Something's brewing under foot - but is it for everyone?

Trendy trainer company New Balance announced earlier this week they're bringing out a 'Real Ale pack.' (I don't have the rights to use the pictures so check them out here.)

The range consists of three styles, each with a creative beer name based on popular types of British ale.

They are:

- The Chicken Foot IPA - the classic CT300 pump refurnished in soft golden brown

- The Cumbrian Red is the navy and burgandy 1500 model

- The Ye Old Flimby Prime is the stout in the collection (and my personal fave), the 576 trainer in black and brown

I thought they deserved a mention here.

Trainers have increasingly become the footwear of choice for lots of women. A few months back, the Guardian credited designers who featured trainers in their catwalks and wore them themselves with creating a "casual glamour ...[which has]... changed the way women dress today."

So, I think, to blend fashion with the brewing industry in this way is a unique and positive venture. Of course some people might think it's a bit gimmicky but it could get more women talking about ale, thinking about its culture and looking fresh in the process.

Except, I can't be certain they will be available specifically to women (I have tweeted New Balance to find out, nothing back yet.)

At best, NB bring the pack out as a unisex shoe (as they have with other lines) which would actually be successful on multiple levels for breaking down gender boundaries in both clothing and ale appreciation.

At worst, they make them a man's shoe, only bring them out in larger sizes and convey the message that ale is still the preserve of one gender and one gender only. The fact the pack has only been reported in men's mag GQ and specialist shoe websites doesn't fill me with too much hope.

To give a bit more detail about the shoes, they were 'brewed' in the UK, made in the American company's English manufacturing office in Cumbria.

But the homegrown nature of the products plus the amount of work that's gone into them - as stated in GQ: "Each comes with a perforated pigskin upper, a bath cloth textile lining and trademark Union Jacks on the tongue and heel. They even have "Brewed in England" embroidered on the tongue label and ale-branded inserts" - sadly means they don't come cheap. The damage is £110, £125 and £130, respectively.

I'll be stocking up on several packs of thick socks before then just in case I need to become a size 11 to fit my future pair of Ye Old Flimby's. Post-project present to myself? They are relevant, after all.

#fashion #realale #trainers #unisex