I do think that a misconception of Hotter shoes is that they only offer shoes for the older generation. They do, and they do it very well. However, I think the main takeaway for me, is they offer really good fitting shoes that are incredibly comfortable and well made. I’m 48 and I was very impressed and would wear many of the styles on offer.
My Hotter Experience
I visited my local Nottingham Hotter store which is on Listergate over the road from the main M&S store. My first impression of the store is that it’s very spacious for a shoe shop. Everything was all on one level, and plenty of space to walk around or use a wheelchair. The lighting was good, and there was always a few customers milling around, as well as around 3 or 4 members of friendly staff. There is also plenty of seating.
There are male and female style shoes, boots, trainers and more walking shoes with Gore-tex technology. I spotted slippers, socks, handbags and other accessories too.
I spoke to Kirsty who asked me if I knew what I was looking for. I had already looked on the website, which had helped me narrow down what I was looking for, but sometimes when you are seeing things in the flesh it changes your mind. I went from 2 hot contenders to 4 and asked if I could try them on. Before I did though my feet were measured. You might not realise that Hotter shoes come in a variety of sizes including some half sizes and different widths.
I was actually quite surprised by the results as one of my feet measured bigger and narrower than I thought, so in fact I have size 8 and 8.5 feet. Because of this Kirsty explained that we may need to try some different sizes of my chosen shoes. I was pretty sure I wanted boots that I could wear on the school run, so I concentrated on those.
My Plantar Fasciitis
A little bit of background on my feet is that for the last 11 years I have suffered from Plantar Fasciitis. The big thing I have realised is that the shoes I choose to wear make a huge difference to it flaring up. I suffered pretty much every day for 7 years, but it has seemed to get better for the last 4. I’ve realised that insoles and what the sole of shoes is made from making a difference, also how much support I have in my chosen footwear.
Decisions, Decisions…
I walk around 3 miles a day so my shoes every day need to be comfortable supportive and robust.
After much deliberation, I went for the Ascot design you can see above. I choose these as I felt like they wouldn’t trigger my feet to hurt. They were incredibly comfortable but also felt very light whilst I was walking. I’ve now worn them on the school run and can confirm they are perfect. I can wear them with my trusty jeans and they look great but they actually look really cool with longer length winter skirts and dresses, if I need to dress up a little.
Overall I want to convey to you, that the level of service and the quality of the shoes and boots are fantastic, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Hotter. If you do live locally to me, make sure you ask for Kirsty, as she’s great!
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