La French Cut | Heels & Materials

// Heels & Materials //

The keys of comfort in your shoes being heels height, shoe stability, stretch of material, foothold and the match between the shoe shape and your feet shape, the choice of your Heels & Materials is a very important step....

Choosing your Heels

Choosing the perfect heel for you will depend on your balance, ankle muscles, arch flexibility & height, and most importantly shoes habits... You will find some tips below but the easiest way is to learn from the shoes you usually wear:

How often do you wear heels? What is the height you feel the most comfortable in?

Can you handle thin Stiletto heels?

Our tips:

* If you are not familiar with balance on heels, best is to choose a larger heel for better stability.

* According to podiatrists, the perfect heels height should not be higher than 5cm (2 inches) for everyday walks and no more than 7.5cm (3 inches) for short walks.

* Also selecting a design with many straps, like the T-strap sandals, will provide better feet hold and thus stability.

At La French cut, we value Comfort as much as Style, so all of our shoe are below 10cm (4 inches) high; and for women who still want high heels, we provide platforms options that elevate the shoes while keeping the same steepness for your feet. Also most of our Designs feature adjustable straps in order to ensure optimum foot hold and stability. Then, you can choose between several shapes/sizes of Heels according to what you feel the most comfortable in.

Measuring your favourite shoes' height:

1. Take your favourite Shoes and a measurement tape

2. Face the back of your Shoe

3. Place the measurement the tape "0" on begining of the heel (line that separates the back of your Shoe from the Heel)

4. Pull the measurement tape so that it is perpendicular to the floor when your Shoe is on ground

5. Read the measurement located at the heel's tip level

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

If you don't know your optimum heels' height yet, you can have a look at 'Alterations Needed' blog's ingenious way of figuring it out. (http://www.alterationsneeded.com/2015/03/how-to-measure-your-ideal-heel-height.html)

Our heels selection:

We offer 3 different heel's height:

- "Low" 5cm to 6cm (2inches) heels -> best for walking everyday

- "High" 7cm to 8cm (3inches) heels -> good for walking a bit and standing few hours

- "Higher" 9cm (3.5inches) steepness -> cannot walk for too long unless you are used to high heels

-> available in the form of 10cm (4inches) heels with 1cm (half inche) platform

-> or as 11.5cm (4.5inches) heels with 2.5cm (1inche) platform

We also provide up to 3 different heel base:

- "Stiletto" 0.5cm to 1cm base -> "talon aiguille" or Stiletto heel, which can be very unstable if you are not used to it.

- "Slim" 1.2cm to 1.5cm base -> slim but more stable than the Stiletto heel

- "Large" more than1.5cm base -> chunkier look but very stable

Now it's up to you to find the best combination!

Our Materials:

Finally the choice of material is very important and will greatly impact the comfort, as much as the look, of your shoes...

At La French Cut, we always look for new materials and colors to perfect the uniqueness of our designs.

Basically almost any type of soft fabric, leather or similar material can be put on a shoe, but they don't offer the same properties from one to the other.

Here are a bit more details on each of the materials we currently use, sorted out in 2 categories: the ones with 'Good stretching properties' which will allow your shoes to better mold to your feet shape (very important for large and/or sensitive feet), and the ones with 'Little stretching properties' that will soften with time but won't change much in shape.

1. Good stretching properties:

* Soft Lambskin -> With great stretch qualities, Lambskin has a fine and soft finish that sets it apart from the other leathers and have it widely use for gloves making as well. It can handle light rain if properly treated and can be easily cleaned with leather products.

* Delicate suede -> Suede is also a leather with good stretch qualities. It's velvet-like finish brings up an extra touch of luxury as well as deeper color ranges, but it doesn't handle well getting wet so it needs to be immediately waterproofed with adequate products. It is also a bit more sensitive than Lambskin and can be more challenging regarding stains removal.

2. Little stretching properties:

* Printed snake skin -> Very fine, colorful and identifiable with its inimitable texture, printed snake bring your shoes to another level of glamour and luxury. Just like the other leather it has to be waterproofed and conditioned with specific products. Best is to go to your local store or cobbler and ask for the most adequate product.

* Printed calf hair -> Gives an extra edge as well as more texture to your shoes. As this is not a treated leather, the usual shoe products won't be adequate for it. Best is to avoid getting it wet or stained and, if needed, ask your local store or cobbler for the most adequate product.

* Printed cottons -> Brings colors and uniqueness to your shoes, as none will have the exact same patterns and colors, and great option to match your spring/ summer outfits. Even though cotton is very easy to take care in form of outfits, it gets a bit tricky when used on Shoes in case of stains. Best is to be extra careful in order to avoid stains and ask your local store or cobbler for the most adequate product if needed.

* Bright Satin -> The most elegant and refined touch to your shoes, as well as the most delicate regarding stains. Just like the printed cotton, best is to be extra careful in order to avoid stains and to ask your local store or cobbler for the most adequate product if needed. Another tip is to combine it with a stronger material for the back and heels of your Shoes when Customizing it because the Heels are the parts that gets most often dirty, especially when walking on grass for example.

* Glitter Fabric -> The best sparkle effet for your shoes, but one of the most rigid material. If you have sensitive feet, better using it on trims, details, or parts of the shoes that don't need to be soft; like back of shoes and heels for example.