HELP!WHERE’S HOCOCO?

Transporting you to 1959

NAME THATSHOE

Summer 2010

club

Get set forsummer

ENTER OUR exclusive READER COMPETITIONS INSIDE

WelcomeSummer is here at last! We’re looking forward to holidays,barbeques and summer picnics – and we hope you are too (just don’t mention the British weather).

In this edition, we’ve taken inspiration from TV for our Over theRainbow feature – as a fan of red shoes I realised how many differentruby red options we had in our current range. Once we started talkingabout shoe colours we were amazed to realise what a huge variety ofcolours we were offering in our Spring range – so much choice so littlewardrobe space!

Your 1959 memories have inspired more interest too. You’ll find a fewof our favourites on page 5; and we discovered that the President ofthe British Beekeeping Association lives close to our Lancashirefactory, so I spent a very interesting afternoon with him finding outexactly why bees are so important to us all – and why we need to helpthem survive and thrive.

Look out for our competitions – as usual we’ve crammed lots in tokeep you busy – and don’t forget to keep in touch with your stories andphotos. Have a great summer and whatever you do, do it comfortably!

Best wishes

Melanie KillileaEditor – Comfort Club

Last year, we ran a competition toname a shoe and Pandora was thewinning name suggested by KatrinaDavidson, Inverness. It was obviousyou all loved this competition as wewere inundated with suggestions,so we have decided to ask you toname another shoe. Send yourentries to the usual Hotter addressor to weloveshoes@hotter.comand tell us why your chosen name should win. If your entry is selected you will also win a pair once in production, so get your thinking caps on!

Name that shoe

Spot Hococo! Help us find Hococo*, he’s hiding somewhere in Comfort Club! If you can find him you can be in with a chance of winning £50 giftvouchers. Send your answer to the usual Hotter address or toweloveshoes@hotter.com by July 7th 2010. * Not including this one

ALL SHOES FEATURED ARE AVAILABLE AT WWW.HOTTER.COM2

*

Pandora - AvailableAutumn 2010

3

Our summer collection is bursting with a wealth ofdazzling hues, muted metallics and perfect pastels – sothere’s a beautifully comfortable option whatever yourfavourite shade.

Wherever your summer travels take you - whether homeor abroad, walking on beaches, through towns - or evenalong long and winding (yellow brick - just like Dorothy)roads, we've a shoe or sandal for every occasion. Weeven have a selection of ruby reds if the fancy takes you!

Over the rainbow Looking at the amazing rainbow of colours in our latest collection you could beforgiven for thinking that our design team have had a trip to Oz!

Ruby Shoes-day COMPETITION:

Win any pair of Hotter shoes by simply identifyingtwo of the five ruby red styles we feature here.

Send your entry to the usual address.

Shoes from left to rightDizzy, Timor, Breeze, Etna,

Timor, Bailey, Mango,Candice, Energise, Breeze

4 ALL SHOES FEATURED ARE AVAILABLE AT WWW.HOTTER.COM

Why not visit one of our new stores thissummer and you could be in with a chanceof winning a £20 Hotter gift voucher.

The first 20 people to take their copy ofComfort Club into one of these three newstores will win this special prize, good luck!

Ceri, originally from South Wales joinedHotter this year to manage our newChichester store. Ceri told Comfort Club

her favourite thing to do at Hotter “is helping customersfind a good pair of comfortable shoes”. One shoe Ceriwould recommend is “Dizzy because they are socomfortable and come in a range of colours.” When she is not at the Chichester store, Ceri likes to read horror books and divulge in her hidden talent, interior design.

Chichester Store Facts Location: 87-88 North StreetDay the store opened: 1st April 2010Bestselling style: Easy

Meet Julie, who joined Hotter in Marchwhose favourite holiday destination isTunisia. Next time she visits she is

planning to wear a pair of our very feminine lookingGrace, the best sandal Julie thinks Hotter have evermade! Her favourite thing to do when she has time toherself is to relax by reading a good novel however whenshe is managing her new store her favourite thing to do issell, sell, sell to many happyHotter customers.

Bromley Store Facts Location: 128 High StreetDay the store opened: 14th April 2010Bestselling style: Candice

Finally, please meet Janette, who joinedHotter in February, and is originally from Oakham,Rutland the country’s smallest county. We asked Janettewhat invention makes her life most comfortable, she toldus “the telephone because you can keep up to date andin touch with people no matterhow far away they are.” Janettethinks “the best Hotter shoewe’ve ever made is Charlestonbecause I can wear it all day atwork and then go out in theevening and not have to worryabout looking good and feelingcomfortable all at once.”

Eastbourne Store Facts Location: Unit 16, The Arndale CentreDay the store opened: 25th February 2010Bestselling style: Easy, Shake and Dizzy.

Ceri Ansen, Chichester Janette Calverley,Eastbourne

Julie Jobe, Bromley

COMPETITION:

Hotter hits the high streetWe’ve been busy opening Hotter stores – and the great news is there’s more in thepipeline. You’ll find our newest stores in Bromley, Chichester and Eastbourne, andwhat better way to introduce them to you than with a few words from their managers...

5

of 1959memories

Hotter was founded in 1959 which,of course, is a very special year forus but we found out its special forlots of you too. We asked ourreaders to share their memories ofthis year and were delighted withtheir stories – here are a few...

The HappyCoupleJoan and John Bracegirdlemarried in September, 1959.However in November thatyear, John was called up for twoyears national service in theR.A.F, the newlywed’s newneighbours had decided Johnhad left Joan, deeming it theshortest marriage ever. How wrong they were, becauselast year the happily marriedcouple celebrated their GoldenWedding anniversary.

My new shoesIn 1959, Wilma Duf

fy from Westlothian was 17

years old and had just left senior seco

ndary

school. Shortly after, she began work a

s a

shorthand/typist, and with her first wa

ge bought

a pair of shoes.

Wilma’s new purchase was a pair of p

ale grey,

brogue style ‘winkle pickers’ with a na

rrow heel,

which she soon discovered made her

feet very

sore, however she felt in style at last! W

ilma told

Comfort Club “I learned my lesson qui

te quickly

and have now been wearing Hotter sh

oes for

many years.”

Our NewArrivals

We’re planning to create a memory box of all your1959 memories, so please keep sending them intothe usual address or to weloveshoes@hotter.com.We’ll keep you informed on our progress.

your

August 1959 was a very eventful time for MrsMethven from Kent and a time sheremembers well. Mrs Methven had just hadher baby at home, and the following morningher husband was introducing the family dogto their new arrival, she quickly told him“careful, she’ll be getting ideas.”

Two days later to their complete surprise,their dog had given birth to three puppies,completely upstaging the new arrival!

Nowadays you’ll find it hard to find a honey bee in thewild in the UK, despite the fact that these amazing insects are responsible for 90% of the pollination of the

British apple crop each year ... and that’s just astart for one of nature’s most industrious

insects because fruit, herbs, vegetablesand crops, in fact one third of the foodswe eat rely on honey bees for pollination.

Between 1985 and 2005 there was a 50 % decline inhoney bee colonies, and from November 2008 to April2009 nearly one in five honey bee colonies were lostmainly due to the varroa mite that has become endemicacross the UK colonies. The British BeekeepersAssociation is leading the drive to raise awareness of theplight of the honey bee and turn around this decline.Comfort Club met BBKA President Martin Smith at hisSkelmersdale home to find out more.“It’s not all bad news, as thanks to the education andcampaigning work we’ve been undertaking, the numberof beekeepers in the UK increased by 25% last year - butthere is a long way to go,” said Martin, whose wifeintroduced him to the craft 25 years ago. “People take upthe hobby for a number of reasons – some want to help

Win!The BBKA has kindly offered two

free beehive adoptions to Hottercustomers, to win this lovely prizefor yourself or a friend simply send youranswer to the following question to the usual address.

Q. How many worker bees are there are in anaverage colony?

6

Bee Aware• Bees fly up to three miles from

their hives from April to October• They fly 12 feet above the ground

at 18 miles per hour• A bee will forage for about 40 minutes to fill its

honey stomach or pollen sacks• The nectar collected by a single bee in its life

makes less than a teaspoon of honey

what’s the buzzabout bees?Honey bees have inhabited the Earth for some 30 million years, but it’s only in the last 5,000 years theyhave been managed by humans toproduce honey for our benefit.

BBKA PresidentMartinSmith

7

F ive ways to helpthe honey bee

the environment, some have heard about the decline ofthe honey bee and want to help and others simply lovehoney! Whatever the reason, it’s a fascinating way tospend your spare time and fits in with modern life verywell.” It takes just an hour a week to maintain a beehive,and it’s a great way to escape – work, families, news andthe phone have to take back seat when you immerseyourself in the activity within the hive. Each week thebee’s health has to be checked, and the keeper – toggedin protective ‘bee suit’ – has to check for signs of swarming.Honey bees live as colonies, huge ‘families’ with only onequeen, up to 50,000 ‘sister’ workers and 200-300 maledrones. The queen can lay up to 2,000 eggs a day.Drones mate with new queens but do no work in the hive.The females will find food, feed the queen, clean the hive,produce wax for the frames, and make the honey.

“The honey bee will want to swarm to create a new colonyif the colony gets too large,” explained Martin, whobecame President in January. “The queen produces royaljelly which turns a small number of larvae into queens, thestrongest of which creates a swarm to split the colony. We monitor these early signs of swarming and try toprevent it in order to maintain honey production.”

To find out more about the BBKA contactwww.british bee.org.uk

Adopt a beehiveBacked by Michelin starred chefRaymond Blanc the BBKA’s Adopt aBeehive scheme is the perfect wayfor people to help the honey bee.

Each £29.50 adoption includes a jar ofhoney or honey mustard, a woodenhoney dipper, certificate and seasonalnewsletter. To find out more visitwww.adoptahive.co.ukwhere you canalso follow the progress of a colony of14 beekeepers.

• Adopt a beehiveBeekeeping is not practical for everyone so why notadopt a hive - or better still adopt one for a friend.

• Make a honey bee friendly habitatPlant flowers like asters, sunflowers, hollyhocks,larkspur, foxgloves, mint, peas, beans and floweringherbs. If you have space, fruit trees, hebe andhydrangea are all bee-magnets.

• Buy locally produced honeyBuying direct from your local beekeeper at farm shops and local markets helpscover costs and protects the local honey bee population. You’ll also find the flavour of eachlocal honey reflects the local flora.

• If you spot a swarm of beesreport itSwarming is natural beebehaviour. Honey bees inswarms are usually very gentleand only become aggressive ifprovoked or sprayed with water. Callyour local authority or police who willinform the local beekeeper.

• Invite a beekeeper to visit Beekeepers are always happyto share their knowledge withlocal groups, schools andclubs.

What is the Waggle dance?When a honey bee finds a great source of nectar, it returns to the hive and performs thewaggle dance to let its fellow bees know where to find the booty. The angle of the bee’s bodydenotes the direction, the number of times it turns reveals the distance – and the waggle dance is accurate to within six feet!

8 ALL SHOES FEATURED ARE AVAILABLE AT WWW.HOTTER.COM

In 2007, 15 million of us made thetrip across La Manche to experiencethe sounds, sights, smells and tastesof our Gallic neighbours and here wehave a little French ‘je ne sais quoi’for you to enjoy from your armchair.For those of you venturing to Francethis year, we’ve managed to securetickets to French theme parkFuturoscope for you to win. GrahamGendall Norton writes: My firstencounter with one of the mostunusual drinks to emerge fromFrance’s vineyards was on a recentvisit to the Region of Poitou-

Charentes. There are two Charentes -Charente-Maritime, with itspicturesque harbours and historictowns such as La Rochelle, andinland simply Charente.

At their heart a name we are allfamiliar with: Cognac. The best of brandies bears the name of thistown of immense charm and antiquity on the banks of the river Charente.

The local grapes, mostly white, donot make great wines so when spiritdistilling came to Europe in theMiddle Ages the natives of Cognacdecided to use them to distil animproved drink which was destinedfor fame. I toured an ancient Cognacdistillery, in a castle where one ofFrance’s great kings, Francis the Firstwas born. Brandy is aged in fine oldoak barrels, which give both tasteand a golden glow. Complexity

comes in the labelling which revealsthe vineyard’s location and the agesof the vintages, with some barrels100 years old or more. These oldestbarrels are secured in a fortified partof the distillery’s cellar called “leparadis”— Paradise!

Then, in a delightful hotel, came myfirst opportunity to taste anotherlocal brandy-based speciality:Pineau des Charentes. It is said tohave been the result of a happyaccident. Grape ‘must’, the freshlypressed grape juice, was put into abarrel believed to be empty. Itcontained brandy, which instead

Joie De Vivre -French style! Whether you visit France by plane, train or automobile(with caravan in tow) there’s lots to keep you busy.

Comfy, casual holiday breaks, days out with the children andgrandchildren trekking round theme parks, zoos and museums can playhavoc with your feet. Here are our top five foot soothing, stress busting,comfy loving styles for you to wear while you’re on your travels.

Chic, neat, stylish£59

Shoes to wear while you’re there! Nirvana

La Rochelle

preserved the sweet juice. Laterwhen the barrel was opened thecombination made a deliciousaperitif.

Pineau, usually white, is servedchilled in a big tulip-shaped glassand is the queen of sweet aperitifs. Inoted orchard and lime-tree scentson the nose, then on the palatelovely sweet white fruits with hints ofraisins and oak. There’s a light red orrosé too - made using red grapesand containing strawberry hints. Ithas just become possible to orderthe white in the UK from Oddbins(www.oddbins.com), who get regular

consignments (£9.99 a bottle).Thanks to the Regional Tourist Boardof Poitou-Charentes (www.visit-poitou-charentes.com) we are ableto offer one lucky reader the chanceto enjoy the two Pineau desCharentes, plus a bottle of RémyMartin V.S.O.P. (Very Special OldPale.)

To enter, send your answer tofollowing question, with your nameand address to the Comfort Club address:Q. Which French Emperor loved Cognac brandy?

Poitiers, in the north of Poitou-Charentes, is an historic hilltoptown with a sensational themepark, Futuroscope right on itsdoorstep. If you’re planning a trip tothe area Futuroscope is packedwith fun to keep the children orgrandchildren occupied, with thelatest 4D technology shows andrealistic impressions of amazinganimals and underwater life of thefuture. Find more information atwww.futuroscope.com

Futuroscope have kindly offered five sets of 4 free tickets for a day’s visit to Futuroscope eachvalid until end of January 2011 – so lots of time to plan forfor school holidays. If you wouldlike a chance to win a set of ticketsworth approximately £125 send inyour answer to the followingquestion to the usual address.

Q. Which French town is nearest to Futuroscope?

French fun atFuturoscope

Comfy, pretty,practical

£55

Sporty, smart,sassy

£49

Foot hugging,eye-catching

£49

Bright, bold,fun loving

£59

Bliss LeanneCandice Shake

9ALL SHOES FEATURED ARE AVAILABLE AT WWW.HOTTER.COM

10 ALL SHOES FEATURED ARE AVAILABLE AT WWW.HOTTER.COM

Shoes that fit feet properly will bring asmile to your face, but certain healthconditions or foot health problems maymean you need extra help or morefootwear options. In this special healthfocus we’ve asked Jo Cumming fromArthritis Care and Podiatrist Andy Mayoto take a closer look at feet, how theywork with shoes and how to help makeyour feet happier.

Arthritis and feetWe use our feet to take over two million steps a year onaverage so taking care of them is paramount for ourwellbeing. Anyone can experience foot problems, but forpeople with arthritis however, it can be a daily annoyance.

There are many ways arthritis can affect feet. Osteoarthritis(OA) can cause pain in any foot joint. It’s most common inthe big toe, but occurs occasionally in ankles if there hasbeen an earlier injury.

Calluses and corns can form pressure points, especiallyunder the foot. Bunions, bony lumps at the side of the bigtoe’s base, can distort feet inside shoes, pushing the bigtoe over and causing smaller toes to ‘claw’ – hammer toes– a common symptom of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Afluid-filled sac, known as a bursa, can form near a bunionand become inflamed, or develop under the ball of thefoot. Bony nodules can also form at sites of pressure in RA.

Inflammatory arthritis like RA causes inflammation intendons and other soft tissue, commonly where tendonsattach to the heel bone (known as plantar fasciitis). Feetand ankles can be stiff in the morning or after sitting, andsometimes heels can ‘drift’ outwards – valgus heel – with

Healthy feetare happy feet

the ankles appearing to turn inwards, destabilising thefoot. This can cause the foot’s arches to flatten andbecome painful – but supportive shoes or insoles can helpstop this happening.

Caring for your feetFoot care is really important if you have arthritis and if youare having problems you should seek help. Therapeuticmassage can help reduce foot pain or tiredness, as can awarm-water foot bath. You can do exercises tostrengthen ankles and feet – a physiotherapist canprovide specific exercises to suit you - but in general try tomove them regularly.

Footwear is one of the first things to think about. Comfortand reducing pain should be priority – tight shoes orhigh heels will increase the likelihood of calluses and

bunions forming. Finding agood pair of shoes can bedifficult when you havearthritis so you may need toseek help from a podiatrist.

Jo Cumming is manager of ArthritisCare’s free confidential helplinewhich is open to anyone affectedby arthritis. Call 0808 800 4050(10am-4pm weekdays) or email:Helplines@arthritiscare.org.uk

11ALL SHOES FEATURED ARE AVAILABLE AT WWW.HOTTER.COM

Will wearing high heelsregularly affect my feet in thelong term?Yes it could cause a multitude ofproblems, including bunions,disfigured toes and increasedpressure areas which may lead tocallus and corns. Wearing heelsregularly could also cause acondition called mortons nuromawhich is a very painful condition. Itis usually found in women, wheremeta-tarsal bones entrap the nervewhich becomes very painful andcan lead to surgery.

What is the correct way to cutmy toenails and file them?If you ever feel that your nails arein-growing or painful you shouldnever try to cut them down thesides of your toe as this couldcause more problems, consult yourpodiatrist instead.

How can I prevent gettingcracked heels?To help prevent cracked heels, fileover the heels away from yourselfwith an emery foot file. Try to avoidmetal files as they can sometimesbe dangerous and tend not toleave a smooth finish. It’s also veryuseful to regularly apply a specificfoot moisturiser which containsurea. A quick tip is to put plenty ofcream around the heels and weara pair of cotton socks whilst you goto bed. Always remember never tocream in between toes as thiscould lead to athlete’s foot.

How can I help treat bunions orprevent them from appearing?There is no real treatment once abunion has formed other thansurgery. To help prevent them,wear a shoe which fits your footshape correctly with a supportivelace or touch close fastening. Archsupports can also be useful in theprevention of bunions as they helpcontrol your feet whilst walking.

What would you say are the toptips for looking after your feetand keeping them healthy?Try to wear suitable shoes whilstout working or on your feet for longperiods of time. Regularlymoisturise your feet and use agentle emery file on any roughareas. Cut your nails straight acrossand cut them often rather thanleaving them to grow and cuttingthem too short. Visit a podiatristregularly if you get any painfulareas on your feet rather thantrying to treat them yourself. Quiteoften this makes the problemworse and corn plasters should bea complete no no as they can bevery dangerous. Cotton socks arehealthier for your feet, as opposed to wool or nylon, especially if yousuffer from athlete’s foot or anyfungal infections in your feet.

Each of our feet has 26 bones, 20 muscles and 100 ligaments – a technologicalmarvel! Combine these facts with the miles and miles we walk in a lifetime and it’s not surprising that sometimes things can go wrong. Here Podiatrist Andy Mayo,who owns The Foot Company, Lytham St. Annes talks us through some of themost common questions he gets asked to explain why some feet becomeunhappy and what you can do about it!

Healthy Happy Feet for youThere’s lots more ideas and suggestions how you can make you feet

happy in our free downloadable Healthy Happy Feet guide – find it at

www.hotter.com. And if you need further footwear help you can call

our free personal shopping service on 0800 083 3083.

Putting the Podiatrist on the spot

Podiatrist Andy Mayo

Customer Service: 0800 525 893 Personal Shoppers: 0800 083 3083 Melanie Killilea: 01695 712 720 Email: weloveshoes@hotter.com Web: www.hotter.com

Hotter Comfort ConceptShoes, 2 Peel Road, West Pimbo, Skelmersdale,Lancashire. WN8 9PT

If you want to keep yourfeet as happy asElizabeth’s, please visitwww.hotter.com whereyou can download ourHappy Feet guide.

An Ode To My Feet

New HotterBromley Store

Readers’ letters

I visited the store last week andthanks to the care and attentionof Julie (store manager); I wasable to buy two pairs of Mangosandals in my size.

I was particularly impressed bythe service I received. I sat in thestore and Julie brought out thesandals, adjusting the straps sothat they were a perfect fit. Icannot remember a previousoccasion where I have been sowell looked after in a shoe shop.

Miss Bailey,Kent

Dear Editor,Over a number of years I have purchased Hotter shoes and slippers.

Please find enclosed a photo of myself taken in Dubai in February of

this year when wearing Hotter sandals (Evita), very comfortable for

walking or at the beach in the heat of Dubai.

I like this style and have another pair the

same in a different colour. My husband and

I were visiting our daughter who lives

and works in Dubai.

Mrs Campbell,Edinburgh

Evita

At Comfort Club we always love to hear what ourcustomers have been up to, especially in their Hottershoes. Please send us your stories and photographs tothe usual address; you may even be featured in our nextissue. Each letter we publish will receive a thank you gift.

If you would like to receive a list of our latest competitionwinners, please contact us at the address below and wewill be happy to send this to you. Unless stated otherwisecompetitions in this edition will close on 7th July 2010.

Mango

After years of having to be put into trends of the times,

enough is enough as I'm getting past my prime.

I want something comfy, but look pretty and chic.

So people will still say WOW what are those you’re wearing, they look really sleek.

Elizabeth, Staffordshire