In my wardrobe, I have heaps of tops, skirts, dresses and accessories but when it comes to footwear, I’m a little lost. I do have a selection of nice sensible heels, a couple of quirky shoes but what I really try to get a good range of is simple day wear shoes. My go to shoes for quite a while have been Charlie Stones and I have worn down a few pairs which I’ve since replaced with fresh new ones. Whenever I need a good quality, sturdy day shoe, Charlie Stones are the ones I reach for and I’ve even travelled with them around the world. I was recently contacted by Charlie Stone and was told that they are launching a brand new sister company called Honiara Vintage and then asked if I’d like to test and review a pair. Of course I had to say yes so that’s what we will be doing today!

Honiara Vintage was inspired by living an eternal summer dream through tropical designs inspired by the family heritage of the owners. According to their website, Honiara Vintage highlight the importance of ethics behind such a company and mention that they manufacture their shoes with the same boutique factory in China that they have worked with since day one. Predominantly serving Australian brands, the factory is operated by a small, young and forward-thinking team who Charlie Stone and Honiara Vintage have worked closely with over the years to perfect their designs and ways of working to minimise impact to the environment. They love working with them because of their commitment to maintaining excellence in their work environment, worker conditions and wages, focus on quality and ‘slow manufacturing’ (rather than fast mass productions that create a lot of waste), and consistent updating of equipment and manufacturing techniques to minimise impact on the environment. 

As part of this collaboration, I was kindly gifted a pair of Makira heels in white. The shoes were posted February 19th and they arrived on the 16th of March which, you know, during a pandemic is pretty standard (at least for me living in Australia). The shoes arrived in their gorgeous pink shoe box where they were tucked inside a shoe bag with some paper stuffing to protect the shoes themselves. I really admire how Honiara Vintage (and Charlie Stone) package their shoes with such dedication to minimising waste and their carbon footprint. They have reduced 48% of paper packaging versus the traditional way of packing shoes, only using recycled tissue paper where absolutely necessary to protect the shoes. They also do their best to package all orders in fully compostable mailing bags from noissue.co (who also plant trees in Indonesia on our behalf when we order from them!), or recycled cartons. I really love the drawstring bag that the shoes come in and although I store my shoes in a shoe drawer, these bags become storage for my petticoats but we are getting off topic, back to the shoes.

The Makira shoes are described as the perfect peptone for the summertime pinups and beach babes, with a 2.5″ block heel that keeps you feeling cute and comfortable all day long. They feature a slingback heel and ankle strap, the Makira is a comfortable wide fitting shoe that accommodates most foot types. The shoes at first had quite a strong smell to them but it disappeared within minutes so I’m guessing a month in transit meant they just needed some fresh air. After removing all the packaging, I could finally inspect and admire my new shoes. Honiara Vintage prides themselves on being vegan-friendly meaning that they don’t use leather or other animal derived products in the construction of their shoes. The material used for the Makira shoes is super soft, comfortable and with a slight stretch to it. This made it very comfortable to wear all day with my blisters, pinching or pain.

I am a big fan off the height of the shoe as being quite tall myself, I don’t like to walk around on stilts so the 2.5″ heels is perfect and really comfortable to wear all day. I have taken these shoes out several times since they arrived and my feet have felt supported and comfortable all day. I do have generally wider feet from years of dancing and I personally found these shoes really stretched well to my foot after about the third outing. They are now really comfortable and I look forward to wearing them. I think the simple design of the shoe is really lovely and easy to add to any wardrobe, not just a vintage inspired one. I also was really charmed by the logo being printed on the shoe lining itself in gold, it’s such a little thing but I found it a really nice touch.

The Makira shoes come in sizes 35 to 42 which is a pretty great size range. They also come in other colours including black, red and gold. The Makira’s are the only white shoes that Honiara Vintage currently have for purchase but I am sure as time goes on, more will come up as newer designs are released. Besides the Makira, Honiara also sell the Gizo style shoe which is also a short heeled candle type shoe with thick straps crossing over the front. The Makira shoes retail for $104 AUD which is a pretty decent price for something of this style and quality.

I’m almost a little sad that we are heading into winter as I might not get as much wear as I want over the next few months from these shoes. I know in the warmer months, they will be worn out often. There’s really nothing I would change about these shoes and I can’t think of anything negative to say if I am being honest. These shoes may not be in your budget which I totally understand but I think the quality and comfort of the shoes themselves make the price tag worth it. I know with my Charlie Stone shoes, I’ve worn out my Montpellier shoes as they were worn everyday for several months and even taken on all my trips and holidays. The similar price tag of both of these shoes make me know the worth and the quality you are getting with both Charlie Stone and Honiara Vintage.

I really do recommend Honiara Vintage. I know I’ve only tried one of their shoes but they are flawless and I really want to get another pair, perhaps in the Gizo style. I hope this review was helpful!

Note: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions and thoughts expressed are solely my own and not influenced in any way. There are no affiliate links and I do not benefit from any link clicks or purchases made.