A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Whoo?  Whooga!

Whooga are widely considered to be one of the fastest-growing Ugg boot brands – thanks in no small part to their competitive pricing and quality materials.  I took delivery of a pair of their (now discontinued) weave style Ugg boots a couple of months ago.  I have to say that I’m not a massive fan of Ugg styling in general and I was curious to see if my sensibilities would fare better with a weave style boot and whether or not these boots would actually live up to some of the hype surrounding them from independent reviewers.

Delivery

Firstly, the brand need to work on some packaging issues.  My box arrived so badly tattered that I couldn’t store the boots in them.  If I had been giving them as a gift, they would have been an instant return for this reason.  I have read other reports of Whooga boots arriving in bashed packaging and of course, Royal Mail need to take some blame for this but I believe that a double layer of bubble-wrap would go a long way to protecting the corners of the box against this problem.

On the flip-side, I can’t fault the speed of delivery and we all know that when we buy something online, we want it like, yesterday!

First Impressions

When you first take them out of the box, they have a distinctive smell of glue.  It’s really a little off-putting and ultimately, it makes them smell quite cheap.  Chinese factory cheap.  You know what I’m saying.

Leave them in a place to air for a couple of days and this smell thankfully disperses.

A thorough inspection of all the seams, joins and nooks and crannies reveals no obvious manufacturing flaws, everything is in sound condition and neatly stitched/glued/constructed.

I have an EU size 40 and I’m a UK 6.5 – these are sadly slightly too big.  Definitely go for a size down.  No arguments.

Breaking Them In

As a virgin Ugg boot wearer, I really wasn’t sure how I would fare with these on my feet.  They are indecently snug and haven’t left my feet since the weather changed for the colder on Saturday but I will be buying a pair of quality sheepskin insoles to put in them because I feel the foot-bed is a little hard.  This may also help solve the sizing issue.

The knitted weave styling is more to my taste and I feel works far better with dresses than the usual Ugg style but I won’t elaborate too much on this, seeing as they’re sadly no longer available to purchase.  I will say however that these really hug my calves beautifully (when pulled up) with no sagging or over-stretching and I feel that this is testament to the quality of the manufacturing.

Ultimately, get your sizing right and I believe that for the price, these Ugg boots from Whooga would be difficult to beat.  Other than a slightly hard foot-bed and a bashed box, I can’t actually pick fault with them – they feel well-supported and solidly-constructed with quality, authentic materials.

Ugg Boots by Whooga are available to buy online from www.whooga-boots.co.uk – prices start from £75.00

* press sample

Toning is something I’m pretty concerned with at the moment.  A very low calorie diet will do more than simply burn fat… there’s a certain amount of muscle wastage taking place aswell.  An unwanted side effect shall we say.

To combat this, one needs to exercise.  It’s no good sitting on your (slowly disappearing) bum sipping at your shakes and waiting for the body of your dreams.  As with any diet, that’s only half the story.

FitFlop are a household name and I’ll be honest with you… I’ve never been interested.  I remember when they first came out to great critical acclaim and mile long waiting lists… not for me.  I can’t wear toeposts and we don’t exactly enjoy a tropical climate do we?  But then they introduced the shoes and even better?  The boots!

Now we’re talking!

I was sent a pair of their Chocolate Mukluk boots to put to the test and I was really intrigued to discover whether I would feel any benefits just by changing my footwear!

Sturdy and well-constructed were my first thoughts when I pulled them out of the box.  I was also insanely relieved that the unmistakable Microwobbleboard™ wasn’t as ridiculously obvious as I thought it might have been.  There’s nothing about these that screams comical.  I find them fairly subtle and the styling lends itself kindly to that familiar shaped sole.

About that sole… check out the all weather grips on these.  I’m not likely to land on my backside this winter!

I’m not exaggerating when I say that putting my feet in these is like stepping into a pair of clouds.  I’m not an UGG owner so this whole sheepskin boot thing is quite new to me.  The FitFlop Mukluks get top marks for comfort.

But to ensure comfort… you need to pay close attention to sizing.  FitFlops come in whole sizes… there are no halves here.  I’m a textbook UK 6.5 with a high instep and normal width feet.  I did a bit of reading on the Boots website and found that the general consensus was “if in doubt, go a size up”.  I figured that I’d be mostly wearing these with thick socks so I went for a UK7 and I’m really pleased I did.  They make a great fit for me.

Do I need sea-sickness tablets when going for a walk round the park?  No… the effect is subtle in the way it transfers to your body.  You can feel a slight difference in your step but it’s not enough to draw your attention to it… it’s not something you have to think about.

The technology is really interesting and I recommend you take a quick look at the demonstration here.

My feet and ankles feel supported in the FitFlop Mukluks, something that is an absolute no compromise in any shoe I wear and thanks to those thick soles and sheepskin uppers… I’m staying super toasty too!

So finally… how about the toning… the posture… the workout without working up a sweat?

I’m in two minds.  I think they’re quite possibly the most well supported, comfortable boot I’ve ever worn.  My high instep feels comfort it has never experienced and they definitely encourage a better posture whilst walking.  I thought that I would find walking in these harder than normal boots.  I thought I’d be aching in all kinds of places after 5 minutes in these and this was something I welcomed the idea of as I equated aching with toned thighs and bums!

In fact… I’m not getting any discomfort or burn and if anything, the FitFlop Mukluks are allowing me to walk further than usual (and I’m a big walker anyway) as they’re reducing the lower back pain that I get in normal walking shoes.

These aren’t quite the results I expected… but hell, I’m delighted!  Not only that but if I can walk longer… I’m toning more efficiently anyway right?!

So whilst I can’t tell you that my bum is now able to crack walnuts, I can totally tell you to consider a pair of these if you suffer from any hip or back pain when walking.  They’re a marvel.

Hugely impressed with my FitFlop Mukluks.

FitFlop Mukluk boots are priced at £135 and come in a range of colours.  You can buy them online here.

Have you tried FitFlops before?  What are your thoughts on them?

It’s 2.30am and I was just about to head to bed when I quickly logged onto ASOS to check out the ankle boots (as you do).  When horror upon horrors, my eyes alighted upon these.  I can’t call anyone at this indecent hour… so you’re gonna have to humour me and nod your head in all the right places instead.

Skechers Hyperto Shape Up Boots, apparently.

It’s that wonky bouncy seesaw sole innit, the one where you either get buns of steel or need to take a Stugeron before you go for a walk round the park.

I’m pretty tolerant of fashion, I don’t give a chuff what you wear… I only get a bit ranty when I see larger ladies with it all hanging out at the midriff.   Tunic tops have been my wardrobe staple for the last 12years.  Get acquainted with them.

But these… these… moonboots.

Wait, let me show you…

Really?

I mean… really, really?  You’d pay £110 to look like you’ve been drawn by a 3 year old?

I hear on the grapevine that Skechers are planning on making some Hyperto Shape Up Gloves next.

I’m off to have nightmares of giant footwear.  Sleep tight!