I WORE PO-ZU SHOES FOR AN ENTIRE DAY AT DISNEY WORLD - AND THIS IS WHAT I LEARNED... (REVIEW)6/4/2018 Here on my blog, I am constantly talking about the small things that you can do to lead a more ethical lifestyle. While some of the things I talk about are rather big changes and require a lot of thought, I have found a company that makes this transition as easy as just making a simple purchase.
Po-Zu is a company that creates ethical footwear, free of any harmful materials. Their three main objectives are comfort, ethics, and sustainability - which they achieve through the use of Pinatex (a pseudo-leather made from pineapple fibres), linen, and a memory foam 'foot mattress' that is made from natural latex and cork. I have praised Po-Zu and their efforts towards sustainability and ethical practices before on my blog, but never have I gotten the chance to give them a wear and compare them to my other footwear. However, with the release of their new Star Wars sneakers (made of natural made, fair trade soles and organic cotton), this all has changed. Something I have never really talked about on my blog before is that I happen to work at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. This being said, comfort is key when it comes to picking my footwear. That's why when I was given the opportunity to take a pair of Po-Zu sneakers for a spin, I decided to put them to the ultimate test and wear them to Disney for an entire day. Since Disney's Hollywood Studios has a whole section dedicated to Star Wars and it's characters, that was the place I chose to wear them (stick around till the end of this post to see the pictures I took documenting this day). To give you a better idea of the benefits of these shoes, I have decided to break this post down into a few different categories.... 1. Design We would all be lying if we said design wasn't an important aspect of our decision when deciding what shoes to buy. In fact, it's probably the number one thought in our mind when we go shopping for footwear. That's why design is what I want to cover first. I ordered a pair of the Falcon Off-White sneakers (size 40, £59) and was eager to see what they looked like in person. Online they looked fabulous, but as everyone knows, sometimes photos online can be deceiving. I was glad to find out that this was not the case with Po-Zu. The shoes came in and were exactly how they had been presented. I liked the off-white fabric as it seemed to be more resistant to stains and the Millennium Falcon sketch covering the entirety of the shoe was both tasteful and well integrated into the overall design. For any Star Wars lovers, this would be a fun way to show off your love for the series, while also showing off your love for a company who is paying particular attention to ethics. Imagine all the good you could do when having someone ask you where you got your nice pair of Star Wars sneakers and you got to share with them the benefits of buying from an ethically minded company. Something I loved about the shoe was that they are subtle. If you don't exactly want to scream from the rooftops of your love for Star Wars, then these are perfect. While yes they have a sketch of the Millennium Falcon on them, those who are not familiar with the series aren't very likely to catch the reference. Even then, if they ask, it's another opportunity to talk about an ethical shoe company and very casually bring it up in conversation. The shoes drew only the positive attention of others and I cannot even begin to tell you how many compliments I got on them, from Star Wars and non-Star Wars fans alike. Everyone seemed to love the design on the side and thought they were a cute way to give a shoutout to the franchise while remaining stylish as well. A cast member noticed my shoes and even directed me to the front of the line to meet Chewbacca so that I could show him the design. Surprisingly enough, when I went inside to meet him, he noticed them right away. Luckily, a photographer was able to capture the moment that he realized my shoes had the Millennium Falcon on them and the entire room laughed at the extent of his surprise. So, I would have to say, that overall the design was pretty much out of this world. 2. Comfort When shopping for shoes, comfort is always another aspect of criterion that I focus on when deciding what to purchase. Ordering shoes online can be scary, since you don't know how they will feel on your feet whenever they arrive, but I'm glad to say that they were just as comfortable as I had read them to be when browsing the website. Instantly, when I put the shoes on, I could tell they were going to be comfortable. As I mentioned above, they were made with a special memory foam 'foot mattress' that one could automatically feel contouring their foot when slipping the shoe on. While the outside fabric felt quite stiff at first touch, I found that it never irritated me throughout the day (which is REALLY saying something since I have a small heel that tends to rub up against the back of any shoe I wear). I walked over 5 miles during the time I spent in the shoes and never once did I feel a tinge of pain in my arch or a discomfort on the back of my heel. I've come to expect some amount of breaking in to be required when I buy a new pair of shoes, but I couldn't believe that with these that didn't seem to be the case. They were comfortable from the get go and no amount of wear appeared to change the way they felt. I was glad about that too since they fit my foot perfectly in the beginning and never slackened during the day. I know people can be skeptical of comfort when it comes to shoes that try to source natural products and use alternates as opposed to what their comfortable with, but I noticed no difference between these and other shoes I've worn over the years. In fact, these are FAR more comfortable than any other shoe I own and I own A LOT. I would much rather wear these all day to Disney than any pair of Converse or athletic shoe that I have ever owned. Considering I can sometimes walk up to 10 miles during an average visit to the parks, that's a pretty big thing to be said. 3.Versatility Another aspect we all tend to think about when we pick a pair of shoes, is how much we can wear them with. How can we style them? Can we dress them up? Can we dress them down? These are the questions that plague us. While most people would imagine these sneakers pairing well with a pair of jean shorts and t-shirt due to their rather relaxed style, I decided to give a go at dressing them up a bit. Instead of going with the more obvious choice of outfit, I wore a jumpsuit I had picked up from a local boutique and paired it with Mickey Ears. I rather liked the ending look and thought they completed the outfit quite wonderfully. These are a pair of shoes that I can wear with a light summer dress as well as a simple pair of jeans and crop top. I like a shoe that can be used that way. One of the staples of sustainable fashion is to make sure all the purchases you make will satisfy multiple fashion needs so that you do not feel the urge to go out and purchase more items you may not need. If Star Wars isn't for you and you feel that this pair isn't versatile enough, Po-Zu even has a plain off-white pair if that's more your style. Luckily, Po-Zu itself is incredibly diverse and has an array of different styles of footwear and colors to chose from that makes it easier for you to find your 'forever shoe' (as I like to call it). 4. Durability I was surprised I got the chance to talk about this one, but Florida presented me with the opportunity to test out the durability of my sneakers. For the entire afternoon that I was at Hollywood Studios, the skies decided to cry and the concrete was slick. Usually when it rains in Florida and I'm wearing sneakers, I despair. I despise wet socks and most of the shoes I own seem to be incapable of protecting my feet from the rain. With Po-Zu, this was NOT a problem. I stomped through multiple puddles when trying to get to the rides I had Fastpasses for, but never once did I stop and realize that I had wet socks - that's because I didn't. Thankfully, the fabric of Po-Zu sneakers is thick enough to protect your feet from moisture and keep your socks from dampening. On top of all that, the fabric is also incredibly resistant to stains. After being worn in the rain for the entirety of an afternoon, my sneakers remained unchanged. Never have I ever had a shoe - that wasn't a boot - hold up so well in such conditions. I have to say that I was thoroughly impressed. (I snapped a picture of my shoes after the rain storm that I included in the gallery below - see the untouched fabric for yourselves). Final Thoughts: While I had praised Po-Zu before for it's efforts in the ethical fashion industry, I have found something else to praise them for. Not only is this company setting an example of what a shoe company should strive to be, but they are producing footwear that is actually more comfortable than the brands that are considered top of the market. Once people give this company a chance, they will be reluctant to look elsewhere for shoes (I know that I am). I have learned that true quality and comfort can be obtained in ways that you may have never thought of and in ways that can better benefit the Earth and the industry. This pair was a win for me and I hope that you too are willing to give them a try. Happy shopping & may the force be with you! (For those of you that are interested in learning more about the company and their efforts towards ethical practices and sustainability, please visit their site at po-zu.com. To shop the Star Wars collection, go here and to find my pair, click here.)
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About MeA marketing student passionate about green marketing and attempting to live a sustainable lifestyle. Archives
June 2018
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