Because I’m a dork, I tend to read even the most innocuous royal stories these days. You never know when some small detail is going to jump out and be a great royal lead. So I was skimming Katie Nicholl’s latest royal post on Vanity Fair, and buried in a story about Duchess Kate’s high heel insoles, I found a piece of information that made my day. First of all, the info about how Kate wears special insoles with her LK Bennetts is nothing new – we’ve been hearing that for months. But Nicholl – a Middleton loyalist from the Waity Katie days – says that Kate has made it a point to never wear her beloved wedges in front of the Queen because the Queen HATES wedges with a fiery passion. The Queen is just like us!
When the Duchess of Cambridge pushed Princess Charlotte up a grass verge in a heavy Millson pram (which there’s now a four-month waiting list for similar vintage styles) at the recent royal christening, fashionistas gaped in awe while the rest of us mere mortals wondered how she managed to do it so effortlessly in high heels. Now Royal Watch can reveal the Duchess’s secret weapon in the wardrobe department: leather inner soles.
The 33-year-old royal is said to be a fan of Alice Bow insoles—slip-in inner soles—which save the Duchess’s feet on a regular basis. Made by British designer Rachel Bowditch, the inner soles fit any shoe and make wearing high heels comfortable even for hours on end. Kate is said to have purchased several pairs because she finds them so comfortable, and the company told Royal Watch it has seen a “massive surge” in sales, most likely in thanks to its new royal customer.
“Kate has ordered a couple of packets, she thinks they are great,” said one source.
The insoles are all handmade in Britain from fine Italian leather and promise “long lasting comfort and confidence.”
A spokesman for the company added: “There has been talk of the Duchess wearing the insoles, but we cannot comment either way. We have seen a massive surge in site visits however.”
And you might have noticed the Duchess hasn’t worn her favorite wedges for some time—apparently Her Majesty the Queen isn’t a fan of the clumsy-looking footwear.
“The Queen isn’t a fan of wedged shoes,” said a source. “She really doesn’t like them and it’s well known among the women in the family.”
Certainly Kate’s never been photographed in wedges in Her Majesty’s company.
Before you say “why would the Queen even care? I don’t believe this,” just know that it’s widely believed that the Queen put her foot down with Kate at some point last year, after Will & Kate’s tour of Australia and New Zealand. The Queen was not happy with Kate’s “Marilyn moments,” Kate’s insistence on not adding weights to her dresses, and Kate’s general flyaway appearance. The Queen thought Kate’s hair was too long and not “royal” enough and that Kate needed to stop dressing “down” for royal events. So did the Queen tell Kate to stop wearing wedges to every and all public events too? Kate didn’t even wear wedges to William’s recent polo match a few weeks ago. So maybe the wedges have been banished for good?
Photos courtesy of WENN, PCN.
HM likes wearing them in private as should Kate.
Wedges are very casual so I can believe the queen objected to them for public appearances. The queen is so dowdy.
Yes…but are more comfy than decolleté shoes.
I really hope this is BS and that the Queen has never, ever spent a single second of her life thinking about Kate’s shoes.
thanks! this made me chuckle!
LOL – i highly doubt The Queen cares as long as she’s not flashing her bum to the press.
So dumb. I can’t believe that some minor wardrobe problems with a skirt are called “Marilyn” moments or that this lady is criticized for this at all. And maybe if you’re going to be standing at a public event all day or walking around in the grass and still have to adhere to a nicer style code, wedges are a smart pick. Just dumb dumb dumb.
The act of flashing your a** constantly cannot be considered a minor wardrobe problem when it is your job to ‘regularly’ meet the public (often in a skirt). It can be considered exhibitionist behavior however. Glad the queen put her foot down about the glazing, if that happened.
The wedges aren’t beautiful, but not a big deal to me.
Short, floaty dresses plus no underwear plus bending down to talk to small children equals gross and disgusting. That she’s flashed her bare bottom once is bad, that she did it several more times after that is *mindboggling*!
Seriously. I felt sorry for her the first time it happened but by now it’s ridiculous. She wore a slip in the girlfriend years so why not now?
She wears them often when walking on grass, which makes complete sense. She would get slammed so hard for making a fool of herself by losing her balance when a heel went straight into the dirt like a stake, for not wearing practical shoes or whatever.
Damned if you, damned if you don’t.
She nearly fell over wearing the wedges at a winery in NZ. I thought she’d end up with a sprained ankle when I looked at the pictures of the event. Why not wear flats if you’re going to be walking around dirt paths at a winery (or on the beach where she also wore them). She needs to think more about what she’s wearing when, and what is on the itinerary.
At a winery – maybe she sampled too much of the produce 😉 LOL
Kate think – now theres a novelty. Mean i know but she has shown she’s unable to think outside of her little bubble.
For several years she consistently wore dresses that would guarantee “Marilyn moments”, with no pantyhose, and the briefest of butt floss for underwear. She also wore painted on jeggings that were so tight you could count on unfettered camel toe moments too. The wedges are unprofessional looking for royal “events”, and more suited to a college student’s wardrobe. Don’t even get me started on the long sausage curls and heavy eye-liner. She is 33 and a working royal (I use the term “working” with my tongue rooted firmly in my cheek); it’s time she grew up and looked professional.
I think it’s really gross how everyone on this site judges women based on how they dress, yea, even a royal. She doesn’t dress any different then you or I, she wears beautiful clothes and sometimes jeggings, and al of a sudden, it’s “she does it on purpose to get pap shots” and her “leggings are painted on and too tight”, I mean holy shit. That’s insanity. She can’t wear leggings, she can only wear granny panties, she has to stay upright in a dress at all times, and her hems have to be passed her knees. God forbid a woman dress like she’s 30 in the 21st century. And she’s a royal, so what. How stupid.
@sassback – there’s a time and place for various outfits. Marry into a family that calls themselves “The Firm” and know that you are going to need to be more formal than your average 30-something. Being in a situation where you flash your fanny – more than once! – to cameras is just inappropriate. There’s a reason royals and other similarly photographed people have weights sewn in the hem of their dresses. Modesty.
I agree Sassback. I think the “Marilyn moments” were completely overblown and unintentional. Wind happens and it took her a little while to figure out how to deal with wind + people taking pictures of her literally every second she appears in public. Lot of sexism in the way people talk about Kate here.
I think some people get carried away with the descriptions of Kate’s clothes as well, but I also think that when you’re working you probably should wear clothes appropriate to your work. If you were out meeting clients and flashed them a few times, you might get a talking to about wearing clothes that don’t fly up, or barring that, underwear that covers your bum. Along with a discussion about professionalism.
And Kate does work for one of the most conservative institutions in the world.
If William were in the habit of wearing trousers that kept falling down, I’d judge him too.
Work places have dress codes. She works for a conservative company, she is required to follow the dress code. On her personal time – of which she has PLENTY – she can dress how she likes. On the job, she has to dress appropriately.
Why is this so difficult for some to understand?
It isn’t just “let’s pick on the princess with antiquated, meaningless rules!”
She is supposed to be representing her country. It is her JOB. If I went to my job wearing a shortie dress and thong and bent over to expose my fanny to my students, would everyone be saying, “Oh, let her alone! You’re just being judgey!” All adults have to learn how to dress appropriately for their lives. Kate is just, well, a slow learner.
And if my boss says no wedges allowed? I don’t wear wedges. It’s really quite simple.
I still get shocked at how wearing no underwear and super short hemlines on windy days/tarmacs and around kids is justified. Had anyone else done that… no one would be so kind.
Simple facts. She repeatedly lacked in any preventing measures to not expose herself to the dozens and dozens of cameras/adults/children.
This happened more than a handful of times and then more.
They could have been mistakes if it wasn’t so often with many comments.
Numerous articles and comments made in many publications about how Kate flashed again and how to fix that.
On top of it all there is a dresscode in place. You may not like it, but it should be followed. At the very least we shouldn’t see bottoms or biscuits. That isn’t asking a lot imo.
The bar is set so low for Kate. I’m waiting for someone to say, “Well, at least she’s not like the Kardashians!” because that’s what we hear next.
And here comes the weird obsession with her lady parts …
bluhare,Nota, RWT and FLORC: Exactly.
okay now can the Queen please make her stop with the heavy eyeliner too
I think QE can be rather abrupt. So it would not surprise me if the truth behind this story is that Liz did make an insulting comment to Kate about those ghastly cork wedges.
Examples of TQ being abrupt include her statement that the blue horse in a drawing someone gave her in Germany recently was a strange color for a horse or words to that effect. And Kate looked hurt when QE said something (I don’t recall what) needed to be changed in Kate’s wedding dress exhibit and hurt again when QE said the way the gown was exhibited was horrid and creepy.
She should be allowed to wear comfortable shoes no matter what the occasion. It would be all kinds of wrong if Kate is expected to wear heels to every public appearance.
I agree. She could try flats on surfaces that are too forgiving with heels.
I’ve never heard of the BRF expecting Kate to wear heels to all public events. She can wear flats or low pumps like the Queen does.
And why did she have to push that pram the whole way in heels? Would it have been a problem for Will to push the pram up that incline into the church? Couldn’t they have traded off after the photos were done?
Deedee, my guess is that Kate chose to wear those shoes and push the pram. She was on parade that day and she wanted to flaunt herself, her perfect little family, and her calf muscles. That’s why she wore those shoes. Kate has an obsession with height, you’ll rarely ever see her in flats when she’s around Willy-boy.
I fell like HM wore them as a young queen… I don’t know that I see her freaking out about Kate’s wedges of all things.
yes
I don’t understand the bit about the leather insoles. Why doesn’t she just buy shoe that are all leather? I wear 3 inch heel pumps almost everyday at work. I’m fussy about fit. I want them to be comfortable all day so I look for shoes with leather inside and out. I don’t have the budget she has so if I can buy shoes with leather insoles I’m sure she can too. Another thing, if one has to walk on grass in heels one gets a pump with thicker heels not stiletto heels. That solves the issue of sinking into the sod. This isn’t rocket science.
This VF article should be labeled advertising.
Anare, the insoles are padded according to the product website. And the shoe brands Kate favors (Choo and Weitzman) are generally lined with leather but LK Bennett might be an exception.
I think her insoles have cushioning in the ball of the foot area and maybe some arch support. There was a little media stir about the condition of her feet a few years ago, so she’s probably doing whatever she can to continue wearing her 4-5 inch heels but not damage her feet.
I’d be surprised if any sort of insole could prevent damage to her feet in 4 inch heels. Actually, the damage has already been done. She has bunions and hammertoes.
Considering she loves LK Bennet shoes she’ll need them – they are the most uncomfortable brand of shoes to wear EVER. For the price they are not very well made.
Vava, agree. I doubt the insoles help with the bunions (& corns) and the toes will have to be corrected with surgery.
Yep, a shoe should fit your foot. If you have to make modifications, it’s the wrong shoe.
Seriously doubt the Queen could be troubled with the wedges.
All wedges are not created equally. Some are rather attractive, but Kate just has a knack of picking the ugliest ones on the face of the planet. Those cork ones are the worst……….
Interesting how one thing can totally turn the meaning of the article. It talks about how Kate’s increasing sales of these insoles. Maybe she is, but the company says hits on their site are up, not sales. Maybe the sales comment was omitted, but to me they’re two different things.
I doubt many people will buy those insole because Dolittle wears them. They make shoes smaller and hotter and don’t do that much to upholster the sole so why buy them?
Nevertheless the Daily Mail is going to convince us that
a) shepskin insoles is the thing to do
b) Kate works hard because a)
I’m impressed by anyone who can wear wedges. I just can’t. No matter how lightweight they may be, I still feel like I’m being weighed down and clunk around in them, and I also have the irritating habit of somehow managing to kick the back of my heels with my wedgie feet. That sentence may make no sense and seem physically impossible, but seriously ever time I try to wear wedges, I end up with slices all over the backs of my heels.
I never minded her heels and like someone stated above it makes the most sense when possibly walking on grassy surfaces. The problem I always have had was with the hair. The sausage curls is something my mom does since she always refuses to cut her straight hair and she is 64. To me it is a 1980’s dated look given my mother still does it.
I completely believe this. I think after settling her matters of state, logging in with her chess move in her online game with Hiliary Clinton, putting Philip to bed at 3pm, running her 5K around the rose garden with a couple of Beefeaters and working a few minutes on her latest water color, the Queen has her 4pm martini and asks the butler to bring in her Pick-a-Royal dart board and her Area-of-Discontent spinner wheel. With her cocktail in one hand, she sails a dart to determines whom she will troll next and spins to choose exactly how. Last March, she got “The Commener who lives with Wills” and “Attire.” HM E2 was quite relieved because the spoke looked like it might stop the wheel at “Diplomatic Advancements.”
I do enjoy your whimsy, j.eyre!!
Ha! Thank you.
If this is true (lol) it’s too bad the queen doesn’t have more influence on getting these two to change their “work-shy” ways.
It’s sickening how much good Kate and William COULD do in the world but instead CHOOSE NOT to help. I’m at a loss.
Completely agree. They need to start working half as much as Harry.
Basi: So true.
If true then I’m glad The Queen finally snarked at her about her inappropriate attire when working – she can wear what she likes in her own time but every work place i’ve ever been in has had a dress code. Be thankful she doesn’t have to wear a McDonald’s uniform every day. She has a clothes budget which she happily spends.
Kate has always dressed in a particular way for 2 reasons:
1) To please Willy – Its well known he likes the sausage curls hair and short shirts as it shows off her long legs
2) To get attention – Numerous examples of wearing clothes guaranteed to get her on the front page; 2 examples that come to mind are the red outfit she wore at the Diamond Jubilee flotilla event (where she clashed horribly with the red upholstery of the boat) and the bright pink coat to a Twin Tower memorial event in NYC. She wanted people to notice her and comment. She loves the press attention – always has.
And she tries to imitate the Queen who always wears bright visible colours.
The latest line is apparently: Kate works hard because she needs shepskin insoles in her shoes. Everybody who has shepskin insoles works hard. You can work hard by putting shepskin insoles into your shoes.
My a**.
True but TQ chooses when its appropriate to wear the very bright colours and would never have worn that colour to a memorial service.
Re the insoles – as i said in a post above LK Bennet are the most uncomfortable shoes to wear – i had a pair that i had to take off after half an hour as my ankles and lower legs were threatening to sue me for assault. She can afford to get a better and more comfortable brand of shoes and my chiropodist says insoles are generally a good idea when wearing heels and boots, particularly if you don’t walk properly. I used to walk edge of heel to ball of toe and suffered for it – insoles helped me train myself to walk properly though they were specially moulded for me.
Betti: I’m inclined to agree, Kate wants to be front and centre of any event she attends. It doesn’t seem to be enough for her to simply show up dressed appropriately to do a JOB, focus on the issues at hand and show interest in the people who work tirelessly behind the scenes all year, she seems to want to be the actual event itself, which makes her appear more like a WAG than a Royal Duchess.
I don’t want to come across as a Kate “hater” because I’m sure she has many redeeming qualities and hopefully some depth of character in private, but so far in her public appearances she has given the impression of cluelessness and total self-absorption. I’m hoping she grows into her role over time, but at this stage she should have the whole wardrobe thing down pat without any nagging from Granny-in-law (who’s such a consummate professional she could probably open the new wing of a hospital in her sleep).
With Kate’s wardrobe budget, dressing for the occasion should be a no-brainer. She knows full well what’s expected of her by now. Her working wardrobe should reflect the gravitas of her position as representative of the Queen, with appropriate hem lengths, hairstyles and accessories. Oh, and underwear. What she wears in her private time is, and should be, her business, leggings and wedges and all.
Just imagine if the Queen, as a young lady, had her skirt fly up numerous times to reveal her butt cheeks! LOLOL.
I find it so amusing in this day and age that anyone would find Kate’s exposures to be at all acceptable. Once is a thing, but Kate has had so many it’s really rather telling as to what she is all about: Ignorant exhibitionist. There, I said it.
At least we haven’t seen a skirt fly-up lately. Maybe she finally got the message.
I love my wedges and No one will ever take them from me. Cork, espadrille, patent leather, I love them all. Suck it Your Royal Highness.
Yes, HM is elderly & needs secure footwear but her own shoe game is awful. Black shoes pretty much kill brights & pastels. HM could be more stylish in cute flats instead of her frumpy, clumpy, low-heeled pumps.