My F/W wish list consisted of boots. Black long boots, furry boots, ankle boots, shoe boots. Basically, boots. So when Rubbersole sent me a voucher and asked me to pick a pair of shoes to review, what did I choose? You got it! Boots. More specifically Maroon by Moda in Pelle. My first choice was between the tan and the black. While the tan is more a gorgeous shade of reddish brown, the black is far more practical and sleeker.
I’ve been wearing Maroon with trousers, more specifically with jeggings and skinny blacks. Maroon definitely lends itself to jeggings, leggings and the like as with the fur around the ankle the fit is quite snug. I’ve been wearing slightly wider-legged trousers over the rear of the boots and tucked in at the front. It sounds a strange option but it does work. I’ve not worn the boots with a skirt or dress yet but purely because I don’t have anything that would go with them. It would be a great option though because it would really show the boots off.
Size and Fit
I ordered a size 7 although I was a little concerned whether this would be the right size as a number of similar price point brands do come up quite small. My nan took delivery of the boots and over the phone I asked her what the sizing looked like. ‘I’m a size 6 and they look like they’d fit me. I’ll just try them on…’
‘No! Don’t stand up!’ I shouted. I had visions of my nan being carted off to A&E with a broken hip. Luckily my nan (and the boots) made it round to my house intact that evening.
I tried the boots on and while the length was fine, they were quite tight in the width. It wasn’t too bad as I’d managed to get them on but they wouldn’t have been a comfortable wear in the long run. Fortunately the boots are made of leather and after a day in some very thick (and hideously neon-striped) socks they were stretching quite nicely. Now the boots are snug, a cosy snug not a tight snug. They’ve definitely moulded to my foot shape.
The soles on the boots seem very slim – these aren’t solid, chunky wedges – and I wondered how easy walking in them would be. I was surprised that they were much easier to move in than a lot of chunkier wedges and even some heels I own. The boots are nicely padded on the inside so I’ve not experienced the dreaded burning ball of foot while wearing them and they’re also really supportive around the ankle.
Fabrication
Most retailers will be quick to point out that any minor differences in a pair of leather shoes are not imperfections but due to leather being a natural product. Before wearing Maroon I took a good look at the boots and was pleased to note that I could find no fault, no matter how small. Even with wear the leather hasn’t creased in line with the joints on my feet and the boots still look as good as when I first opened the box.
Rubbersole Service
Rubbersole offer free delivery however this is via the infamous Yodel so you may wish to pay a little extra and get your shoes delivered a little sooner. I ordered on a week day and the package took eight days to arrive.
Unfortunately, when the boots first arrived they were not the size I ordered, nor were they the boots I’d ordered. I called the customer service line who were incredibly helpful. They dispatched the original order on an express delivery basis on a Thursday afternoon and the boots arrived on a Monday. By this point I had flu and despite knowing that the unopened box contained shoes, I couldn’t bring myself to move from the sofa and actually open it. Yes, I was in a bad shape! It wasn’t until the end of the week that I finally opened the box only to find that once again the boots were the wrong size and the wrong boots entirely. Another call to the profusely apologetic customer service line resulted in two options: keep the boots I’d already received or they would try to send the order again. I may have been tempted to keep the two pairs of boots but as they were both a few sizes too small for me I thought I’d give Rubbersole one more chance to deliver the right item. Third time really was lucky.
Rubbersole offer free returns however this is via Royal Mail. When arranging a return they will send you a pre-paid label and ask that you obtain proof of postage and enter the barcode number provided by the Post Office to validate your return. Rubbersole don’t, unfortunately, offer a courier returns service. This has meant that I have had to find a way to take two large boxes to the Post Office – without a car that one’s not fun.
Overall Impression
If you can take them time to wear Maroon in until they fit your foot shape well, then these boots are an excellent buy. They’re great quality, comfy and look great. I haven’t been overly impressed with the Rubbersole service however online reviews suggest that the service is usually good so I’m willing to give them another try.
Maroon is available from Moda in Pelle at Rubbersole priced £63.00.
Disclosure: Rubbersole sent me a £50.00 voucher to spend on footwear for this review; I paid the additional £13.00 myself. All views are my own.
