Aliens from the planet Fashion

The best footwear for walking in London's wet and dismal winter is a pair of £235 satin ballet pumps. With them, wear trousers with pavement-skimming hems.

Sounds ridiculous? Yep? I vote the Times Fashion and Style team onto the naughty step for this utterly useless and impractical advice. There, they will be joining the Guardian style team who, if you remember, suggested readers avoided the credit crunch by stocking up on £40 (each) cushions).

Not knowing the value of money I can almost forgive, but this howler confuses me. How do these people get to work? Perhaps they take cabs everywhere, a la Carrie Bradshaw, whose impoverished youth was the only time she "wore Candie's and took the subway". Certainly, they've never tramped through puddles or they'd know their suggestions were a recipe for soggy trousers and dirty, drenched, satin shoes. 

For the rest of us, I'd recommend a nice pair of £44.99 Henderson Fizz ballerina shoes from Clarks with a special cushioned insole. Alternatively, if you want a heel without the discomfort, I'd recommend some (again Clarks) £54.99 Bamboo Palm shoes. These feature a nice corrugated wedge heel for maximum grip on icy streets, and are almost as comfortable as trainers. 

Clarks shoes are almost indestructible - my patent leather, wedge sandals are still going strong despite being worn daily this summer during my two-hour daily walk. They occasionally need re-heeling.

Finally, consider your skirt length. If you often wear mini skirts or skirts just above the knee, I'd recommend smart black boots. Flat boots look great with short skirts, and have the added advantage of keeping your knees warm. Most shops sell suitable styles.

[NB: Their suggestion for Russell & Bromley loafers isn't completely stupid. It's just they look like something my granny would have worn. Surely this was what the gal writing in was trying to avoid!]