Shoe button stress

Remember the Irregular Choice 'Sky Fox' blue unicorn shoe debacle? Here's a reminder and development.

Back in May, my Mum ordered them as an early birthday pressie for me online (I love unicorns, so they were my dream shoes) and when they came they fitted fine, but the strap wouldn't do up. I had to admit it was unlikely I would ever get them to fasten, so I sent them back for refund. Schuh then got stock of the same style in black or gold (no unicorns unfortunately), but I was able to try them instore at least (I had it in mind to then order the blue pair online again in the bigger size if they fitted). However the size 6 were too big, but remarkably the 5 fitted and did up perfectly. I figured it was because the strap and button had been more used than the brand new, un-tried-on pair I got online.

So I was all excited and bought the black pair and decided to order the size 5 blue pair again and see if a little manipulation and stretching could make them fit. The original place I bought them from had them in the sale and had sold out of the 5's, so I bought them from the Irregular Choice website, who coincidently had theirs in the sale too for £38.75. Jammy bargain, or so I thought.

They arrive today and I ooh and aah over them, I then unfasten them to try them on and the button comes off in my hand. The metal link broke off the button, so there's the elastic on the shoe and button on the floor! Now I have to go to the expense of sending them back (deja vu anyone?) for an exchange. I'm now paranoid about getting another pair and the same happening again or else the button coming off my black pair.

Owning the amount of shoes I do, it's easy to pick up on design faults. I personally hate these elasticated buttons. I don't think they are robust enough in shoe design, as pretty as they may look. I can never decide if the designers have it in mind that you can put the shoe on without taking the button out (usually pretty impossible in my opinion) or if they expect you to fiddle with the fastening each and every time you try them on. I've been trying to avoid shoes with this feature preferring to go for more reliable buckles instead. So in the mission to find unicorn shoes, it's been rather costly and I still don't have the perfect pair!