I wrote the other day about my inadvertant stay at JFK. One of the back stories of that flight was what it did to my feet. You see, I left the travel shoe horn that usually resides in my camera bag back at my club and I was wearing bespoke slipon shoes (not the pair in the photo) that literally fit like a glove. Well, when I had to put them back on after the usual pre-flight pat-down, I spent about ten minutes crushing the counters at the back of the heels to get them on my feet. No more of that, says I. They stay on until I get home. Well, what a miserable experience that was once my feet swelled in mid-air. I limped around for the next 24 hours.
Shoehorns were originally made from animal hoofs, and some made from bulls' hoofs are probably still available for purchase if you can find them. For myself, I like oxhorn, which is exactly the same keratin only taken from the head instead of the foot. Either is smooth, sturdy, natural and great looking.
Once a man gets past thirty and can no longer touch the floor with his knees straight without thinking about it, he will benefit from a
long handled shoe horn like the one in the photo. They are of course a bit awkward for travel, and there I like my
Traveller Brush Kit.
If only I hadn't put it where I couldn't get it.
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7 comments:
I am not as much in the "shoe game" as others, so I haven't used shoe horns before. They are for old people!
The other day I took an extra plastic shoe horn when I bought a pair of Bostonian Loafers. It has changed my life.
The back of my shoes no longer look like a crumpled old t-shirt. My feet appreciate not being crammed and my fingers no longer hurt when putting shoes on.
I am now not sure if I transitioned into an "old person" or if I have been enlightened?
I've often used a credit card in a pinch, and while it doesn't work as well as a real shoehorn, it helps.
I actually just got into the shoehorn game myself (the usual way -- bought a pair of shoes a little more than twice as expensive as any other pair I'd ever owned before). Was a little surprised how hard it was to find one, especially considering that I can remember when shoe shops would give one away free with a purchase.
LOL! An Enlightened Old Person is called Being Among the Wise. Welcome and congratulations on reaching this height so early in life. I, being a more down market gentleman than Will am quite happy to tote my AE solid steel 'horn' wherever I am going to have to change shoes. Whichever Neolithic genius invented them deserves canonization.
I'm now wondering what they were called when they were made of hoof, because surely shoe'horn' denotes that material? Maybe it doesn't matter.
At the risk of being pedantic, Could there be confusion re: Horn and Hoof ?
Hooves are thick and short... not the best shoe horn material. But they made nice Victorian inkwells.
Silmilar issues led me to always having a small travel shoe horn on me when I pass through airport security. A very useful device indeed.
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