Not a Slave to Fashion but…

December 2, 2008 Nicole Brady

I vividly remember giving my parents grief when I was in junior high about absolutely needing a Forenza sweater or maybe even an Argyle. That’s what all the cool girls had and even most of the not-as-cool girls. At my old school, fashion wasn’t as big of a deal. At this school…very. When I hit high school, I kind of cared but not as much. When they bought me a denim jacket for my birthday, I embraced it. Wasn’t in fashion, but I loved it and that’s what mattered. (I still have it all these years later, too.)

Once my own kids came along, I bought new clothes on sale or gladly shopped at garage sales. Geez, they grow so fast, why not? And when fashion fads come along, I’m just not swayed.

Somehow fate kind of slaps you in the face and says “Wake up.” Through a Family Review Network opportunity, I was able to test out the new Polliwalks shoes. Let me rephrase… I was able to outfit my girls in some totally cool (way beyond cute) shoes. My budding photographer, Miss M, insisted on taking a photo of her new Camo Gators for me! Miss K is the proud new owner of some very flashy, literally, Pink Firefly Polliwalks. As the name implies, the Firefly has a ‘tail’ that lights up.

So what sold me on Polliwalks? Well, once I had them in hand, I saw that they weren’t just flimsy flip flop shoes. They were sturdy with built-in arch support and deep heel cups. They are designed to be fun, but are fitted so kids can actually run and play in them. And how they made my girls’ faces light up… it was heart-warming. They were so excited about them and about showing them to their friends. What I was surprised by is that kids they don’t even know well have walked up and said “I like your flip flops.” or “Those are neat shoes.”I am glad that these shoes crossed our path because they are adorable. While I can’t compare them to other brands because we don’t own any of the other brands, I can honestly say that I’ve never seen any type of molded shoe that is shaped like an animal. Polliwalks current line includes a Puppy, Kitty, Gator, Duck, Frog and Ladybug. Their new Spring styles include the Firefly that we received, along with “Fish Lips”. “Fish Lips” is a fish-shaped sandal with squishy lips that change color when exposed to UV rays!To be fair, the only problem I had with these is finding the right size. Since I’ve never purchased anything like this before, I ordered the same sizes of regular shoes that they wear. Unfortunately, they ran a little bigger than I expected. Bright side is that they should fit perfect when the warm weather hits.

Whether you’re a stingy, go-against-the grain mom like me or a fashion junkie, Polliwalks are worth checking out. Their current line is available at Amazon, other online stores or at select retailers. The new spring styles (Firefly and Fish) are exclusively available for early holiday release at select Dillard’s stores and on Zappos.com. You’ll be able to get your hands on them additional locations in January and February. But if you’re anxious to try these out, here’s your chance!

The Prize