Shoes everywhere! Secret Shop Large-Sized Tea Party Replicas, and Bodyline Rockinghorse Shoe Review

As I mentioned in my last post, I’ve been very sick for the last few weeks. Today I was feeling better though, and I decided to try on and review some of the shoes that I purchased recently.

Secret Shop Tea Party Shoes (Large-Size)

My birthday was this month, and for my present my darling mother purchased three pastel coloured pairs of Secret Shop Tea Party Shoes for me! I went ahead and purchased myself two more pairs so that I’d have them in every colour they currently make in L-sizes, but I was really worried about the sizing. I’ve tried on Angelic Pretty tea-parties, and regular sized Secret Shop replicas, but they have always been about 5cm too small for my feet.

Luckily for me, the shoes fit well. I purchased them in a 3L, which is supposed to be 25.5cm. My foot happens to be exactly 25.5cm, and they fit with a little bit of room to spare. Mind you, my big toe is also my longest, so if your second or third toe is the longer than your big toe, you may have different results. For the most part the shoes are comfortable, but I don’t think it would hurt to add a little padding to the insoles for long days. I’ve never owned shoes from Angelic Pretty, but the one’s I’ve owned from Baby the Stars Shine Bright definitely have a bit more padding to them, and are very comfortable for extended wear.

My favorite part about these shoes is the fact that they are made from a nice smooth material and feature a round toe. I have owned Tea Party Replicas from An*tai*Na, and the toes are always very square, which makes me feel like a duck. I also love that the bows are wider than the shoe itself, which makes my feet look very petite and cute, even though they’re actually quite large!

Another big plus is that the colour in the shoes are even, particularly in the red. I have never seen brand shoes with blotchy colour, but I have purchased red shoes from Bodyline (heart buckles) and An*Tai*Na (Tea Parties) that were not dyed correctly, and had very uneven colouring.

I have heard rumors that Secret Shop shoes are made in the same factory as Angelic Pretty shoes. These do feature the same cute polkadot insoles that you see in some Angelic Pretty shoes, but the replicas I received definitely do look different from the ones I’ve tried on in the Angelic Pretty shop, particularly where the bows on the toe and heel are concerned. Regardless, I still feel as though they were an excellent purchase for the price.

As of right now, I would give them a 4.5/5. I do wish that maybe there was a little bit more padding, but if these hold up as well as my Baby the Stars Shine Bright shoes have (three years!) then I’d probably give them a 5/5.

Bodyline Rose Clip Rocking Horse Shoes

Rocking Horse shoes are probably one of my favorite kinds of lolita shoe. I love the height, I love the simplicity, and I love the contrast of the wood-sole with the rest of the shoe. I’ve owned RHS from Montreal, An*Tai*Na, and Yosuke, all of which have been well worn and well loved. Until recently, my favorite shoes have definitely been my An*Tai*Na Ruffle Rocking Horse Shoes, but I haven’t been able to wear them as often as I used too, because clunky platforms aren’t really appropriate for my daily life, and they don’t work well with my daily wardrobe. After falling ill, they’ve became too heavy for me, and they’ve just been collecting dust while I choose flats every week instead.

I’ve been curious about Bodyline’s RHS for quite some time now. Most of the RHS that they carry feature some kind of strap across the front, which is something that I like a lot. Unlike traditional RHS that are secured around the ankle, these are secured around the top of your foot, which makes them easy to walk in because they don’t put a lot of pressure on my weak ankles!

I would have ordered them sooner, but as usual, Bodyline was out of my size. Recently however, they uploaded this version of their RHS to their punk section. Since I was on a shoe-buying kick, I decided to place an order for them in every color as well. I purchased them in a 255, and they fit my 25.5 cm foot exactly. In my experience, Bodyline’s shoe sizing is not consistent, but I feel that these are true to size. I would recommend measuring your foot, and purchasing the size that is equal to your foot in CM, or the size higher if your measurement is slightly over.

As far as quality goes, I would definitely have to say that the shoes appear well made, and they are easy to walk in. The soles are made of foam (thank god) so they aren’t too heavy, and don’t make a ridiculous clop-clop sound while I’m walking around. They are much nicer than the RHS that I’ve owned from Montreal, much easier to walk in than the ones I’ve owned from Yosuke, but not quite as comfortable as the RHS I own from An*Tai*Na. They don’t have any padding along the arch, so if you need support you may need to purchase insoles. Also, as I mentioned before, my big toe is the longest, and since these have a slightly pointed toe instead of a rounded one, they aren’t quite as roomy as I’d prefer. If your toes are different, you will probably have better luck.

Lastly, The flower clip on them is… cheap. I definitely prefer my the flower clips that came with my Yosuke RHS. I do like the lace detailing on the shoes however - it is done very neatly and lies flat against the shoe instead of peeling up. I’ve had that problem with some TaoBao shoes I’ve purchased in the past.

All in all, I’d give the shoes a 3.5/5, which would be upgraded to a 4/5 if they last me over two years with consistant use. The flower clips are cheap looking, and the shoes aren’t quite as comfortable as my An*tai*na shoes. However, they do feature the cross front straps that I was looking for, and the materials and lace details are pretty nice. At 40USD each pair, I don’t feel like they were a bad purchase, and if they hold up well, I’m sure they’ll be a good addition to my wardrobe.

So Ducklings, what do you think? Do you have experience with either of these brands? This is my first Secret Shop purchase, and I am very pleased! And, while I would not usually recommend Bodyline for shoes or bags because of my previous experiences with their quality (I’ve owned bags that broke within 30minutes of using, and shoes so uncomfortable I had to removed them after an hour of wearing!) , I do feel like these shoes are good for the price.

Yours,

Rosie