to get a really good print, I think this is a lovely one. The range is launched this week.

Then there’s the Jones, the chic range of suede loafers that master milliner Stephen Jones has designed in collaboration with FitFlop founder Marcia Kilgore. They are the most stylish FitFlops i’ve seen and the first drop was so successful it’s mostly sold out, (there are still a very few pistachio and Mykonos blue left) with more due to be delivered on 19th June.

Finally the brand sent me a pair of Shuv 2Bar in tan, so I could see for myself if they lived up to all the hype in terms of comfort. I wore them all weekend and blimey, they are GOOD. The insides have trademarked technology to help them perform, which I wont bore you with here, all you really need to know is they really are worth having a go with, specially now you don’t have to scrimp on style. Fitflop website