the best socks ever!

[pilvikki]

knitted by someone in Lapland, Sweden side:

[Icey]

I love 'em!! They look lovely and snuggly, despite the umm ... colours.

[pilvikki]

colours? what's wrong with the colours?

they're for inside use as they'd not fit into any shoes. not even my slippers! so soft...

[Icey]

I know hun. One of the boys received a pair of something very similar at Christmas - for padding around the house in. They're in black though. It made him laugh, but he's worn them! I think they were meant to be for me!! Well they are now! : )

[pilvikki]

then you'd be one the Blackfoot tribe.

[Icey]

Think I'd rather be that, than "hoof-arted" .....



What would they fit comfortably on - a mandrake?

The snuggly socks looks incredibly warm, but I'm not one for lots of stripey colours put together. That goes for scarves, hats or gloves. Still, no problem around the house.

[pilvikki]

cloven hooves....

in the summer I sometimes like to wear really bright ones. especially in finland, where everybody does, regardless. here black is the most common colour and I hate the way it makes my skin look sallow, dull and sickly.

[Icey]

I like colours as well, but not when they're all shades of the rainbow and thrown together. It's different somehow on National dresses, and Aztec prints can be very colourful. Wonderful work goes into them, but I couldn't go out sporting an array of hues.

It's different in each country. In the Caribbean, bright clashing colours're perfectly acceptable, the same as Finland seems to be. For instance, I wouldn't wear pink and orange together, unless it was subtly woven into a pattern on a scarf or pretty summer skirt. I don't like to see yellow and pink, or yellow and orange, either, but I suppose it depends on the depth of the shade and the item it's on.

Kids can get away with it, but I don't think many adults can.

[pilvikki]

funny you should mention that, pink and orange makes me feel ill. ditto some combinations of green and different hue of green. like the neighbour's toilet walls...

when I took to wearing my odd socks to work, I always made sure they didn't clash with each other or my leggings.

[Icey]

I can wear any colour socks below leggings or jeans, because my boots cover them. In better weather, I don't wear socks, tights or anything on my feet. In fact, I'm bare-footed right now.

I agree that some blues and greens can look putrid, although I like both colours when they come in certain shades of such.

I'm not too fond of that bright (emerald?) green, but it depends on who wears it. I think it suits dark-haired people better than lighter ones.

[pilvikki]

with my right flipper ½ a size bigger tan the left, depending on situation and shoes (like my boots), i'll pick socks that are different thicknesses, so it'll even them out.

[Icey]

Good idea! The difficulty's when it comes to buying well-fitting shoes. Our youngest has the same problem. He has to buy the right size to accommodate the slightly longer foot, and then the shorter one always has more space to the toe. Hmm .....

[pilvikki]

once he stops growing, he'd be better off having his shoes special made for him. depending on where you go, it would not be too expensive.

[Icey]

If his feet grow any more, I'll despair. He's 16, and takes a fair size as it is. His brother's even worse. At almost 18, he wears a UK 11 in trainers, and a 12 in shoes or boots! Sasquatch!! Skis!!!!!!! LOL! Mind you, they're both tall, so you wouldn't expect them to have puny feet.

Have to beg to differ about shoes being tailor-made. The youngest had to have them before his legs and hips were checked for any defects, so we duly had him measured up and a cast was made for him a few years ago at the children's hospital. Within a week of the shoes being worn, they'd split, even though they were made of tough leather. We went elsewhere, and he was measured again, and we got him a pair of really nice shoes after he made no complaints at the fitting. Those didn't last for too long either, and he suddenly outgrew them anyway, but they were very expensive and came from a proper Northamptonshire place which specialises in producing bespoke shoes.

Here's an example of the prices, and this's outside of London .....

PRICING

The following prices are comparable to other UK shoemakers who also benefit from lower overheads outside of London. All prices are inclusive of VAT.

Lace-up shoes £1,200

Monk shoes £1,350

Loafers £1,350

Boots £1,400 (low rise and ankle boots)

Fully bespoke lasts + fitting £750 (payable on the first order only)

Lasts in a new style or ergonomic* for an existing client + fitting £600

Just to have them re-soled costs £250, 334.25 euros or $361. 77. Now you see why they aren't cheap.

[pilvikki]

I don't know where punkin looked into them, but the prices were nothing like that! mind you, everything is cheaper here as we're paying in euros what you pay in pounds. ergo, no shopping for us in the UK...

[Icey]

Yes, but as you see above, 334. 25 euros just to have hand-made shoes re-soled???

Maybe it depends on what sort of shoes you're having made. They could be anything from flip flops, to sandals to lace-ups and court shoes, and there's bound to be a difference in price. I suppose that the more leather which's used, the more expensive it becomes, but the soles and heel parts're the most costly, because they're made to the exact shape of your feet and account for the pressure you put on them. They also hold your feet at the correct angle for your particular walk, so it takes several weeks for shoes to be specifically made. Once you've done that, the shoemaker keeps a record or mould of your feet, so that should you go back for some more, they have all the details to be guided by.