Hello Ladies and Gentlemen. Just a few months ago I decided to buy some Simple shoes. My friend, SuperForester Ashley, has had a pair for some time, but my feet couldn’t fit comfortably enough for me to warrant stealing them, so I picked up a pair. Here they are:
Don’t ask me why, but they named this model “Tuba“. It’s more of a “French Horn” if you ask me… (rimshot!). They are very comfortable. The toe and heel cap used to be inner tubes (presumably saved from a landfill), the bottom is fashioned from a recycled car tire (I’m not sure if it’s intentional, but you can still see “remnants” of the tire’s tread), the internal and external linings are organic cotton, and the laces are made from recycled PET (plastic soda bottles). One thing that caught my attention was their smell out of the box. Being vegan shoes, no petroleum based adhesive was used, and it’s apparent in the odor of the shoe (new, not used!). They smell like the sum of their parts: cotton, plastic, tire, and not at all like alcohol or gasoline. All in all, these are great, comfortable shoes.
My only beef is with the laces. Being recycled plastic, the fibers don’t like to grip eachother, and a single knot is often not enough to hold them together. Nothing a double knot can’t fix, however. It’s a very minor issue, and the environmental benefits are enough to outweigh the extra 3 seconds it takes to do another bunny ear. They are great for walking about the city or riding a bike, not to mention more comfortable and supportive than your everyday Vans or Converse.
Onto our next item:
About a week ago Simple Shoes launched a new offer: become one of the first 5000 people to become their “fan” on Facebook, and you get a coupon code for 25% off your next order. Seemed easy enough, so I did it. I used the coupon code to buy this Hangover (don’t ask me!) backpack. Granted, it’s a little bit pricey, but I think it makes up for it in terms of quality and materials.
The casing, lining, and most other accents are organic cotton. I didn’t realize it at the time of purchase, but there are small little “eco-certified” leather pieces around the magnetic latches on the main closure. Personally I think “eco friendly” and “leather” are two words that don’t go together, but it’s something I’m willing to overlook because they’re really small strips.
There are a few small pockets, one very suitable for a calculator and pencil bag, one that fits my 20 oz. Sigg aluminum bottle very snugly, and one that magnetically snaps closed, probably for a cell phone. The main enclosure is of medium size. It seems to be perfect for a laptop, a binder, and maybe two small paperback books. It’s not very big, but it’s practical. I tried fitting my 17 inch laptop in the padded section, and it wouldn’t fit at all (the website says the bag is only 16.25 inches in height). I tried my mom’s 15 incher and it fit snugly in the pouch, but the velcro strap wouldn’t fit over the top. Small oversight. It still fits snugly enough for me to be confident it won’t go anywhere.
Simple put a cool little innovation in for the laptop users, a cool zipper in the back of the pack that leads directly to the laptop pouch:
I’m looking forward to using the bag in the coming school year, and probably most of my college days. If price is an issue, consider that it’ll probably last twice as long as any 50 dollar bag. It’s very sturdy. Thanks for reading! Check out Simple Shoe’s website HERE. Maybe you’ll find something you like.
I hope you have a great day.
Love,
Chris
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