My trusty walking boots have finally expired. It’s a big deal for someone who plods around as much as I do. I must have been to about 20 shops trying to find a replacement looking for something cheap, comfortable and sturdy enough to do about 3,000 miles of pavement.

Shops seem to cater for mountaineers, hill walkers, jungle trekkers, light trekkers, travellers, but not urban walkers. Our needs are quite different and the whole thing left me quite perplexed. Eventually wet feet got me down and I ended up with a pair of cheap Reeboks from Lilywhites.