People notice shoes. You have only to wear cheap christian louboutin shoes that are very slightly more interesting than black leather boots and people compliment you on your bravery as if you had just done a lengthy open-water swim. I have a pair of silver brogues from which any mud or leaf-mush wipes straight off. They are more practical than my more sensible-looking toms outlet black loafers because the lace-up top makes them significantly warmer and more waterproof. They are much, much more fit-for-purpose on a winter commute than the black ballerina-style pumps that I still see all around me on the tube – useless things, with leather that is never thick enough to keep your toes warm and a cut that exposes the delicate top of your foot to the cold. But simply because the colour is eye-catching, the brogues look bold and somehow give the impression that I have made an effort. They raise a no-brainer outfit into something that looks purposeful, rather than default. Or, worn with a fendi outlet cocktail dress, they add the sparkle you get from a sequin scarf, in a way more this-season form.