Step into Sustainability: A Review of Vivaia's Marcella Boots.

This review has been a long time coming.

You can read my reviews on the loafers here and the Ryan Pro chelsea boots here

This season, these Vivaia "Marcella" boots really came into their own.

I love a square toe, and I had been wanting a pair of black boots with a square toe for a really long time.

These boots are a sustainably made shoe, as is he ethos of Vivaia; made from recycled plastic bottles that would otherwise end up in landfill. As a result, the woven 'material' beads water in a light rain, and I find that quite a convenient characteristic in the subtropical environment I live in.

In terms of style, I would change... maybe one thing. Make that two.

First, I don't like the exposed back zipper very much. I would prefer a pull on. It's certainly not uncomfortable, it's just a cosmetic preference.

Second, I would make the trunk of the boot narrower. A stretch fabric that is more like a sock. I think that when worn with skinny jeans and/or a long skirt, it would be nice not to have the hems brushing against a slightly wider 'mouth' at the ankle.

A narrower, sock-like ankle keeps to the line of the legs, and I think it would be quite flattering at just below the calf.

But those are just merely my aesthetic preferences and in no way interfere with the function of the shoe, nor it's appeal to actually wear them.

The square toe looks great with my long skirt, and is a modern twist on wearing ankle boots with jeans. I like a slightly unexpected twist to my outfits, but it has to be almost imperceptible. Not overt, nor deliberate. I don't want to look at my wardrobe and ask myself "what unpredictable twist can I impart on today's choices?"

I want to grab my outfit, put things on, and not think all too hard about it. For that reason, footwear in particular needs to seamlessly work in, and be increasingly adaptable.

I am not a "pair of shoes for this occasion, and pair of shoes for that" kind of person.

These shoes work with everything I have. In fact, they really seemed to shine when I tried them on with my two shorter skirts. The cotton khaki skirt I made from a pair of men's trousers, and a recent creation - a wool pencil skirt made from the remnants of my wool coat.

That aforementioned 'wider' cuff at the mouth of the boot actually balances out the outfit very nicely.  It lends a slight casualness that isn't sloppy or too relaxed, but more 'inadvertently polished.'

I can definitely get on board with inadvertently polished!

The heel is a great height; enough to slightly elevate, (which is important to me as I don't like flat shoes very much and have a fairly strong aversion to flat boots in particular), but still quite low as far as a heel on a boot is concerned, which again lends it to being very versatile and not overly 'done'. 

The shape is very elegant, which I think brings to itself that unexpectedness I spoke of before - it's an elegant boot, with a modern toe and functioning heel, whilst its fabric is malleable and exposed zipper slightly edgy - which really makes these boots a perfect addition to any minimal wardrobe.

View my Vivaia video here

Vivaia's website can be found here