A couple of weeks ago an exciting email landed in my inbox from Octane PR inviting me to a blogger event on the terrace at the swanky Square Club in Bristol, held on behalf of Rainbow Club shoes. Billed as an evening of colour and cocktails in celebration of Bonfire Night and the launch of Rainbow Club’s latest collection, we were told to wrap up warm and come prepared to turn ‘naked’ shoes into something a little more interesting.

Rainbow Club has been designing and making satin occasion shoes since the mid 1980s and is known for its stunning bridal heels and accessories, but is also branching out into party footwear too thanks to its unique Colour Studio – Rainbow Club shoes are handmade in a beautiful satin that can be hand-dyed to match any item of clothing or accessory. There are so many gorgeous designs on offer, from pretty peep-toes and comfy-yet-chic mid-heels to glitter-covered stilettos, so you’re sure to find a style (or three) you love among them.

As we were asked to choose a pair of Rainbow Club shoes before the event to take home with us, I thought we would be dyeing them on the night, but, in an unexpected twist, our shoes had already (thankfully) been dyed by the Rainbow Club professionals and we were instead asked to take part in an hour-long shoe-decorating competition, with the winner receiving £100 of Harvey Nichols vouchers.

Fashion bloggers certainly don’t mess around when a prize like that is up for grabs, and silence descended on the group as we set about dyeing our plain shoes (with dyes expertly mixed up by the Octane girls) and adding as much glitter, sparkles and trims as possible. I’m not sure the Octane PR girls expected us to take the challenge quite as seriously as we did!

As you can see, the resulting creations were all kinds of weird and wonderful – and, I’m proud to say, after much deliberation from the Octane PR ladies, my shoe (the green, lacy one on the left) was crowned the winner. I still can’t quite believe it – everyone did a great job and the other shoes were so creative and jazzed-up I thought I had no chance. I will of course be sharing my Harvey Nichols purchase here on the blog – I’m trying to hold off on spending my winnings until the sale in the hope of picking up a bargain or two.

After our shoe-designing efforts, we were treated to some tasty barbecue fare, warming crumble and classic Bonfire Night treats like toasted marshmallows and toffee apples – as well as some sparklers to play with too, as, after all, no Bonfire Night is complete without them. Octane PR definitely know how to put on a party – this is the best blogger event I’ve been to so far, and the lovely PR peeps did a great job of introducing the Rainbow Club brand (which was new to me), keeping the fun going and, most importantly, keeping our cocktails topped up. They provided a great example of PR done well, and I’m not just saying that because they chose my shoe, I promise.

On our way out, we were handed our expertly dyed Rainbow Club shoes in a cute candy-striped box; I chose the mid-heeled Jackie style in a rich burgundy colour, which are stylish and super comfy – perfect for the festive season and the weddings I have coming up next year.