FOOTWEAR FOCUS ROAD TEST
Skechers Men's Pebble - Lanto Lace-Up Shoes W
hen you are of a, "certain age", and out with a group of friends, and one of them suggests you "go clubbing," the rest of you fall about in uncontrolled mirth. Such is the energy consumed in the burst of
laughter that there is no surplus strength to go clubbing. One retreats homewards and after a cup of hot cocoa, retire to bed early. While we have to accept the physical limitations that are imposed on us
by encroaching age, there is no reason why we should not indulge ourselves when it comes to looking good. The expression "going to seed" suggests to me a venerable vegetable neglected in the garden that has awkward sprouts and flowers suggesting it is trying to relive its youth when it is sadly passed its sell by date. I have a determination to resist "going to seed" which is one of the
reasons that I welcome the new running shoes the editor of Footwear Today sends me from time to time. They are a prompt to a renewed commitment to an exercise regime that does lapse from time to time. The running shoes I test are frequently in quite garish colours – I'm not
sure why as most runners run in an urban environment and would not need to be spotted by a rescue helicopter as they would if they got lost on the moors as I do from time to time. For the benefit, particularly of urban runners, running shoes have soles that are as cushioned as the base of a bouncy castle. And the soles have treads that would compete with those on the Lunar Rover. I was therefore somewhat nonplussed when a pair of Skechers shoes
arrived: with a low –profile design, a smooth leather upper and coloured brown , they were not your usual running shoe. Despite being padded they maintain their slimline design. If they were running shoe there was certainly the smartest running shoes that I had ever been sent! Indeed, having been told that I were being sent a pair of Skechers, I’d
assumed that they would be running shoes but then I read the bumf which came with the shoes where they are described as, “Lace up casual sneakers in Oxford design." These were not running shoes, they were "sneakers". What finally decided me that these were a different kettle of fish was the price, at as sensible £57 (RRP) they are a fraction of the cost of branded running shoes. The Skechers sneaker was much more stylish and fashionable as casual wear rather than sportswear and had the far superior quality and comfort that would expect from a dress shoe. The Skechers sneakers were a very smart, smart-casual sneakers.
They were not the shoes that you see a middle aged bloke wearing with a pair of chinos or cords down the pub. They were too stylish for that, they were more like something one would wear clubbing! I had an overwhelming desire to squeeze into my spray-on skinny jeans, put on a fashionable shirt and my Skechers sneakers and relive my youthful clubbing days! Would I in resisting going to seed be making an exhibition of myself? Would I be mutton dressed up as lamb? You know what? I don't care! It's simply amazing how nice clothes and good quality shoes can restore your confidence and your energy. And flexible rubber traction outsole of the Skechers sneaker had definitely put a spring in my step. I was up for some clubbing! And, knowing Skechers reputation for sporty shoes, I was confident that would give my feet and ankles the support I would need as I gyrated on the club dance floors. I tottered off (spray on skinny jean is pretty tight!) for a night out with a
group of friends to celebrate my XX birthday. If anyone was an object of fun it was friends my age who were wearing "sensible" shoes while younger friends said I looked “ awesome” and “ cool” - if that doesn’t give you a boost nothing will - and they asked me where I got my shoes which surely is as good a recommendation for my tastes - OK, and the shoes! - which proved as comfortable as I had predicted – while my muscles and bones ached a bit the next day (not to mention my head!) the sneakers proved to be the right choice for my feet on my clubbing excursion.
12 • FOOTWEAR TODAY • JANUARY 2014
Details:
Skechers Men's Pebble - Lanto Lace-Up Shoes Suggested Retail Price: £57.00 Trade Price: £28.00
Keep your look smooth and your feet comfortable in the SKECHERS
Pebble - Lanto shoe. Smooth leather upper in a lace up casual sneaker with stitching and overlay accents.
Construction: · Smooth leather upper · Lace up casual sneaker oxford design · Stitching accents · Dual stitched front overlay stripes · Double toe overlay for added durability · Side overlays with zigzag stripe design · Contrast colored side stripe overlay panel · Perforation accents on side stripes · Embossed side S logo · Metal stud detail on heel panel · Lace up front · Padded collar and tongue · Soft fabric shoe lining · Cushioned comfort insole · Low profile shock absorbing midsole ·Wraparound rubber outsole detail · Flexible rubber traction outsole with rubber cleat detailing
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