FOOTWEAR FOCUS ROAD TEST
Henry Harington goes sockless in his authenticEmu boots!
There is an absurd symmetry that the land with a huge sky gives rise to a flightless bird (if that is not a contradiction in terms) that is the same country that can be scorching hot in summer, yet produces sheep skin boots with the thermal retention of a well insulated Scandinavian house.
O
ne wonders whether the progenitors of the EMU Australia sheepskin boot made the link. I will call the delightful sheepskin boots I have
been given to test “My EMUs” for short. There are a lot of sheep in Australia. So, what were the Australians to do with all their sheepskins? Turn them into boots of course – the warmest, hottest, snuggest boots than man (or woman) could make. EMU Australia boots are made in Victoria in the
seasonal south of the country, where the beer - and the winters - are served cold. Australians understand the benefits of sheepskin and merino much better than us in the UK, since they actually sleep in merino wool to keep cool in summer. Sheepskin is a natural product and is actually a regulator of body temperature, so while it keeps your feet warm in winter, it also keeps your feet cool in the summer. Hence a toasty warm sheepskin boot became de rigueur, the very height of haute couture among the Bells Beach surfers in Victoria. Picture beefy Australian men standing on the beach, shoehorned into bulging Speedos (another, more appropriate Australian invention) and wearing sheepskin boots. Thankfully, I am not aware of any evidence of this manly display. Or, perhaps, I have it wrong and the surfers gloried in their sheepskin boots when the surf was down (which I suppose is the opposite of “surf’s up”). Boots like the my EMUs were used for après surf: to be worn with baggies in a bar as
they regaled each other with tales of daring do as they braved 50 foot waves, crouched in tunnels and “wiped out” in storm forced winds. Despite the flightlessness of the EMU bird, my EMU’s made it to this country in time for the winter months allowing me to road test them. I don’t think I have ever described a shoe or boot as “sexy” or even “sensuous” – but taking off your socks and sinking your bare feet into a pair of EMUs can be described as a sublime experience! As I do with any new shoes or boots I test I wear them in the house for a few days to
ensure they are the right size etc. I received the boots at the start of a cold snap – and they did not come off for days. I wore them around the house like a pair of long slippers. The only time they came off was when I went to bed. It’s not as mad as you think: I live in an old and
drafty house on Dartmoor and, of course, the laws of physics dictate that hot air rises and therefore the drafts coming under the doors and the air hanging around your feet is c-o-l-d. My EMUs were an absolutely perfect solution. When I eventually ventured out in them the
EMU Australia boots lived up to their expectations of keeping out the cold, the wind and the weather. I was surprised how, when walking in the rain, they repelled the water. I am not saying that you should go for a tramp in the muddy countryside with them (their light colour would be spoiled), but they are certainly weather proof. I never cease to marvel at how things happen –
I guess the EMU bird gave up flying because it couldn’t be bothered as it had no natural predators. Whatever the case one thing is for certain, my EMUs are exceedingly comfortable boots and I plan to wear them all year round!!
EMU Australia’s Platinum Collection is available all year round. For further details contact 0207 713 2080
www.EMUaustralia.com
Details: Platinum Stinger Lo
• Hand crafted in EMU’s Australian factory. • Classic Lo full sheepskin style with platinum metal branding • Made with water resistant Australian double-face sheepskin • Sheepskin naturally 'wicks away moisture' meaning odourless footwear • Superior double stitched seams for added strength
• Moulded suede leather heel cup for better fit and support • Removable anatomically correct sheepskin lined insole
• Durable EMUsole hard wearing rubber with quality EVA for comfort and support Price: trade £66.50 - RRP £195.00
18 • FOOTWEAR TODAY
• MARCH 2012
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