I think I just got caught up in "Chanel-toxicity" and went all light headed!

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I still can’t quite believe I own these shoes!  I feel like I’m eating my words right about now because I wrote a blogpost in the summer saying I didn’t love them and could never justify spending that sort of money on a “trend item” (read it HERE) and yet here they are on my feet! So, what happened?!  To be honest, I have no good excuse or explanation.

I was in Terminal 5 at Heathrow airport where they have the most amazing Chanel boutique.  Despite these being sold out everywhere they just happened to have them in stock, so out of interest I tried them on which somehow led to me saying yes, handing my credit card over and walking out the boutique with them.  I think I just got caught up in “Chanel-toxicity” and went all light headed!

Now that I have them I thought I’d share an honest review of 2016’s hottest shoe.

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I have the classic slingback style with the 65mm/2.5″ heel in the original two-tone beige leather with a black grosgrain toe.  Chanel has since added various alternative styles and colours including flats, metallic leather and even tweed versions.

Wearability

One of the reasons these have become such a popular style over the last couple of seasons is their versatility.  They can be worn casual with denim, elegant with dresses or sophisticated with tailored trousers.  Pretty much whatever you pair with them, they’ll look on point.  During the winter I’ve been wearing mine with tights and it’s great to be able to get wear out of them across the seasons.

I found the sizing of these comes up a tiny touch on the large side.  I usually wear a 36/36.5 and although I have the 36 in these I could probably do with a 35.5.

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If they’re ever so slightly too big the slingback doesn’t stay up.  I found every 5 steps I had to pull the strap back up which not only made them a constant faff but also very uncomfortable as I was constantly having to clench my feet in an attempt to keep the strap in place.  Thankfully, I managed to rectify it with one of those half gel insoles and now they fit fine.

However, if you are thinking of buying a pair, make sure you’re 100% happy with the size.  My best advice is to walk around the entire boutique at least twice to see how they fit before you say yes!

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Quality

Obviously, with Chanel you know you’re going to get the best of the best as quality is at the forefront of everything they do.  The goatskin leather is buttery soft and it really moulds to your feet.  The elasticated slingbacks (providing you have the right size) really hug the back of your foot and I don’t get the impression the elastic will give or start to sag.

Having said that considering this is a “wear with anything and everything” sort of shoe, I don’t feel they wear that well.  I’ve only worn mine on a couple of times and because of the very fragile sole, they looked very worn, very quickly.  The sole is similar to an unfinished leather or suede and it just doesn’t seem to hold up very well against London city pavements.

Also, don’t even think about wearing these in the rain! On my first outing, I got caught in some light rain and I got major water stains across the entire sole, making them look pretty worse for wear considering they’d only been on my feet for a couple of hours.

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Price

The one saving grace to the exorbitant price tag is I got mine at Duty-Free so I did save some money on them.  Having said that they were still an eye-watering £495 and I think prices have gone up further since then.

One word of advice is if you’re looking for something particular from the likes of Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, etc. and you’re flying soon, it’s always worth giving the boutiques at the airport a call beforehand to see if they have what you’re after in stock.  Savings can be in the £100s so it’s definitely worth it.  If you’re flying Heathrow Terminal 5 you could even give their complimentary personal shopping team a call and they’ll put items aside for you till you get to the airport.

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This is quite a historical shoe, it was first launched by Coco Chanel in 1957.  When Karl Lagerfeld decided to bring it back for AW15, he did so with a bang and they’ve been on the feet of every blogger and starlet ever since.

At this point in time, I can’t quite work out if these are going to be a classic or a fashion fad.  I fear the latter, simply because they have been so overhyped the last year but then again, I thought the same about the Valentino Rockstuds and they continue to reign in the shoe style stakes.

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Outfit details: Skirt – Needle & Thread (find HERE on SALE) | Tee – H&M (find HERE) | Knit – I Love Mr Mittens (find HERE) | Shoes – Chanel (find HERE & HERE) | Bag – Chanel (find HERE & HERE) | Necklace – Zinny’s Box (find HERE)

If I’m honest I do regret getting caught up in the moment and buying them.  Unless you’re head over heels in love with these and you know you’ll get your cost per wear, I think you’re better spending such a sizable amount of money elsewhere.  I realise I’m going against the grain as most people are raving about these but I can’t help but think they’re a fashion fad.  If you’re happy to wear shoes for just a season or two then my reasoning won’t apply to you but if you want to invest in something you can wear for the next decade, I don’t think these are it.  To be honest, the leather is so soft and the suede soles are so absorbent, I’m not sure they’d even last a decade anyway!

Don’t forget you can also keep up with me on Instagram @thatnewdress, Twitter @thatnewdress, Bloglovin That New Dress, Snapchat thatnewdress and Depop @dominiquew.

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48 Responses to “Review: Chanel Slingbacks”

  1. I’m sorry you feel that you got caught up in the moment with these shoes and are fearful they will only last a few season. In all honesty, I think these will be a classic pair that you can wear for years to come! It’s all about how you style them. As long as the rest of your outfit is up to date I think you can’t go wrong with these beauties!

    xoxo Rina Samantha
    http://www.andshedressed.com

  2. What a cool, honest review! It is so great to know exactly how an iconic shoe like your Chanel slingback holds up in real life. I love the fact that they are an actual 1957 Chanel shoe. I too have been of the same mind, not wanting to spend on something that COULD be a short-lived trend. However, their historical nature is cool – I can see how you were smitten. By the way, I’ve also picked up shoes (and sunglasses) in airports – such a great way to trim a little off the price tag.
    xo, janea
    http://www.theSTYLetti.com

  3. I’m so glad you think they’re timeless because I was a bit worried they’d be out of fashion in a few seasons. Thank you for the lovely comment and stopping by the blog hun xx

  4. It’s recommended that you take designer shoes like these to the cobbler to add a rubber matching sole. This would extend the life and looks of your Chanels. Hope that helps. 🙂

  5. Those are gorgeous on you! (Love that cozy green sweater, too.) And this post was so well-written and helpful. I stumbled on it, because I’m considering buying this exact shoe all the way in the future year of 2018 haha! So I guess they stayed fashionable. (I know what you mean about the Valentinos, but I think I like these better. They seem a little more comfortable and functional.) I’ve been seeing them on various bloggers, but it was seeing an elegant woman wearing them in real life that was the kicker. They are even more stunning in person! And the block heel looks comfortable. I was worried about sizing, but this post helped me figure that out. Excellent! So happy I discovered your blog!!

    Izzy
    http://www.IsabellaDavid.com
    IG @IsabellaDavidVintage

  6. thatnewd

    Indeed they have stayed fashionable! In fact, I actually like them a lot more now than I did back then, hehe! So happy to hear this post was helpful. xx

  7. Great review. I’ve been eyeing this slingbacks for a while now and can’t stop thinking about it. But I just can’t decide what size to choose from. Should I go with EU 36.5 or EU 37? I don’t have any Chanel shoes to refer it to either. My true US size is 6.5 if measured. I looked at this standard conversion online, and US 6.5 is equivalent to EU 37. However, the problem is that this one forum suggested to size down by .5. And when I contacted Chanel live chat customer service in its US website, the advisor said that their slingbacks are true to size. I need to know what size I need that would fit me right without trying it on in person. There’s no Chanel boutique in my state and couldn’t leave at the moment either. But I have a friend who will be in another State that has a Chanel boutique and she’s the one who’s going to buy it for me. Does the slingback really run that big?

  8. I have a 36 which is my usual size but I found the slingback slipped down my foot a lot so I had to add a gel insole. I would generally advise half a size down especially if you have a narrow foot. I hope that helps hunny xx

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