Hampton Canvas

£25 each

“Can we send you some shoes to say thank you for your kind coverage of Trotters?” said Trotters.

“Oh no,” I said. “Thank you so much, but I don’t take freebies.”

“Oh go on,” they said.

“OKAY YES I WILL HAVE SOME FREE SHOES THANK YOU”.

And here they are!! But only for the kids, you understand. I got none for myself, to sort of balance out the moral quandary of taking freebies.

I’m so not a millennial neither in fact nor in attitude.

Hampton Canvas are a range of shoes that used to be sold only in Trotters stores or on the Trotters website, but they are so popular that Trotters have given the shoe their own website, which is here.

Next-eldest sister always used to deck her kids out in HC and every time I said “God where did you get those cute posh little plimsolls for the boys?” and she said “Trotters” and I went “Ugh but it’s in Chelsea, I never go to Chelsea.” Then I noticed them more and more on other people’s kids – they always looked so cute, chic and yet practical. And yet… there was always that journey to Chelsea, or the rather unknowable task of buying childrens’ shoes online that got in the way – plus they were very often completely sold out.

I particularly like the “Nantucket” which has a Mary-Jane style strap but Kitty picked out the bright pink pair, naturally, and Sam vaguely stabbed at the screen and went “Dose,” at what I took to be the navy blue ones.

Of course, my children have got such weird-shaped feet, (Sam’s are square and Kitty’s are long and slim like wading bird), that they might not technically fit, but I will just cut holes in the relevant places and stuff newspaper down the sides so that they can wear them anyway.