Correct Footwear for The Occasion, Prince William Gets It Right

Shoes serve multiple purposes. They can be functional, fashionable, or both. When choosing which shoes to wear on any occasion, we need to consider what we’ll be doing and what the purpose of the shoes will be. When visiting a bird sanctuary on an island, you may expect to encounter uneven, muddy or rocky paths. If it’s a hilly island you’d probably expect your walk to involve a bit of a climb. Which shoes would you choose?

Consider the decisions below of Prince William and John Key, the Prime Minister of New Zealand. Which man looks most at ease? Who got their footwear right, Prince William, the royal visitor from a far away place, or John Key, the local man?

Source: Reuters, in Dominion Post, New Zealand

Prince William definitely looks more at ease as he disembarks from the boat onto the island. Either he had more common sense, or better advisers on what to expect on the island. He’d obviously been on small islands before. The Prince had taken the time to change from his formal attire of the previous function. His flat walking shoes, which presumably had a good grip on the soles, were not only functional, but fashionable as well.

Prime Minister John Key does not look so much at ease. Maybe he was overawed at being host to royalty? Coming from the previous engagement as being the country’s Premier at the opening of the new Supreme Court, he had not considered the special circumstances of the next engagement. His advisers had not thought of what going to an island might entail either. Yes, he had taken his jacket off. It was a hot summer day. But look at those black dress shoes, probably with a smooth sole for walking down Parliament’s corridors. Look at how he needs to steady himself on the railing as he walks the short ramp from the boat to the island. Those shoes may have been a hindrance on the island paths ahead.

There is a lesson t be learnt from these two men on this occasion. Footwear is important. It needs to be functional as well as looking good. If you’d been going to the bird sanctuary on Kapiti Island, which shoes would you have chosen?

Author picture of Kapiti Island, taken from Paraparaumu Beach

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