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[title]Yasmin Hani Richardson leads a very busy life indeed. Besides being an actress, TV host and celebpreneur owner of Hippopo Baby Spa & Wellness and Sweetcuts Asia (that’s already a mouthful), she is also a mum. Her first son Noah was born in November 2013, and her second boy just arrived in December 2016. But even with two young children, she doesn’t stop. Besides her day job, Yasmin also currently hosts a YouTube web series titled ‘Mothers I Love Learning From’ with Sazzy Falak.
As busy as she is, Yasmin always makes time to spend with her family. And the close bond the family shares is evident in her Instagram photos, and even Noah’s (yes, he has an Instagram account, and he’s followed by a whopping 113,000 people at the time of print).
The active three-year-old has been attending school since he was just one year old, and is an intelligent little boy who loves cars. Whenever cars and lorries pass by, he gets excited and shouts out the brand, and he is rarely ever wrong according to his mum (he can even pronounce ‘Peugeot’ correctly!).
With their busy lives as local celebrities, Yasmin is always on the lookout for comfortable apparel for herself and especially Noah, shoes in particular as the family is always on the go. We speak to Yasmin to find out what she looks for in a pair of shoes.
Tell us about your lifestyle. What goes on in a regular week in the life of Yasmin Hani?
Quite hectic, I must say, ever since my second son was born. Let me tell you about a regular day instead – a regular day will usually consist of me sending Noah to school, a quick run to supermarket, come home and cook, running errands, and swimming and playing with the kids. And that’s on a free day! Otherwise I’d be working.
What do you do as a family for fun? Do you guys go out a lot during the weekends?
We love going to the mall where there’s a gym for mummy and daddy, and also play gym for Noah. Sometimes, we watch movies, go swimming, or visit with cousins or our parents! We do explore new places for new activities.
Tell us about Noah. Is he active? What does he like to do?
Yes, he’s definitely an active boy, super active; sometimes, that’s even an understatement! He has a very happy personality, very outgoing and adventurous. He loves doing stunts, running, crawling, climbing, skipping – everything you can think of. Another thing he loves to do is jump up and down, and then fall down on his own (he’ll pick himself back up after of course).
Photo: Bryan Ong
He does sound like a handful. And with all that running around, we’re sure a good pair of shoes is in order. As a mum, how important is a good pair of shoes for a growing child? And how would you know if the shoe is comfortable for them?
Very important! You don’t want your child to be screaming, getting cranky and stopping every few steps and complaining do you? I would know if he’s comfortable when he can do anything and everything without a fuss. And the best indicator is even after a whole day in them, there are no red marks on his feet.
When buying a pair of shoes, is design or comfort more important? Is there any specific feature you look for?
Comfort number one, durability (because this little boy can really really put the shoes to the test) and, of course, design. Those should come hand in hand. As a toddler, they jump, kick, run, crawl and do almost everything in their shoes. It has to be breathable too.
How often do you buy shoes for Noah? Does he go through them very fast?
Quite often, every six months at least; he goes through them very fast. I sometimes can get a bit upset whenever he grows out of a pair because the shoes are still usually in very good condition. So I usually just wash and keep them or donate.
Photo: Bryan Ong
Ideally, how long do you think a good pair of shoes should last for kids?
As long as they can still fit in it or even longer so it can be passed down to other siblings.
When choosing shoes, does Noah know exactly what he wants or does he still listen to your advice?
Noah just needs something that’s comfortable, and he knows which shoes are and which shoes aren’t, because every day he’ll choose to wear the same pair. I had to teach him that he should wear different shoes for different occasions, but he usually just sticks to one pair because it’s really comfortable. He knows which shoes he likes but doesn’t know what makes it his favourite. I assume it’s the comfort and durability, besides the design.
Photo: Bryan Ong
For comfortable shoes like the ones Yasmin talks about, check out the Kids Trigenic collection in Clarks’s AW17, which includes the stylish Tri Dash Jnr for boys and the Tri Pace Jnr for girls. Specially designed with a reactive flex technology that moves with and adapts to growing feet, these shoes are perfect for little ones. Plus, their lightweight flexible outsoles along with the soft leather and toe protection features will allow kids to be their active self running and jumping around in comfort. Besides, which kid doesn’t like bright colours and shoes that look cool?
For more information, visit clarks.my.