My - current - life in shoes

Ch ch ch ch changes

Over the years I’ve written a lot about shoes. They were such a regular subject in my column in Good Weekend magazine (Australia) and The Times (UK) that my first book, a collection of those pieces, was called Shoe Money.

And the cover features one of the very Manolo Blahnik mules I’m wearing in the picture above.

Which is pretty good when you consider the book came out 38 years ago and I’m still wearing the shoes, because the picture at the top was taken on Christmas Day this year.

The other feet in it belong to my daughter, Peggy, wearing her own pair of marvellously frivolous mules, with which she has her own back story.

They are by the brilliant Olivia Morris for her At Home brand, which Peggy sometimes models for.

The Weasel in modelling action.

oliviamorrisathome

A post shared by @oliviamorrisathome

oliviamorrisathome

A post shared by @oliviamorrisathome

Olivia very kindly gave the mules to Peggy.

(And do check out the Olivia Morris at Home Insta feed by clicking on the pics above, it’s heaven.)

All of which got me thinking about my relationship with shoes now, which is so very different from what it was in 1998, when I actually wore designer shoes like these Manolos in real life.

Now I only wear them at home. Where I can kick them off after posing around for a bit.

The two pairs of shoes I wear the most now are something very different.

These are the amazing cork-soled, felt upper clogs by German brand Haflinger - the only shoes more comfortable than Birkenstoks.

They are my winter house shoes (which is why they look a bit filthy…sorry). Warm, insanely comfie - and they give my shortarse frame that crucial little bit of luft. In summer it’s all Birkos all the way, indoors and out.

My other winter go-tos are all-time classic Doc Marten Chelsea boots - although these are a bit special, because they are a limited edition without the signature yellow stitching, which I think makes them much chicer.

You bounce along on the famous Airware sole, they keep rain out, they go with everything.

I’m mad about them, but sometimes you need to be a little bit smarter. That’s when I pull out my Penelope Chilvers ankle cowboys.

These were a bit of a shoe miracle, because after slavering over them on the website for a couple of years - where they are £279 - I found them in a charity shop, my size, unworn… £20. I felt like they had been waiting for me.

The quality and details are so good and they’re so comfortable to wear, I will happily shell out the full tax for my next pair. Probably these dark brown suede numbers.

My next most-worn shoes are my feature Nikes. These are corduroy. Can you believe it? I squealed when I saw them.

I buy a special edition pair every couple of years to be my smart Feature Trainer, which is what I mostly wear these days for a trip to London. Even if I’m going to a fancy restaurant. The great foot liberation I wrote about here.

For party time these days I favour a boot, because I find them best for dancing.

This leopard pair always get me instantly in the mood and they were another Shoe Miracle.

I found them in cheapo chain New Look, about 10 years ago and unlike most bargain shoes they are super comfortable and are still in OK condition after a lot of dancing, although I do ration the wears on them, to eke them out.

I do still have a lot of other shoes - classic brogues and loafers which I often try on and then ditch for my trainers. Lots of designer heels which I will probably never wear again and which I’m drip feeding to Peggy.

But I’m not ready to get rid of all those yet. They have so many years of happy memories in Sydney, London, New York, Milan and Paris attached to them and I like having them neatly stored on my higher shoe shelves, where I can look at them, as objects and souvenirs, even if I’ll never put them on my feet again.

But while they are beautiful things, it’s the shoes here which really define my life now - and I’m happy with that.

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