Best foot forward

The biggest men's shoe department in the world opens in London today - it will take the fear out of shopping for footwear, says Lee Holmes

Perhaps one of the most neglected relationships of the modern male is the one with his feet. Unlike women who, for the most part, make no bones about their lifelong love affair with shoes, there are, unsurprisingly, many men who pay scant regard to footwear.

Problems begin when men are forced (yes actually forced, more often than not) to shop for new shoes. A general air of malaise ensues, and dare we say some regress back to a sulky teenager being forced to try on sensible black school shoes rather than the gleaming new pair of trainers they truly covet.

Add to this, the herculean task of visiting all number of shops to ensure all price ranges are covered and a range of styles tested to find a pair which doesn't leave toes pinched or heels rubbed. Unsurprisingly, the end result is usually to return home empty handed, slumped in defeat.

Thankfully, this scenario may well be a thing of the past thanks to that ever-so helpful store Selfridges. Today it opens the biggest men's shoe department in the world: a whopping 15,000 square feet of footwear. Inside lies an unparalleled collection of shoes ranging from high-street brands like Kurt Geiger, to designers such as Tom Ford and Grenson. In fact everything you'll ever need foot wise will now all be under one roof. This, one hopes, will be its main attraction.

As for shoe aficionados, the space will also house a made to order salon where, for a hefty price, customers can have their feet measured and choose the leather, sole style, and colour of their new footwear thus ensuring their tootsies will never have to endure ill-fitting shoes again. In the famous words of Goldilocks, these shoes will be "just right".

The new department should therefore go some way to making shoe shopping stress free and effortless at last. And if you still have doubts about this new mecca to footwear, remember that there's nothing remotely feminine about owning an impressive selection of shoes. Your virility will remain unchallenged, unless, of course, that collection is made up of killer heels.