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Spring ‘14
Springtime shades A family affair Take a walk on the wild side
NEW
Season, Styles and Colours EXCLUSIVE TO HOTTER COMFORT CLUB MEMBERS
Club
COMFORT
SPRING 2014
COMFORT
Club
EDITOR’S LETTER In this edition we’re introducing you to our active designer Kim, giving you a glimpse behind the scenes of our photo shoot and looking back at the shoes the Roman’s wore.
Soft, subtle
Springtime Shades
We’ve discovered customers who like to take a walk on the wild side in their Hotter shoes and closer to home we’ve created a free knitting pattern of this wonderful Hotter bus for you to download at www.hotter.com/knitting. And our ladies designer Ellspeth has been busy too, creating this beautiful hand painted last for competition winner Mrs Micallef from Preston who requested a combination of iris flowers and stars. What a lovely, unique prize.
When we’re on the cusp of the softer, warmer season, brighten your outlook with pretty pastels, neutral shades and bold dash of colour.
Happy reading! Best wishes...
NEW
Season, Styles and Shades 2 | Find our full collection at www.hotter.com
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ith a palette of shades that reflects the variety of the Spring season, our designers have worked hard to create shoes and sandals in colours which mirror the latest trends. “As an artist, I am always drawn to colour and I love helping to mix and create a palette for the season,” explained designer Ellspeth Robson. “We invest in the latest colour forecasts so we start with colours
FAR LEFT – LAURA, ESSMY LEFT – JEWEL BELOW – ABIGAIL BOTTOM LEFT – NIRVANA BOTTOM RIGHT – NIKITA
which we know will compliment and contrast with the fashions of the season. We then add our Hotter ‘pixie dust’, so look out for flashes of colour pop, beautiful print linings or textures and special embellishments. “The trick with colour is to ensure there is some newness for our Hotter favourites for our customers who really can’t do without the latest shade of Shake or a pretty new pair of Mabel,” explained designer Ellspeth. “And we have to balance this with new styles for customers who have either fallen in love with Hotter in the past and want
something new or to attract people to try us for the first time. “My tips for the colours of the season are Nude, Light Olive and Taupe for natural neutrals; Dark Aqua, Dark Pink and Damson for eyecatching richness and Soft Rose Gold, Platinum and Satin Nickel for added shimmer and shine!” Join the Hotter family on Facebook | 3
Our newest Hotter stores have had a makeover. Tell us what you think!
step into
HOTTER
Did you know that we now have 63 Hotter stores across the UK? Just four years ago we had just five! We’d love to welcome you to one of our stores soon, and to entice you in here’s a few things about our stores that you might not know... 1 Our Bury store was the first to have a brand new Hotter makeover – since then we’ve opened another 8 with the new look, have you visited any? 2 On average each new store receives 3,000 pairs for opening day... 3 ...and it takes our teams just four hours to put them all away. 4 Our Norwich store has underground tunnels that lead to Norwich Castle. 5 Memorable customers include Mrs Violet in Truro with immaculate ten year old Hotter shoes and Mrs Munn from Bromley with “the warmest smile you’ve ever seen.” 6 Every assistant is trained to measure feet and fit Hotter shoes
using our unique 5 star fitting system. 7 Famous faces seen in Hotter stores across the UK include Wendy Craig, Peter Sissons and Murray Walker. 8 Each year over one million customers visit our stores. 9 Our advisors are a talented group and include Laura from Cardiff who won a dance competition at Blackpool Tower, Levi from Bath who is a lifeguard and Leigh Steadman in Shrewsbury who auditioned for the new Star Wars film. 10 There’s a handy store locator at www.hotter.com to find the stores nearest to you!
4 | Find our full collection at www.hotter.com
the distinguished
GENTLEMAN From sartorial elegance to beachside fun, this season our men’s collection has every situation covered.
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here’s a wonderful newness across the range to satisfy both the gentlemen who like to be distinguished, and their partners whose outfit advice is simply indispensable. Men’s Designer Andy Taylor explained: “Our new collection includes distinctly more youthful options for everyday through to smart wear. Contemporary casuals Extreme and Hero are rugged and hard wearing and finished with great attention to detail; even the leathers have been specially selected to wear well and add character. “My personal favourite has to be Rival; this is a modern slim-soled slip-on, with a streamlined toe shape and toe-spring which create a really fashionable appearance. What’s important though are the features you don’t see – we’ve included discreet padding under and around the foot and the breathable leather will keep feet cool. Rival is really adaptable too; I enjoy wearing mine with a suit for work and with smart jeans at the weekend.”
Hero
Rival
Rival
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Extreme
ENGINEERED COMFORT
VIEW
new styles for men at www.hotter.com Delta
6 point
FLEXIBLE & LIGHTWEIGHT DURABLE
FUSION MOULDED TECHNOLOGY BREATHABLE QUALITY LEATHERS ALL ROUND CUSHIONING SHOCK ABSORBING SOLES
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A family affair Our latest photo shoot was a real family affair and it all started with a dog...
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the Hotter family at www.hotter.com Although it’s the shoes that steal the show in our photos, we are often asked about the beautiful clothing, locations and even the four legged extras! This season our canine star is Balou, whose owner Karen Foster is our talented stylist. He was accompanied by Karen’s daughters Maddie, 15, and Tilly, 13, budding photographer and stylist respectively; making our SS14 photo shoot a real family affair!
“We’ve lived in France for five years,” explained Karen, who commutes to London most weeks to work, “and I’d been on the shoot for a week when we realised we needed a dog for four photos and Balou, just three hours away at our home near Toulouse, seemed the perfect candidate. “When they arrived we were shooting on a beautiful wooden boat, I had a rail of clothes on a tiny jetty and it was quite windy
6 | Find our full collection at www.hotter.com
LEFT OUR PHOTO SHOOT CREW FAR LEFT TOP ALMA FAR LEFT BOTTOM BALOU WITH SPLASH BELOW RIGHT AMOUR BELOW LEFT SCARLETT
so I was really happy that the girls could help,” explained Karen, who has been a fashion editor, art director and stylist for over 25 years. For the Hotter shoot Karen has to plan 400 outfits. The clothes she finds are from lots of different stores: “I snap up interesting pieces in the previous season’s sales and sometimes get things altered or change buttons,” she explained. And Karen’s favourite shoe? “This season I really love the Amour loafer, it is such a versatile, ageless shoe and I had the challenge of styling it eight ways – it really was my chance to show off. I can honestly say I love working for Hotter, creating a timeless, effortless and ageless look and feel that is right for each shoe and for Hotter’s customers.”
Give someone in your family some comfort... Karen and Tilly helped us make our photo shoot a family affair.
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Active ingredients On the go women need shoes to keep up their pace. Our active collection packages Comfort Concept® features in smart leisure styling with super, fresh colourways.
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pring is possibly the busiest season, as we surface from the hibernation of Winter and look forward to longer days, outdoor activities and the inspiration of new growth everywhere. Our designers have been working hard to create a collection of active shoes that offer the comfort of your favourite trainers but which simply look smart, stylish and ready to team with the latest leisurewear. In fact, this collection looks so good that we think they’ll become your go-to footwear wherever your go-getting lifestyle takes you. “Lexi is our star of the season, its proportions are perfect and it’s packed with active ingredients our customers will love,” said designer
Lexi
Kim Denton. “It’s based on a popular US footwear trend, the ‘mall walker’, which shoppers wear for comfort when they want to dress smarter than in trainers.
Lexi
“In leather, its neutral shades are simple and smart, whilst the ultra soft Dark Aqua and Rosso nubucks simply cry out to be dressed with a little colour pop.” Leanne has been revitalised with beautiful Spring shades and distinctive contrast stripes; whilst Scarlett is perfect for active holidays and looks trim with its geometric print insole.
8 | Find our full collection at www.hotter.com
Leanne
Scarlett
Happy New You!
FOOTNOTES Kim
Active Designer
We asked our blogger family to suggest some simple ways to give your 2014 a happy healthy start... Fashion and lifestyle blogger Ellen Ross of Ask Away said: “Invest in some fashionable, quality active wear so you look forward to exercising and feel better doing it.”
Enjoy more Comfort Club news at www.hotter.com
Leanne
Mummy blogger Cheryl Pasquier of Madhousefamilyreviews commented: “Remember everything counts as exercise – race your children to the end of the road, walk the dog, bop along to music as you do the housework.” Whilst Kim of Mymummyreviews recommends a lively, cheerful Zumba session or two. Meanwhile, Alan Cawthorne of footmanpodiatry has given us his top tips for getting your feet in perfect condition for some lovely new summer sandals. 1. Wash your feet every day and dry thoroughly between toes. 2. Wear cotton socks as they will help your feet breathe. 3. Address hard skin before it has a chance to build up and apply a good moisturiser every night. And he recommends a regular visit to your local podiatrist if you have any foot problems.
Kim Denton has been designing our active collection for over 3 years and she’s amazingly active herself. We’d love to introduce you...
The best day of my life was... my wedding day ten years ago in Las Vegas with 19 family and friends. You wouldn’t know it but I’m good at... snowboarding. My pet is... a seven-year-old hairless sphinx cat called Kojak, he’s the perfect cat for me as I’m allergic to cat hair. The invention that makes my life most comfortable is... my memory foam bed because I need a good night’s sleep as I need to be up at 5.40am when I’m commuting in to Hotter from my home in Yorkshire. The best Hotter shoe we’ve ever made is... going to be the new wedge heel we’ll be revealing for AW14, it’s on trend and is pushing our style credentials.
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Professor Joann Fletcher of the University of York specialises in ancient dress and adornment and recently wrote and presented the BBC2 Series ‘Ancient Egypt: Life and Death in the Valley of the Kings’. In her second article about footwear in the ancient world she explains about...
Shoes that built an Empire
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he traditional Roman shoe was the ‘calceus’. Laced up on top of the foot and sometimes lined with softer leather or fabric to prevent chafing, some were stamped with the maker’s name. Each social class had their own colour, from the standard black leather version to the more the distinctive red worn by nobles and senators. Julius Caesar himself wore these red shoes, and their flashier, Greek-inspired variants, high red ‘shoe boots’ featuring feline heads as decoration, which are also found in the statuary of the legendary female Amazons. Yet for the average Roman soldier, regulation footwear was the ‘caligae’ (after which the emperor Caligula was named).
Joann with Prince Edward © Copyright BMBC
Made from tanned cow hide, the sole was heavily studded with hobnails, an idea the Romans took from the Greeks, with the hobnails making a suitably ominous sound as the massed ranks of troops approached. Yet the nails not only provided the perfect hardwearing surface on most terrain, they were also adopted by women to create fancy designs on their shoe soles, the more adventurous spelling out phrases such as ‘follow me!’ in their footprints. There was certainly plenty of choice for the fashionable, from moccasin-type ‘carbatinae’ to the slip-on clog-type sandals with wooden soles so practical for use in the bath-house. Even the range of colours was impressive, from
10 | Find our full collection at www.hotter.com
the ladies’ white leather shoe to yellow bridal slippers, leather sandals called ‘crepidae’ with multi-coloured layered soles, and the Greek dancing shoes with their cork soles and tie cords of contrasting colours. Busy Joann has recently guest curated “The Romans Are Coming” exhibition and has been testing out some shoes from the not quite so ancient world, see what she thought on the opposite page.
Hobnail sole from Roman soldier’s boot
Blooming marvellous Although these boots were made for walking, now, thanks to the green fingered Gallagher sisters, they’re used for planting... and aren’t they blooming marvellous! God’s head decorated sandal
“As someone who spends a lot of time trekking around some pretty far-flung locations, often being filmed at the same time, it’s essential to have shoes which are not only comfortable but which look good (and obviously in my favourite colour black). Hotter shoes definitely tick every one of these boxes - I love them!”
WIN
Jeanette and Barbara live near Stormount in Belfast, and have been buying Hotter shoes and boots for over 15 years. They are kept so busy walking their four legged friends that they buy new Hotter boots every 18 months. “It was Barbara’s idea to plant up the boots as the old ones were waiting to go to the dump one year, “ explained Jeanette. “There were 11 pairs on display last Summer and we’ll be adding two more pairs later in the Spring when we’ll plant them with violas. Because the boots are GORE-TEX® they are perfect for keeping water in - and when we walked in them they were great for keeping water out!”
NEW SHOES Roman insole and leather shoes
What do you do with your Hotter shoes? Do you have a hobby that uses our shoe boxes? Tell us your Hotter story and we’ll pick our favourite to win a new pair of shoes. Entry details on back page.
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READERS’ LETTERS
WALK ON THE WILD SIDE
We’ve received some lovely photos and stories about your favourite destinations in your Hotter shoes. Here’s a small selection of our favourites, bringing back warm memories of happy days. Please keep sending them through.
Adventurous Hotter customers wear their favourite footwear in all sorts of exotic locations!
Sarah Hayward from Lancashire was delighted to reveal a new benefit of our Trek boots thanks to her intrepid daughter Jenny - they are raccoon proof! And above is the evidence from Jenny’s Canadian adventure.
TRAVEL IN STYLE If you’re travelling in Hotter shoes why not send us your ‘shoesies’ photos, just like this one from Breta Bevis who comes from Lincolnshire. This beautiful shot of Splash was taken in Norway when she visited her sister’s ‘Little England Tea Rooms’ in Vollen. Have your Hotter shoes taken you for a walk on the wild side? We’ve seen everything from llama treks to visits with gorillas can you surprise us? Don’t be camera shy, send us a shoesie!
Meanwhile Terri Morris sent us this lovely shot above of her wearing Indulge boots and meeting Alan, the orphan Joey, in the Kangaroo Sanctuary at Alice Springs, which recently featured on the BBC’s Kangaroo Dundee.
Enter our competitions or contact our Comfort Club family by post, by email at weloveshoes@hotter.com or on our Facebook page. All competitions in this edition close on 1st March 2014. Winners details will be printed in our online Comfort Club or contact the editor for a full list. Melanie Killilea, Editor, Comfort Club, Hotter, 2 Peel Road, Skelmersdale, WN8 9PT
Call 0800 525 893 or visit www.hotter.com to sign up for our newsletter, see more Comfort Club news and view our full collection. Hotter Comfort Concept Shoes
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