Olyndra. London

Blokes over 60 won’t shut up about these

In the last six weeks, three different blokes my age have asked me where I got my shoes. I want to flag how unusual that is. I am sixty-one years old. The last time anyone — anyone, including my wife — paid attention to a pair of my shoes was probably 2003. I do not exist in a social bracket where this kind of comment occurs. The men I drink with, walk with, play tennis with, sit on a bench with at cricket — these are men who could be wearing each other's shoes, on alternate weeks, without any of us noticing. So when three of them, independently, in the space of forty-something days, looked down at my feet and said some version of those look comfortable, where are they from — I started paying attention. What's happening, I think, with the shoes I've ended up recommending, is that they are one of a very small number of pairs in the men's footwear market that quietly pass all five. I should name them, becau se I'm tired of typing the URL into other men's phones in pubs. They're the All-Day Walker from Olyndra London. A small London brand. Twenty-four quid in the current sale, which is approximately a third of what you'd pay for the equivalent shoe with a logo on it. The mechanics, briefly. Wide toe box, properly wide — no bunion pressure, no squeeze. A cushioned insole with arch support that takes the load off the knees and the lower back, which is the part of this no one really markets because no one over fifty wants to be reminded their knees need the help. Featherlight. Breathable. An anti-slip sole, which matters in October. No break-in period. They work from the first morning. Nine colours. The ones men our age reach for are black, brown, caramel, olive, or the double black with a darker sole. There's no logo you'd notice from more than a foot away. Looks like a shoe. Doesn't look like a statement.

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