NEW DOT& PETE SS13 ARRIVALS

Feast your eyes (and your toes) on the new arrivals from Australian label Dot & Pete.
Made from the softest suede and sweetest leathers these sandals will get you through the (hopefully) long summer months.

Here's who should wear what:

MISFIT (Black & Grey Suede or Grey & Green Leather)
Perfect for: Normal widths but the black suede version will stretch quickly to allow for wider widths. The Misfits double the ankle straps action so your rogue feet won't escape when you least expect it!

HOLEY MOLEY (Grey Suede)
Perfect for: Normal widths but as they are suede they will stretch quickly to accommodate wider feet. The fully adjustable ankle strap means that you can tighten them as much, or a little as you need.

All styles run from AU size 10 to size 13. Visit UNCOMMON GROUND

NEW PROVENSEN SS13 ARRIVALS

Some amazing new summery styles from Provensen are in store right now. We've been striding round town in all three styles over the past week and they're wonderfully comfortable.

Here's a run down on the styles and what foot shapes they're good for:
APPLE (top left corner - black neoprene with blue leather trim)
Perfect for: Anyone with a foot. These are probably the comfiest pair of heels in the entire world. No, seriously. Even better if you have a wide foot as the neoprene is incredibly soft and stretchy, plus the laces down the front mean you can open them up as much as you need.

BOBBY (top right corner & bottom left corner - woven leather wedges in tan, black & mint)
Perfect for: Narrow to normal widths. The woven toe is perfect for that summery feel while still hiding away any foot disasters you might be worried about (corns anyone?). Plus you still get peeps of your favourite nail polish through the weave. The leather is incredibly soft so although they're better suited to normal or narrow widths, there will still be plenty of give for wider feet.

YESSICA (bottom right corner - amaretto suede square toe with block heel)
Perfect for: Normal to wide widths. The square toe means there's plenty of room for the front part of the foot. Plus the platform at the toe means these heels will be comfy all night/day long. Not suited for narrow feet, you'll be rattling around in there like a stick in a bucket.

* Due to a factory issue Provensen could only go up to a size 11 (EU 43) this season. We're hoping to have size 12 and size 13 back for AW13!!

KNOTS & KNITS

I'm blown away by these pieces. Australian designer Megan Todd returned to home soil after completing a Masters in Fashion Design at the internationally renowned Polimoda in Florence, Italy and working for esteemed labels Antipodium and James Long.
And thank god she did because my eyes needed to see these. You can buy them online from Molton Store

1000 LIKES = 20% OFF

We are currently sitting at 908 likes on the Uncommon Ground Facebook Page, which is very exciting. To celebrate hitting 1000 likes we’re going to announce a 20% off all products sale code (including sale items!) on the day we hit the 1000 mark. It will be for a 24 hour period only after the ticker hits 1000* and will only be announced on Facebook.

You can speed the process along (and make sure you snap up the pair you want before someone else) by liking our Facebook page HERE and recommending the page to your larger footed lady friends.

*Due to the fact that we can’t be sitting on Facebook 24 hours a day it may happen slightly after!

INTRODUCING: KATHRYN WILSON ROBERTSON LOAFER

Now, as difficult as it may be, please try and keep the swooning and drooling to a minimum. These luscious beauties are dressed up in ink and zebra pony skin (no, not from real ponies) with trim accents of gold leather.

Make sure you snap up a pair because we have a feeling these are going to go quicker than a weekend in Paris.

You can view them in the store by clicking HERE

THE BIG SHOE SWAP

Last Wednesday we were really excited to host the very first Big Shoe Swap (for sizes 9 and up) in conjunction with Zensation Tea House. Held at the Tea House on Bourke St, Redfern, we likened it to a shoe amnesty - donate the shoes that you no longer wear, in the hopes that another lovely lady will get a chance to wear them instead. And maybe you'll find a new pair to love instead.

It felt like there were more pairs of shoes than in Imelda Marcos' wardrobe and many a happy lady managed to score herself a new (already worn in) set of kicks.


Plus the lovely Christina from Zensation made sure we were kept fueled throughout the evening with delicious dumplings and sake.

Thanks so much to everyone who showed up, donated shoes or found a new pair to fall in love with. We'll be hosting another event in about 3 months time, which will be open to the public so stay tuned for more info.

You can find more info about Zensation Tea House HERE and you can like the newly created Facebook page for The Big Shoe Swap HERE.


A sneaky pair of stripper heels made it into the mix. Which were (un)surprisingly the comfiest pair of heels we'd ever tried.




A great moment were a flat only wearing Bettina (right) trades some cute brogues for some some killer red peeptoes with the queen of the heels Agata (left).

SHOP TILL YOU DROP

Did you purchase the August edition of Shop Till You Drop mag? If so, you might’ve noticed a wee blurb about Uncommon Ground tucked away in the Web Wants section. It’s our first appearance in a magazine and we’re pretty excited to have made the pages!

TOPSOP SS12

Although we've hit the mid-way point for winter there's nothing stopping us from drooling over the coats in this collection. While the floral leather biker jacket is an obvious favourite, the over-sized military trench oozes wearability.

Images: RUSSH

WINTER LEG WARMERS

OKOK Chunky Ribbed Wool Tights - $45 
 
The fashion world runs on different seasons compared to the rest of the world. Right now as we purchase our Summer stock I have to keep reminding myself that it's still going to be cold for a VERY long time. And a top tip to keeping the winter blues away is teaming your amazing new shoes with some very awesome stockings and socks.



BZR Ombre Tights in Sunset - $50


Strathcona Pineapple Love Stockings - $36

Tightology Zebra Bamboo Tights - $35

PROVENSEN AW12 NOW IN STORE

They've finally arrived! The AW12 season from Provensen. Not only are these shoes stylish, unique and of stunning quality, they also go up to a size 13! Since the very first moment we spoke with the lovely Faye from Provensen about her designs, she has always said the same thing - she wants every girl to be able to wear her shoes, no matter what size their feet.


All Provensen styles are created for everyday wear. These beautiful creatures aren't meant to hide in your wardrobe until a special occasion, they're made to worn and take on the battles of life.

We really hope that you can fall in love with a pair of Provensens and prove that women with larger shoe sizes will support the local designers that are taking a risk with larger sizes! It's these small actions that are going to help us here at Uncommon Ground to convince more brands to increase their size range, and in turn open up a whole new world of shoes for you!

SYDNEY CITY TALKS

Last night was jam packed with excitement and inspiration. We attended one of the quarterly Sydney City Talks that was being held at the State Theater, the topic up for discussion was Smart Sydney: How do we create an environment for inspiration and innovation?

As we sat there listening to Sydney's Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, read out her opening speech we're were pretty amazed to hear Uncommon Ground mentioned alongside some really innovative start-ups. Although we know we still have a lot to learn and a long way to grow, it's moment like that empower you to push the negatives out and embrace the positives.

If you would like to listen to the speeches that were given by Lord Mayor, Clover Moore or the keynote speaker for the evening, Curator of TED Conferences, Chris Anderson, you can find the podcasts here: CITY TALKS 2012. Chris Anderson speaks about how urbanization is actually to key to saving the planet and it's such a wonderfully positive piece that you can't help but feel inspired! Highly recommended.

WE'RE ON INSTAGRAM & PINTEREST

We've just started an Instagram account for the website! Search for either Uncommon Ground or our user name uncommonground. We've already shared some photos from behind the scenes of our latest shoot and you'll get the first sneak peaks of new styles, such as these leopard print wedges from Kathryn Wilson.

And if you're on Pinterest there's an Uncommon Ground account for that too. We're pinning over HERE


And just in case you missed the icons on the site (they're kinda little) here's our FACEBOOK PAGE and TWITTER FEED

REBEL REBEL

We love how the December Forever Weaves compliment a 50's style vibe. Team them with some straight leg jeans with rolled cuffs, a loose tee and cropped leather jacket. Add a pop of colour with a head scarf and top off with some classic tortoiseshell glasses.


December Forever Weaves - $140
Bassike Raglan sweater - $120
Bassike Heritage Crew Shirt - $90
Nudie Jeans Tight Long John - $199
Karen Walker Sunglasses - $260
Sway Leather Jacket - $700

DECEMBER FOREVER WEAVES

A sweet on-foot shot from the Uncommon Ground office of December Forever Weaves. If you're curious, these are on a women's size 11 foot. They're fantastic for making larger size feet look in proportion! Click through HERE to see them in store and snap up a pair.

LUCIOUS LAYERS

 
Nat-Sui - Braided Sandal $147 - Uncommon Ground
Nudie Jeans - Kelly Straight $199
Skin & Threads - Cable Sweater $260

Just because the cooler weather is approaching doesn't mean you need to relegate those sandals to the back of the wardrobe just yet. Team warm toned leathers with dark denim, creams and greys for layering dream.

And don't think just because you wear a larger size shoe it means you have to keep your feet hidden. These thong style sandals wrap the ankle at eactly the right points making your feet look smaller than in regular thong cuts.

DEAR LARGE FOOTED LADIES...

On Wednesday night I had the privilege of speaking at the Women As Entrepreneurs meetup in Sydney. The main topic of the talk was why I started Uncommon Ground and where the idea came from. As I was standing there telling my story I realised that such a large part of this business is based on emotions. 

Being a women’s large shoe size meant for me that shoe shopping had become a total nightmare. It was an experience that I associated with frustration and depression, not the pleasurable act that it is for most women. And I know there are a lot of other women feeling that way because I’ve talked to you!

As I spoke, I realised that a lot of relief came from learning that I wasn’t alone in this struggle and that I wasn’t the only one in the world that hated my feet purely for the size of them. And so hopefully if you stumble along this blog post, you can feel a little comfort too; not only because there are other women out there cursing the unfashionable size 11, size 12, or size 13  shoes that they’re forced to buy, but because hopefully this website will make your life a little easier.

Krissy x

p.s. how great are these vintage shoes?! The pair second from the left look just like THESE.

AW12 KATHRYN WILSON

At Uncommon Ground we're really excited for the arrival of our AW12 stock, especially the above Robertson Loafer from Kathryn Wilson. What you can't see in this picture is that the loafer isn't flat, but instead has a medium height heel. And as us ladies with larger feet already know, when you combine the cut of a loafer with the perfect size heel, your feet look fantastically in proportion. Oh, and amazing stylish. Stay tuned for delivery announcements!

 Image: Kathryn Wilson

$100 VOUCHER IN CHARITY AUCTION

Brodie Donegan, who is a very dear friend of Uncommon Ground, has recently taken on a massive challenge and we’re really excited to be able help her out. On Christmas Day 2009 Brodie was involved in a horrendous accident while out walking. She was 32 weeks pregnant with her daughter Zoe when she was hit by a car and pinned against a tree. Rescuers were unable to release her for 3 hours. Although Zoe was still alive in the womb upon reaching the Royal North Shore Hospital, she died shortly after.

After 2 years and countless hours of rehabilitation and hard work Brodie has recently accepted the challenge of doing the London Marathon this year. To do so she needs to raise $13,000 for her charity of choice Miracle Babies.

She is currently holding an online auction through Facebook where you can bid on a large number of great items including a $100 Uncommon Voucher. This is a great chance to help an amazing woman raise money for a great charity, as well as maybe score yourself a bargain!
You can find the auction on the WALK FOR ZOE Facebook page.

THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS

My 5 minute solution for when the wardrobe is full of clothes but there's nothing to wear. Slap on your favourite faded black tee and skinny leg jeans, add smashing jewelry and hot-as-hell shoes plus a slap of red lipstick.

Clockwise from top left:
1. WHYWHO Runaway clogs
2. NUDIE High Kai Jeans
3. MANIAMANIA Ritual Necklace
4. BIKBOK Animal Tee
5. WHYWHO Duo T-Bone Clogs
6. CHANEL Hydrabase Lipstick
7. MANIAMANIA The Source Ring

ELLERY

Sure the clothes are amazing but check out the laced up sandals from Ellery AW12. Would be very interested to see what they look like from side on. via Harper and Harley

NEON PARTY

 

Finally it feels like summer has arrived! And what better way to kick off the new year by rocking some hardcore summer brights.
1. Assad Mounser Mega Necklace
2. Kenny Baja Shorts
3. Nancy Gonzalez Crocodile Box Clutch
4. OPI Nail Lacquer
5. Acne Audrey Silk
6. Treasure Blue Peruvian Bracelets