24 FOOT FEB10 mens foot:Footwear_Jan10_p18_20 02/02/2010 12:37 Page 24
Men’s Footwear
Loakes for blokes
Henry Harington takes his new Loake Evolution Hastings shoes on an Arabian adventure
A
tipple or two were not in my mind when I set of to road test a crammed into what is left of the old city – sad, there are a few old
pair of Loake Evolution, style Hastings shoes on a business buildings, really on their last legs but with elegant wooden lattice
trip to Saudi Arabia. The chances of reaching a state of balconies, shutters and windows. I had the feeling the citizens of
inebriation that coincided with the need to fall over in Saudi Jeddah (not the Jedi as I was tempted to call them) would wake one
Arabia are extremely thin: alcohol is forbidden under Islamic law morning and find their city had lost its history.
that Saudi Arabia enforces very, very strictly. Al Balad is a proper ‘souq’, narrow streets with crowds and shops
So strictly in fact, that I was nauseated on my first morning by a on top of each other. Jeddah is a trading city and was on the
crowd, that had caused a traffic jam in which I was stuck, departing ancient frankincense trail that brought the fragrant resin north
the scene of a public execution. Fortunately I missed the from Yemen. There shops devoted to aromas like frankincense and
beheadings, but witnessed the aftermath, workers from the local myrrh, dusky spices like cumin, coriander and rusty ones like
municipality hosing down the dais to wash away the blood. turmeric and red pepper.
My first impression of the Loake Hastings, as I took the shoes out All very atmospheric, but totally unsuited for a pair of shoes to be
of the box, was how soft and supple the leather was. I wear a lot of worn with a suit. I knew as much, but I thought I had to try them
business shoes, my own and those I test. Most of them are stiff as outside and not just in the office. Even in the evening the heat and
boards, even when they have been broken in and used for several humidity were high and heavy – just the conditions for swelling and
years. sweaty feet. Well, perhaps I needed shoes that had four wheel drive
A tag attached to the Hastings bore the slogan “Break Out of the for the rocky and uneven streets of Al Balad, but the flexibility and
Breaking In”. I took them at their word and took the risk of taking a softness of the Hastings leather
pair of brand new shoes away on a business trip. Loake say that seemed to expand with my feet.
the “Evolution” – the family of shoes of which the Hastings is Indeed, I did not return to the hotel
one in the range, uses a new system of construction which feeling I needed to plunge my shod
gives a degree of comfort and flexibility previously feet into a bath of cold water in
unavailable in a Goodyear Welted shoe, without order to take them off. And, when I
sacrificing the benefits and wear properties of did take them off, I did not have
our traditional welted shoes. the shape of the mouth of the
I was surprised how, for a pair of new shoe imprinted on my instep.
shoes, they did not require Back at the hotel I was able to
breaking in. What I found sit drinking a cup of sweet, thick
was that the softness of Turkish coffee a while the bootblack
the leather meant the polished the dust of the market from my
shoes moulded to my feet new shoes.
in a way I have not Long, pointed shoes are fashionable, particularly those
experienced with new shoes. with brogue detailing, as in the Hastings. I am not fashionable, but I
It was all going terribly well as I glided about in my new shoes in the am reasonably tall and they look elegant. Indeed, they drew
air-conditioned offices in which I was attending meetings. That isn’t admiring glances throughout my business trip to Saudi Arabia. The
a real road test so I decided to venture out. I quickly came back in, whole Loake Evolution range is perhaps aimed at a younger more
the temperature outside was above 35 degrees, so I waited until the fashion conscious market than your road tester. But, their shiny,
relative cool of the evening. pristine appearance coupled with the suppleness of the leather
I was in Jeddah on the Red Sea, a city that is incredibly would appeal to a wider age group – and, they are Made In Britain,
international mainly because it is the city into which millions of so well worth buying.
pilgrims fly en route to the Hajj, the pilgrimage in Makkah (Mecca)
and Medina. I ventured into the old market, Al Balad, that is Details: Loake Hastings - Wholesale price: £65 RRP: £150
24
•
FOOTWEAR TODAY
•
FEBRUARY 2010
www.footweartoday.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92