When my friends Sue and Geoff returned to their homeland, South Africa, 14 years ago I cried all the way home from the airport. Our children played together and we had enjoyed some fabulous times with my overwhelming memory being of lots of laughter.
Fast forward to early 2017 and imagine my excitement when my son told me he planned to take me to visit them. I wouldn't let myself believe it until the flights were booked and then I spent the next few months planning our big African reunion adventure.
As you can see from the picture below, I was not disappointed and within a few hours it was like we had never been apart....
Now obviously, if you are planning an adventure, you need suitable shoes. Early explorers of the continent did not go shlepping through the wild terrain in flip flops and given the presence of a variety of critters which can and will bite or sting you over there, I decided we too needed sensible footwear which would keep our feet comfortable.
I've previously worn and loved Hotter shoes and a quick browse on the website showed that not only do they do gorgeous but comfy shoes for nights out, work and everyday wear, they also have a great range of stylish shoes and boots for more taxing terrain.
Team great designs with GORE-TEX® in styles for all tastes and I knew we had found the shoes we needed to explore the Western Cape, including the mountainous/desert Klein Karoo region where we planned to camp at the Warmwatersberg Hot Springs Spa.
Now don't assume that because South Africa has the name Africa in it, it is scorchingly hot all the time. In September when we visited our friends in Kommetjie, south of Cape Town, we knew we would have weather similar to that in the UK at that time of year- some warm sunny days, some cooler windy and rainy days.
Bearing this in mind I chose some gorgeous ruby Kendal GTX leather suede boots with GORE-TEX® technology making them waterproof and breathable. How? Here's the science part:
Sandwiched between the premium outer shoe leather and the soft inner lining lies a hidden, ultra-thin GORE-TEX® membrane. Every microscopic pore in the membrane is small enough to prevent water getting into the shoe, but big enough to allow moisture from inside to escape, keeping your feet dry and comfortable and leaving you free to enjoy a scenic walk in any weather.
With a zip and elasticated sides and comfier than comfortable air bubble filled soles these proved to be perfect for beach combing, mountain walks, camping at a Spring Solstice festival and general touristy meandering without looking too "hiker boot" if you know what I mean. I've worn them since into London with black skinny jeans and black leather biker jacket and had loads of compliments on my gorgeous autumn/winter boots.
The most surprising thing was that my 22 year old son, peering over my shoulder at the website, spotted shoes he liked the look of two. Hotter really has managed to throw off that "only for oldies" image of former years!
He chose a pair of Thor GTX all weather shoes in waxed nubuck smoke colour with luxuriously cushioned insoles. As one who walks miles he really appreciated the quality of the shoes and was amazed at how flexible and lightweight they were (like my Kendal boots) thanks to those bubble filled soles.
He is more of a genuine hiker than me but the shoes stood up to a good amount of scrambling up rocky mountain tracks, exploring the top of Table Mountain and coastal walking while still looking stylish enough to be worn when we visited the fashionable V & A Waterfront area of shops, bars, museums, attractions and restaurants in Cape Town.
We were both very impressed at how stylish, comfortable and versatile our shoes were - you can check them out, and browse other styles for all occasions online or in actual real live stores where highly trained fitters will help you choose your perfect footwear.
Disclaimer: I received my Kendal boots and my son's Thor shoes free for the purpose of this honest review.
Fast forward to early 2017 and imagine my excitement when my son told me he planned to take me to visit them. I wouldn't let myself believe it until the flights were booked and then I spent the next few months planning our big African reunion adventure.
As you can see from the picture below, I was not disappointed and within a few hours it was like we had never been apart....
Now obviously, if you are planning an adventure, you need suitable shoes. Early explorers of the continent did not go shlepping through the wild terrain in flip flops and given the presence of a variety of critters which can and will bite or sting you over there, I decided we too needed sensible footwear which would keep our feet comfortable.
I've previously worn and loved Hotter shoes and a quick browse on the website showed that not only do they do gorgeous but comfy shoes for nights out, work and everyday wear, they also have a great range of stylish shoes and boots for more taxing terrain.
Team great designs with GORE-TEX® in styles for all tastes and I knew we had found the shoes we needed to explore the Western Cape, including the mountainous/desert Klein Karoo region where we planned to camp at the Warmwatersberg Hot Springs Spa.
Now don't assume that because South Africa has the name Africa in it, it is scorchingly hot all the time. In September when we visited our friends in Kommetjie, south of Cape Town, we knew we would have weather similar to that in the UK at that time of year- some warm sunny days, some cooler windy and rainy days.
Bearing this in mind I chose some gorgeous ruby Kendal GTX leather suede boots with GORE-TEX® technology making them waterproof and breathable. How? Here's the science part:
Sandwiched between the premium outer shoe leather and the soft inner lining lies a hidden, ultra-thin GORE-TEX® membrane. Every microscopic pore in the membrane is small enough to prevent water getting into the shoe, but big enough to allow moisture from inside to escape, keeping your feet dry and comfortable and leaving you free to enjoy a scenic walk in any weather.
With a zip and elasticated sides and comfier than comfortable air bubble filled soles these proved to be perfect for beach combing, mountain walks, camping at a Spring Solstice festival and general touristy meandering without looking too "hiker boot" if you know what I mean. I've worn them since into London with black skinny jeans and black leather biker jacket and had loads of compliments on my gorgeous autumn/winter boots.
He chose a pair of Thor GTX all weather shoes in waxed nubuck smoke colour with luxuriously cushioned insoles. As one who walks miles he really appreciated the quality of the shoes and was amazed at how flexible and lightweight they were (like my Kendal boots) thanks to those bubble filled soles.
We were both very impressed at how stylish, comfortable and versatile our shoes were - you can check them out, and browse other styles for all occasions online or in actual real live stores where highly trained fitters will help you choose your perfect footwear.
Disclaimer: I received my Kendal boots and my son's Thor shoes free for the purpose of this honest review.