Eagerly Awaiting: Foot Petals Shoe Cushions

Look what the mailman delivered today!

When the ankle boot trend came along last year (or was it 2007?), I missed the train. Being a skinny jean and tights aficionado, ankle boots were the #1 item on my must-get list, but I was not able to find a single suitable pair. I tried on so many styles ... shaft too high (awkwardly between mid-calf and ankle), shaft too low (cut into ankles), cheap-looking leather... the problems go on.

I saw these CK nappa leather and elastic booties on my friend, and knew I had to have them. Unfortunately that was many seasons ago. As luck would have it, I randomly came across a pair on eBay this week in a do-able size, for only $35! Yay!

But look at that smooth slippery sole. I bought those self stick-on grip soles but the glue was weak and they fell off almost immediately. So I think these need to go to a cobbler to get some traction soles applied. Anyone ever had that done and know the approximate cost?

Also, the insoles are equally smooth and rock-hard. Even though there is no risk that my foot will fall out of these, there is an immense amount of sliding around (these are size 6) and I know I'm bound to get blisters. Not to mention, the heel height is 4 inches - a bit more than what conservative me is accustomed to!

So per a tip from Nukem, I checked out the Foot Petals website. To see my loot, click "Read More."



Foot Petal cushions are made from "PORON Urethanes" which supposedly distributes the pressure of high heels and prevents pain, calluses, and blisters. Read more here about the material. They offer 8 types of cushions in this material ranging from full sneaker insoles to strips for strappy shoes. For my needs (slipping, chafing, sky high heels), these 3 offerings jumped out at me:

1. Killer Kushionz, $12.95 for 1 pair, $34.95 for 3-pack.

2. Tip Toes, $6.95 for 1 pair, $18.95 for triple pack.

3. Heavenly Heelz, $4.95 - $6.95 for 1 pair, $18.95 for triple pack.

I'm a little hesitant with heel inserts, because I bought these Dr. Scholl gel ones (shown below) and they wouldn't stick at all. I kept having to embarassingly explain to coworkers the gel sticks that fell out of my shoes every 5 minutes.

However, in addition to placement inside the heel, Heavenly Heelz suggested some alternative uses. It is shown with placement at the inside top of a shoe, or inside a boot to prevent your calves from sliding around :

I couldn't pick one cushion type, so settled on trying 1 pair of each. Some user reviews complained that the cushioning was either too thin or too thick, and that the adhesive was weak, so I adjusted my expectations accordingly before ordering.

Also, these cushions seemed very pricey to me for small pieces of foam. I browsed eBay and Amazon and found some for more only marginally cheaper, so I ended up just buying from www.footpetals.com. The price was mitigated by some current deals:

1. Retailmenot has a few 20% off coupon codes. I used "FACEBOOK."

2. The site automatically gives free shipping for purchases over $20 and appears to be a little lenient because my order was only $19.88. Now, why doesn't BR do that for Bananacard purchases? The other day I was in a rush and forgot to use "MYCARD" with my $100+ purchase and was charged 7 bucks for shipping. Another time my order came down to $99.80something after a coupon and the free shipping was reneged without me noticing until it was too late.

3. Foot Petals is currently including a free pair of "sexy Socklettes" (a $7 value) with every purchase.

Price for one of each cushion plus free socklette and free shipping, came out to just below $20. Not too bad : ) Review to come when these arrive.