Much like the title says, Valentine’s Day is upon us once more and for some of us it is vital that we pick and choose the correct gifts; not only for ourselves, but for our friends and family as well. No one wants to receive something like a  remote control fart machine when they have no need for one, since these things need to have some serious thought put into them. So, in matters such as this, any advice is appreciated and that’s what we here at Rollasoles aim to do! Take heed in this guide to choosing a suitable Valentine’s Day gift from our select list and may your day turn out to be slightly more special than normal.

Whilst Valentine’s Day may be an important day for some (and a day of much contention for others, no doubt), it’s worthwhile to remember that it’s just one day; it’s not the be all and end all of a relationship, it’s more or less a day in which one is free to exchange gifts with a partner in order to demonstrate how well they know each other by how appropriate/thoughtful each gift is. The moral of the story here is that if you make a mistake, it’s not the end of the world (or at the very least, it shouldn’t be) and if you get it right, then you win all the points. After all, it’s allegedly the thought that counts.

Chocolate

Arguably the go-to gift for Valentine’s Day and naturally, this is a fine idea. Perhaps also unofficially the main source of nutrition and it is totally acceptable to replace all other food intake with an intake solely consisting of chocolate. However, not just any chocolate will do, as no one wants to subsist on a diet comprised of the type of chocolate that comes out of advent calendars (well, not unless you’re into that sort of thing). So make sure that only the finest (or 2^nd or 3^rd finest) types of chocolate(s) is/are considered and the day will proceed without a hitch and with a much higher content of chocolate, which is always good. Various brands of chocolate will often release a limited edition box/selection just for Valentine’s Day and as everyone knows: limited edition things are awesome.

Jewellery

A slightly trickier gift to give, both in terms of physical appearance and in the meaning behind such a token or gesture. How do you know what kind of jewellery to get? Do you get something huge because your partner means the world to you, or would that be deemed as going slightly overboard? Only you can be the judge of just how strong your relationship is and we aim to give you some slight guidance in that matter, we just urge you to err on the side of caution, as jewellery can be mightily expensive!

As we mentioned earlier, it’s the thought that counts, so it would be easier to play it safe and get a small – yet carefully chosen – token of your affection. Perhaps a necklace whose decoration holds some special meaning for you both? Love hearts and love-based engravings are all well and good, but make sure it isn’t like Christmas and reindeer/Santa-decorated garments of clothing, that will then subsequently only come out once a year. You have to be careful, don’t overspend, and choose something with meaning or “heart” behind it. Careful consideration is key!

Shoes

A completely underestimated fallback staple gift; shoes are wondrous in that they are both practical and a fantastic gift. Everyone has a need for them and everyone can appreciate shoes, doubly so when some thought and meaning has gone into the choosing of the shoe itself. Right here at Rollasole, we’ve got something for everyone, a shoe for every taste. Again, choosing a shoe for a partner will illustrate just how well you know them, as it will be an item constantly on display in front of everyone. The right shoe will reflect greatly on both the giver and the receiver, it’s a win-win situation!

Perfume

Another gift that could (and will hopefully) result in a win-win situation for the giver and the receiver of the gift. The giver will choose the perfume based on how they like the fragrance and how they would ideally like their partner to smell, the receiver will also hopefully be charmed by the fragrance and thusly: smiles (or scents) all round! Pay attention to previous tastes/fragrances that your partner has exuded and select a Valentine’s gift based on this prior knowledge to select something similar. Or you could simply opt for a known brand that has been bought before, as this will be a definite in terms of being appreciated, or in other words – it’s a safe bet that a gift that has been received before will be liked again.

Personal

The sweetest presents will always be the hand crafted treasures a silly poem, a doodle from the heart, a lovingly prepared meal, or why not log onto www.innocentdrinks.co.uk and personalise your own Innocent Smoothie? As long as you’re putting some thought into I’m sure it will be gratefully received.

Whether your alone, with friends or a loved one have a fantastic Valentines day – Love The Rollasole Team

Now, we’ve had to carefully select a handful of extra special stores to stock our sole saving shoes before the big roll out to the rest of them so check the list below to find your nearest Rollasole selling Next!

Why not give us a shout once you’ve got some to let us know what you think? Either leave a comment, hit us up on FaceBook or send us a Tweet, we’re @Rollasole!

Head over to the Holly in Heels blog for your chance to bag yourself some shimmery, chic, rollable pumps!

1) Toilets: When you’ve gotta go, gravitate towards the long drops (if they indeed exist at your festival)…generally there’s less of a queue and at least they’re open top so the aroma of rotting corpse blended with regurgitated cat’s arse has room to escape. If portaloos are your only option, go armed with a cheap bottle of body spray and dispatch liberally before entry. Wipes and disinfecting hand wash are essential. Don’t be too cocky though, nothing is danger free. I’ll never forget the splash back on my first day that made me want to run home to the shower.

2) Getting there: for the big events, leave stupidly early or ridiculously late – stuck in non-moving traffic jam when you’re literally 200 yards from the action is excruciating. Irregular timing is key.

3) Car to ideal camping spot: Pack light and be inventive. Use your Granddad’s almost defunct wheelbarrow for transporting your goods – leave the matching luggage at home.

4) Camping: Trying to find your home amongst 50,000 identikit 2-man Asda tents at 4am is no fun – whether it’s a colourful flag or a pair of soiled kacks, make it stand out so you’re sure you’re stumbling into the right one.

5) There’s little room for luxuries, so be inventive. A big chosty jumper will make a good make-shift pillow. And there was one year where we found a paddling pool, and old tent poles. We just added water and a few puffs of breath down the tubes et voila, our very own foot spa. Kind of. Oh and ladies, please don’t bother with the full make-up and perfect hair. It makes you look ridiculous.

Here's me au natural!

6) Explore – Don’t always follow the throng – every year festivals are becoming more diverse, so wander off the beaten track and find a hidden gem (no-one does unique hideaway magical moments quite like Glastonbury – it’s like Alice in Wonderland with mud).

7) Bring some munchies – Festival food is notoriously overpriced. Save some cash and pack some fillers for when hunger strikes and you just can’t be arsed to move. Cereal bars should hit the spot.

8 ) Packing for the day – Choose one sucker daily whose job it is to carry around a small nap sack with the essentials. In addition to the standard wet wipes, sun cream and munchies, fold up a ground sheet big enough for a few to sit on. When your legs feel like lead after 8 hours of marching in mud, you’ll be glad of the portable rest area.

9) Don’t Chase Bands – As nice as it would be to see all your favourites, it’s impossible to appreciate the whole set if you’re pegging it from one stage to the other and catching the last couple songs at the back of the tent. Highlight a couple of favourites, but try and soak up the atmosphere on one stage for a couple of hours at a time. One of my all time favourite memories was a prime spot at the Pyramid stage at Glasto in the sunshine, cider(s) in hand, for the duration of 3 acts on a Sunday afternoon. Call me lazy, but it was pretty immense.

10) Ignore all of the above – the best thing about festivals is the unpredictable joy, charm and chaos of getting lost in a small community of music lovers. Being too organised can take the fun out of it.  Go with the flow and let the magical festival moments find you; sing loudly, smile foolishly and dance like no one’s watching.

You”ll all have your own though so please help us and the rest of our Rollasoldiers out by leaving a comment with your top tips!

The Snook limped in this morning with a bbq / Corona / new flip-flops related injury and has vowed never to wear such perilous footwear ever again. ‘The ironic thing is,’ she says, ‘I’d taken my Rollasoles out of my bag that morning thinking I wouldn’t need them.’ The Snook has re-sworn her allegiance to Rollasole and will never leave them behind again. But that has got us discussing the best ways to break in summer shoes. Send us your tips!

The office is also buzzing today with the Rollasoldiers discussing the various festivals we will be going – Glastonbury, T in the Park, and Bestival are popular ones with us. There is a big debate going on as to what festival essentials we should take with us; and also whether we should invest in Argos shares following the number of tents we’ve bought between us in the last two weeks! Suncream (P20 is saviour for anyone with Celtic blood), sandals, wellies, babywipes, sunglasses, make-up, party dress, day clothes, sleeping bag, and tent. We are currently divided 50/50 as to who buys food when they get there and who takes food with them. And there is the alcohol ratio per person to consider as well. How much is too much? And what about our beloved iPhones? Hmmm, iPhone so pretty. One Rollasoldier confessed to taking his iPhone to Glasto last year and losing it in one of the latrines on the third day. We need your advice!

Disagree? Look at the backlash by women last year when the Trade Union Congress suggested female workers should sport ‘sensible shoes’ no more than an inch high to avoid injuries and long-term foot and back problems. Even Tory MP Nadine Dorries wrote in her blog that the extra height heels give women help when in the workplace.

“I’m 5ft 3in and need every inch of my Christian Louboutin heels to look my male colleagues in the eye,” she said. “If high heels were banned in Westminster, no one would be able to find me.”

To the relief of millions of women the union didn’t pass the motion, although I think this is more down to the cost of carrying out risk assessments in thousands of businesses across the UK than for women’s health reasons. Either that or the thought of umpa-lumpa’s scurrying around offices put them off. Many occupations such as shop assistants and airline staff have to wear heels as part of their work dress code. Who doesn’t want to be served by some svelte thing in tottering heels at 50,000 feet? But there comes a point when we need to give our feet a rest, which is why Rollasoles are a godsend.

Being able to slip out of heels after a long day at the office or a long night at the club and put on some gorgeous flats to walk home is one of those sweet rare moments of life. A simple pleasure!

As always we welcome your comments so let us know what you think…

There is a whirlwind of debates on t’internet about the psychological effects behind wearing high heels. History suggests that essentially ladies wear them to be sexy. So even though there are a gazillion other factors that go into picking the perfect outfit, on an basic evolutionary level it’s to attract a mate, procreate, rear those children and then stick heels on them to send off to their first prom and so it goes on.

Research shows that heels elongates the leg, straightens the posture (thus pushing out the chest) and lifts your bum. It’s an evolutionary instinct for us blokes to appreciate that, the same reason subconsciously we like bright eyes, big lips and certain waste to hip ratio, these are all signs of youth fertility in women and the caveman in us says “me likey!”.

I’m not suggesting that every time you throw on your heels you are being directly motivated by your hungry womb, my Nan and the Queen still wear heels for example and they’re in no rush to join the baby boom.  However, maybe over the hundreds of years of high heels being culturally linked to sexiness and self confidence, heels are sub-consciously linked to a woman’s natural drive to procreate.

Or maybe not…now more than ever woman dress for themselves or to stand out from their female peers. Individuality and originality is King (or Queen) and modern day style icons like Alexa Chung or Agnes Deane pioneer  effortless tom-boy chic (and  often stepping out in flats). They come from an increasing movement of celebrated stylish females who don’t seem to be conforming to conventional ‘sexiness’ dictated by your average ‘Nuts’ reader.

What d’you think? High heels for a quick and harmless boost of self confidence or linked to an ancient primal drive to keep the human race alive…If you lived in a world without men, would heels even exist, or would you run the world in Ugg boots? Leave us a comment and let us know what you think. You could even complete our 2 minute survey if you’re feeling that way inclined.

As my day to day style is usually best described ‘scruff bag chic’, (dubbed from an early age as Tatty Matty) the prestige of a ‘Cosmo’ event made me a surprisingly self conscious about scrubbing up. In the end I decided on a jeans, shirt ,tie combo with a dashing men’s sleeveless cardigan (later dubbed the ‘Mandigan’) I weathered the first bout of ‘mandigan’ p*ss taking from Asa, and we made our way to Kensington Roof Top Gardens.

The Snook was stuck in heavy traffic, but in no uncertain terms told us to get in there and ‘network our asses off’. The venue was filled 98% glamorous woman (plus me, Asa and a friendly gay chap) a veritable who’s who of the big High St fashion buyers, PR agencies, models, and fashion journalists all gathered in knowing circles, trading ideas and gossip, so we had to make our presence known.

Asa and I stood for a few minutes like lemons, each one waiting for the other to go and start schmoozing with the beautiful people. At that moment, a glamorous Director from Cosmopolitan beckoned me over to her group. Playing it cool, I gave Asa a condescending ‘Brent-like’ pat on the back saying “skuse me mate, she probably recognises me from one of my TV appearances, you hang back, this is big boy stuff”.

I strutted over, ready to start schmoozing, before she quickly shattered my dream saying “excuse me, some of these people have been waiting over 10 minutes for a drink, can you get this organised!” I smiled uncomfortably and it soon dawned her that I wasn’t a waiter. I was hoping to slip away, lose the ‘mandigan’ and never speak of this again, but it was too late, Asa had followed me, and was already creased over in stitches behind me, it had become a ‘lol’ fest.

The day got much better, we met some amazing fashionista’s and industry types; we did some heavy duty ‘air kissing’ and came away with of lots of new ideas. The Rollasoles in the goody bags went down a storm too so we’ll be working with Cosmo again very soon. I will however not stray too far from my usual jeans and t-shirt, in the immortal words of Starsky and Hutch “don’t pretend to something you’re not, just be who you are, THATS what’s really cool”.

Catch up soon Rollasoldiers.

Matt

We teamed up with L’Oreal Paris to provide two of our vending machines, which we co-branded, along with a bunch of beautiful bespoke Rollasoles for the guests of the official Golden Globes after party. Check out the funky machine:

We were already really chuffed with ourselves for being asked to get involved in such a prestigious event and any opportunity to get another squiggle in my autograph book will always be jumped at but we were especially pleased with the feedback we received from the hosts of the party and more importantly the guests who used the machine and wore our Rollas.

I’m not going to lower myself to name-dropping-smugness* but so far we know that Christian Slater got some for his good lady and was very complimentary, Vanessa Ray had a pair, Ashley Greene wore hers on the red carpet and Scarlett Johansson and her chums came back twice!

*As if you wouldn’t do the same.

We have a few other exciting projects in the pipeline so be sure to keep checking back here for more news on other upcoming events at which we feature as well as subscribing to our Facebook, Twitter, Bebo, MySpace and YouTube pages for more information!

If any of you guys and gals hear of any other celebs that wore our Rollasoles let us know!

PS – If anyone can let me know who Vanessa Ray is I’d be grateful….

All the best

Asa