At least with two identical pairs of shoes I can make a swift exit

Some years ago I made myself a simple rule: never buy footwear online. I have proved the worth of this rule several times since, by breaking it. Last year I paid a substantial sum for a pair of smart black shoes which raise a blister the size of a 10p coin on my right heel whenever I walk more than a hundred metres in them.

Luckily I only wear these shoes to funerals, which are largely seated affairs; one day I may build up a tolerance to them, but I don’t know how many more people will have to die before that happens. My wife and I are going on a holiday with an itinerary that calls for walking shoes, though it is a matter of some debate whether we actually own walking shoes.

“All shoes are walking shoes,” I say. “Except maybe my black ones.” She emails me a link to a unisex hiking shoe that looks like some kind of amphibious landing craft; an AI advice box suggests my ideal fit would be half a size smaller. Ignoring both the recommendation and the voice in my head repeating my own rule, I click Add to Basket.

footwear, online shopping, walking shoes, hiking shoe, blister, heel, shoe fitting, ai advice, holiday, funerals