FOOTWEAR FOCUS ROAD TEST Korea-ring down Kingsway
ascending an escalator at Holborn the other day – it's a very deep tube station. I like to walk up the escalators. The plan to be fitter and not fatter, so I could slip into my “little black number,” for the round of New Year parties has not paid off.
T Usually I climb the escalators with something of a self righteous stride
leaving the sedentary clinging to their steps as I swoosh past. But, with the failure of “operation little black number” I did not want to suffer the ignominy of striding past people like some health freak, only to peter out half way up the escalator and having to ask for a place on the right because I was holding up the really healthy people who were backed up behind. As I stood on the escalator I had time to form a mental picture of legions
of women in winter boots goose stepping in unison down Kingsway with their legs raised to waist height, to the drum beat. I had, by the time I reached the top of the escalator dreamed up why all the women in London should be goose stepping down Kingsway, other to than to show off the variety of long boots on offer this year. Of course “fashion,” that spontaneous desire of women to exhibit their
best features, complemented by some piece of clothing, footwear or jewellery, is planned years in advance by the fashion industry that manipulates the ‘spontaneous-ness’. It is a bit like the big supermarkets that plan“one for the price of two” packets of potatoes a year in advance, with no knowledge of how many potatoes will be in production at the time they launch the special offer. So it was in 2011, in the wake of two Siberian winters that
here seem to be more boots in London this year. More than the number that shod the jack booted North Korean army, as it paraded past the late departed North Korean Dear Leader Kim Jong-il Jung in his annual military parade. This thought occurred to me when I was
brought Britain to a complete standstill, someone in the fashion world had a light bubble moment, “Let them wear boots” he said (it had to be a he). So plans were drawn up, designs sketched, leather swatches surveyed, factories commissioned, distributors put on standby and advertisements, fashion shoots and PR campaigns planned. The fashion industry created the desire for long boots that would allow us
to stylishly show a bit of leg before we broke both of them slipping on the Arctic wastes of the High Street (that the local authority had failed to grit). The supermarkets planned their potato campaign with an absence of
foresight about potato productivity and discovered there was a drought. They had to import potatoes from Egypt to meet the demand they had created by their two for one offer. The shoe companies were in the same boat with no control over the
weather. I was swimming without a wetsuit in the sea off the south coast of England on the first of November. October, November and December have seen record high temperatures (and even drought warnings). So all the fashionable, tall, leather boots have stayed in the shop windows, in their boxes or not even been shipped from their factories. Not strictly true... However, the almost tropical autumn did melt the
expectations of many a shoe retailer, creating an unwelcome lull in sales in October and November. The perversity of our gender eventually accepted the call of the fashion industry and trooped out to buy long leather boots, albeit much later than usual in December. And, the call of duty reached this magazine and I was asked to road test a pair of JJ Footwear boots. JJ Footwear work with a unique fitting process, whereby customers are
asked to take two measurements, the foot and the circumference of the calf. Normally, this would be done in a shop or online, but, as I was road testing the boots I was asked to take these measurements myself and JJ would then be able to establish my shoe and calf size and send a pair of boots that fitted perfectly. Having very slim legs myself, finding well fitting boots is problematic. I do so hate a gap twixt leg and boot, which, more often than not, results in a boot that sags miserably (I don’t ‘do’ sagging!), so, naturally, I leapt at the chance. And, it worked very well.
22 • FOOTWEAR TODAY • FEBRUARY 2012
Joan Collet puts the boot into JJ Footwear
When I opened the box the waft of real calf leather was truly sensuous and the feel of the butter-like leather further heightened the senses. The boots were a perfect fit both in the foot and the way they caresses my calves and ankles, as well as stylish and exceedingly comfortable. My editor tells me that JJ Footwear also took the measurements of two other members of the team, both of whom have, how shall I put it, somewhat fuller legs and larger feet than mine (I said fuller, Ed, not FATTER!) and this also worked out well. I realise now why I was fantasising about uniting womanhood in boots to
go goose stepping down Kingsway: for a pair of boots like this we would all sign up to the national five year plan or whatever it was Kim Jon-Il required of his country folk. All I can say now is that I hope winter drags out and is suitably cold so I
have every excuse to wear my boots. And when I ride up the escalator I will have a different sense of superiority, no longer my fitness; just my boots are better than the rest!
Details:
Napoli, 1500110-12, S-N, 1-2 & 3-4 XW, sizes 36 - 44 Colours Black or Cognac Trade €75.54 - €84.42 RRP £160 - £180
Contact: Nina Townsend,
UK Business Manager, JJ Footwear,
Tel: 07713 597138
www.jjfootwear.co.uk
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