London's most wanted shoe - Prada's brogue-sneakers

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10 April 2012

Describing this season's most coveted pair of shoes is a challenge. One not helped by their creator, the formidable Miuccia Prada, who doesn't believe in bestowing her accessories with names.

Are they brogues? Are they espadrilles? Or are they brothel creepers with a sporty, spongey, slightly futuristic edge? The answer: they're Prada. And in fashion terms, that's all that matters.

Since appearing on the catwalk in Milan last September, Prada's brogue-sneakers have been causing a stir. So much so that the shoes - available in men's and women's varieties - are now sold out across London.

"Our customers have really embraced them," says Helen Attwood, the buying manager for shoes at Selfridges, who is expecting another delivery next week. "They're directional but wearable."

But be warned: what's "wearable" for the M&S shopper is not the same for serious fashion folk - who else has the time or inclination to find beauty priced at £510 in a rubber and straw sole?

In recent weeks the brogues have been a fixture on the front row, a sure measure of their hotness. Walking style enthusiast Katie Grand, editor of Love Magazine, owns pairs in both tan and black, while blogger Susie Lau favours the tan-and-orange style. Paris-based art director Katie Chung is also a fan. "They're a classic men's shoe with a twist," says Chung, of menswear brand Woo-youngmi. "That's what makes them great."

Can we be sole mates?

When it comes to fashion I'm about as edgy as a marble. I might pay plenty of attention to what's hot and what's not but I don't apply the rules to my own wardrobe. So when a pair of Prada brogues-cum-espadrilles-cum-trainers landed on my desk for a trial, I knew that pulling them off on the London streets was going to be a challenge.

For a start, I'm 5ft 3in with size 6 feet - already out of proportion before any footwear enhancements. These shoes add at least two sizes, which is sadly not quite offset by the extra two inches of height they give me. I feel like a hovercraft.

I decide to canvass some opinion from passers-by. "I wouldn't wear them," says one woman. Another just says "horrible". Then one lady asks if she can take a photo of them on her phone. "Why on earth do they have a bit of leather, a bit of espadrille and a bit of rubber?" she asks, incredulous.

"Oh, Prada. You push the boundaries and it doesn't always work." But as she stands looking, she begins to warm to them. "They would look great if you were wearing a matching blue jacket," she says. "Or if they were ankle boots instead of shoes - then they would be fantastic."

So it seems they don't just make you grow, they grow on you too.

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