And they’re at the end of your feet.  Take a good look – they’re your shoes.  And if you’re a bloke, you can bet your boots they’ll be bloody boring.

 They’ll be dark, drab and deadly dull with perhaps a pattern of punched holes and the odd forlorn tassel to enliven the tedium.  If you’re a bit on the wild side, you may have a pair of Birkenstock sandals or some canvas deck shoes secreted at the back of your wardrobe for those British “summer days”.

 So why is there an explosion of women’s shoes in every shape and form whilst men’s shoes remain so woefully lacking in imagination?

 It wasn’t always like this.  Back in the seventeenth century, the height of fashion for men was to wear enormous matching pom-poms on their shoes at court.  Not only were these highly decorative, they were also practical as they could be detached for outdoor wear.

Even my brother as a child, had a pair of Clark’s shoes which boasted a cunningly concealed compass in the sole and had an array of animal tracks on the sole.

 So why did men’s shoes become boring?  The Industrial Revolution meant men’s clothes became increasingly utilitarian whilst female attire continued merrily on its froufrou way.

 Another reason was that shoes in the middle-range price bracket have become commodities and are sold as such.  Gone are the days when they came lovingly nestled in tissue paper and cradled in a cardboard box to be placed reverently upon the feet by a prostrate shop assistant.  Shoes can now be thrown away the instant the owner becomes bored with them – in short, shoes and their owner are no longer in a long-term relationship.

Hudson Shoes

 So what can be done to get men’s shoes back on a more interesting track?  Men need to start demanding shoes that show a little more imagination and have a stamp of individuality on their soles.  They should learn to love their shoes and not slander them with nasty names such as winkle-pickers or brothel-creepers.

 Secondly, shoe makers need to start investing more time and money in slightly more adventurous designs.  One company, Hudson Shoes, has taken this onboard and is forging ahead with a rafter of stylish shoes and boots.  Their shoes sport some neat details that lift them above the ordinary dross and they’re reasonably priced.

So brothers-in-arms, rise and deliver yourselves from the tyranny of boring shoes and men everywhere can all put their best foot forward.

By Lindsey Nicholls

Hudson do some funky shoes