14 DAY TRIAL // They say a girl can never have enough pairs of shoes and, clearly, they don’t say so for nothing. However, for those fashionistas out there always looking for the latest and hippest creations and who can’t afford to buy them, all hope is not lost. Cinderella Me is a website that specializes in renting designer shoes, and that can guarantee for every shoe fanatic one week with the pair they’ve been dreaming of – at a price.
Most of the luxury brands that get attention in the media and with A-list female celebrities are available with Cinderella Me. They come in all sizes, colors and models and are, of course, cheaper to rent than to buy. That is to say, if a pair of designer shoes goes for anything between £300 and £800, renting them is a mere trifle by comparison, with women being able to wear them for an entire week for, say £50.
This is possible only if you become a member of the Cinderella Me community first, which means paying the £10 monthly fee. Only after that are you able to browse the many shoes on offer, choose the ones you like or desperately want (you can rent only one pair of shoes at a time for now), and then place your order. When the parcel arrives, you’re to see if the shoes fit and return them if they don’t. If they do, they’re yours for the keeping for one week – or more, if you so desire and you contact Cinderella Me to ask for an extension.
Those worried about how insanitary wearing shoes others have worn too should put their doubts to rest, Cinderella Me says. “99.9 per cent hygienic – that’s important. From the market research we conducted before launching Cinderella Me we knew that the issue of hygiene could be a concern for some of our potential customers. We are happy to say that we have effectively overcome this through the combined use of ultraviolet light (UV-C) and Steam. […] Prior to shipping, every pair of shoes hired from Cinderella Me will first be exposed to UV-C wavelength ultraviolet light and then, to ensure a super-hygienic state, will briefly be exposed to a steam treatment at 100 degrees Celsius,” a post on the website reads under “Hygiene.”
Moreover, the company claims all shoes are either new or look like new, because no pair goes out to rental more than eight times. The soles are not stained and no shoe is damaged in any way, which makes this online rental company ideal when it comes to looking for something to wear on a special occasion without having to pay a small fortune on it – or so Cinderella Me argues.