last week was my birthday,

so in true louise-style I decided to treat myself to a new pair of birthday shoes

having been wearing these cheap and cheerfuls for the last year,

they are well past their use

(falling apart while wearing is not a good look)

 as my first purchase with this blog in mind I thought I would try out

ethical-purcahse-without-any-research-tactic

(to see if it's possible to wing it and guess what the most ethical/sustainable purchase is)

here are the two competitors,

my thoughts on each:

Keds

wanted a pair of these for years

SO cute!

(I'm blaming Taylor Swift for making them look so good with a summer dress)

no idea about ethics?!?

Toms

the obvious ethical choice

(oneforone: http://www.toms.co.uk/our-movement/l)

amazing array of colours - love the red ones!

(but not in stock in my size)

surprisingly comfortable - really cushioned compared to my cheap knock-offs

The decision was difficult,
and I pity the poor shop assistant who had to listen to me compare;
The Keds were winning on looks while the Toms were winning on gut instinct,

had the Toms been in stock in red they would have had a better chance

(impatient, I know!)

The deciding factor was durability.
I figured that the Keds would last longer so I left the store happy with my choice.

However...

After thinking about it for a week,
I took the Keds back on 2 accounts:

1.
They are NOT comfortable
(I can do uncomfortable with heels but not in flats)

2.
I did a little research and discovered no information about the ethics of Keds,
but found out that as well as giving a pair of shoes to a child in need for ever pair bought,
Toms has a well thought out corporate responsibility policy
and
those who receive Toms shoes (and eye care) often receive education on hygiene and healthy behaviors  

So the moral of the story is
do your research!

Next time I'll be doing my research before hitting the shops so I'm better equipped to make the right decision.