The Melissa brand was founded in 1979. The inspiration for the brand came directly from the sea. The embryo that gave origin to the model Spider can be found on the feet of the fishermen of the French Riviera. Belong long, the Brazilians gained a liking for their taste and Melissa became one of the best selling shoes there. The Spider takes only twenty six seconds to be fabricated! Melissa has crafted more than thirty two million pairs of shoes in the last decade and they are sold in more than seventy countries.

Key to the Melissa brand is sustainable development. Melissa believes we need to protect natural resources for the future generations so that there can be harmony within business, society, and the environment. At the forefront of sustainability efforts is focus on factory production processes minimizing damage to the environment. Melissa products are created only using mono-materials that can easily be disassembled and recycled. Their shoes are 100% recyclable, and all of the products that don’t get sold during their season get recycled into the next season’s collections. Melissa is serious about their no waste policy.

Worth mentioning is that Melissa values their employees. They recognize that employees are an essential asset to businesses, thereby ensuring that they are taken care of-paying wages and offering benefits that exceed others in the industry.

The Hello Kitty sneaker from Melissa is made with PVC, which is polyvinyl chloride, a versatile plastic that accounts for 20% of all plastics manufactured worldwide. PVC is used across a wide range of industrial, technical, and everyday applications including building, transportation, packaging, electronics, and healthcare. PVC is a very durable, long-lasting material and can be either rigid or flexible and can be a wide range of colors. In footwear, PVC is often found in the outsoles and uppers.

Melissa is a vegan, no cruelty company, but there is always going to be something that isn’t perfect. In this case, PVC isn’t completely harmless. It has an effect on humans and the environment. Humans can experience rashes, chronic headaches, and vomiting from oil extraction, and those living near oil extraction sites can suffer from lung disease, liver and kidney damage, and miscarriages. As for the environment, crude oil extraction causes deforestation, oil spills, pollution of toxic chemicals, and 10 million tons of plastic in the sea every year. Plastic does not break down like natural materials, thus accounting for the massive floating plastic the size of Turkey in the North Pacific ocean.

The outsole of these sneakers is a 1.2 inch thick platform of rubber. Platform shoes not only make you taller, they do it without putting extra pressure on your heel, arch, or ball of your foot. They also protect you better in wet conditions because your actual foot is farther away from the ground. The fact that they are rubber means that they are waterproof too. Rubber soles are advantageous because they are flexible, meaning they don’t require a lot of break-in time (though the PVC upper probably does). Rubber is also very sturdy, which provides extra comfort. Naturally, it has more shock absorption, so you won’t feel every pebble you’re trekking over like you would in a leather sole. However, rubber does not have the ability to mold to the shape of your feet like leather does, so they won’t be as comfortable, especially after being in them for a long period of time.

You won’t be able to count on having too much breathability while your feet are in the Hello Kitty sneakers. Your feet will more than likely get warm and sweaty if you wear them for very long or out in warm weather. The PVC used for the upper material of the sneaker is completely waterproof meaning that it is heavy and not breathable at all. Rubber also does not breathe at all, and you have got 1.2 inches of rubber under your feet as your shoe sole. While these sneakers are undeniably adorable, you may only be able to wear them as a fashion statement for a short period of time at events. There are a few tips that can help you combat sweat and odor when you are wearing them. You can apply a spray-on antiperspirant to the soles of your feet. Yes, it’s meant for armpits, but it works on your feet to stop sweating and odor as well. You can also put foot powder in your shoes before you put them on. Foot powders have baking soda and talcum powder in them which will help ward off sweat and odor.

If you’re looking for comfort as a priority with your shoes, you will probably want to look elsewhere. Plastic shoes aren’t made to be worn all day or in the heat. Your feet will not be able to breathe, therefore will get sweaty and hot and uncomfortable rather quickly. Wearing thin socks can help to alleviate some of the discomfort of wearing shoes that aren’t flexible, but they won’t help keep your feet cooler. They will soak up some of the moisture from your sweaty feet too, but then it will all just sit there and cause bacteria and odor. These shoes are best to be worn as statement pieces. Show up and wow everyone and then slip away and into more comfortable shoes for the rest of the occasion. If you wear uncomfortable and stiff shoes for too long you can cause yourself a lot of unnecessary pain and discomfort from blisters, abrasions, and soggy, suffocated feet.

The Hello Kitty sneakers are offered in four different color combinations. First, there is red. The red option features red on the entire upper material, the tongue, the shoe laces, and the plastic Hello Kitty face. The pull tab on the heel is black with Hello Kitty written in white and the sole is white. The next color option is white. The white sneakers have a white upper, tongue, and Hello Kitty face. The shoe laces are red. The pull tab is red with Hello Kitty in white. The sole is navy blue. Thirdly, the beautiful classic black option. Black is featured in the upper, tongue, shoe laces, and pull tab. In high contrast, the Hello Kitty face, Hello Kitty writing on the pull tab, and the sole are all white. Lastly, there is a baby pink option. The upper, tongue, Hello Kitty face, and pull tab are all pink. The shoe laces and the Hello Kitty writing on the pull tab are black. The sole is white. With so many options, you’re sure to find a color combination that stands out to you and your unique personality.

One benefit to wearing a pair of 100% plastic and rubber shoes is that they will be awfully effectively waterproof wherever your foot is covered by them. Water may be able to get in to your shoe and onto your socks/feet via your ankles and the opening at the top of the shoe, but water won’t be getting in through the soles or the uppers. The PVC material of the uppers and the rubber of the soles are both highly waterproof. Your feet will be nothing short of safe in the rain and snow and mud, so long as you are not completely immersing your entire foot clear up to your ankles in the fluid. These Hello Kitty sneakers would definitely come in handy when you are walking somewhere in a drizzle and do not want to get your usual shoes wet or dirty. Wear them to get the mail or walk to work. Wear them to make a statement at a party or lunch get together. You can have a lot of fun with these sneakers and stay safe from the elements at the same time.

The PVC used for the upper is semi-flexible, leaving a bit of wiggle room for your foot while you’re walking. Five eyelets in the lacing system make for a more adjustable, personalized, secure fit. If you have narrow or wide feet, you may want to reconsider purchasing these sneakers because they do not come in narrow or wide sizes. They also do not come in half sizes so if that is a dealbreaker for you, you’ll need to decide against these. A lot of times people are able to just order the next size up or down and find a comfortable enough fit. That is completely up to you to decide. You are the only one who knows your feet. It couldn’t hurt to at least try if you think the sneakers are cute. The beauty of online shopping is that you can just mail them back if they don’t fit. Minimal effort could mean that you end up with shoes you love or you just mail them back and aren’t out any gas money or time to return them to a retail store.

The Hello Kitty collaboration with Melissa was launched specifically to make a fashion statement that people would love. Hello Kitty is wildly popular not only where it originated, but all over the world. So the massive plastic applique of the Hello Kitty face covering up the lacing system is the perfect flare. The sleek, shiny modern look of the plastic uppers make you look almost futuristic when you enter a room. There’s just something about an oversized pull tab on the heel of a sneaker sometimes that just looks like it has attitude instead of coming off as dorky. The pull tab on this sneaker looks trendy. The contrast in colors between the sole, the upper, the laces, the Hello Kitty face, the pull tab, and the writing on the pull tab is the perfect level of loud to draw attention but not be overwhelming. The shape of the sneaker is very popular and has been for a long time. It is very casual and hip. That’s why this sneaker is offered for children and adults alike. The style appeals to pretty much everyone. And if they don’t appeal to you, I bet that you know someone who would just die over them. We all know someone obsessed with Hello Kitty, right?

If you’re looking for shoes to use for the purpose of making a statement or looking super cute for an event or around the house, these sneakers may be what you’re looking for. If you’re into Hello Kitty and just like collecting things that are Hello Kitty, these sneakers may be for you (especially because they are a limited edition). If you’re in the market for sneakers that you can wear all day every day, these sneakers will not be able to meet your needs. They will be able to protect your feet from the elements all day long, but they will not be able to protect your feet from pain, discomfort, sweat, and bacteria and odor. They will not be comfortable at the end of the day. They are rather expensive, so they may only be considered “worth it” if you’re into collecting Hello Kitty items.