This line consists of a lace shoe and a Chelsea boot version. You can tie the lace boot a bit better, but the Chelsea saves you 40 seconds every time you put them on because you don't have to tie them. If you use that time to learn Chinese, in 20 years you’ll be able to order a rice dish without even an accent at your local Chinese restaurant. I regularly wear Chelsea’s myself, but not for 20 years, that’s why I haven’t made it past 饥饿的 yet!"

I hated that pushing and pulling, but I had to go every week. I even got my yellow belt back then. At least, some kind of yellow belt. I peed my pants right on the judo mat. After that, my mother didn't make me go back. I wonder now how formative that yellow belt has been for the rest of my life.... Maybe that's why I resort to peeing my pants every time I don't get my way in the design room?! If so, it's probably good to know I was able to keep my pants dry for this shoe. From concept to final result, I was completely on board with this style. This shoe is somewhere between a sneaker and a more casual shoe. You can combine it with a wide range of outfits, and it looks smart and sporty at the same time."

Or rather, one shoe says to the other: "So you are a Floris van Bommel shoe?" He talks by moving his sole up and down at the front like a lower jaw. The other shoe replies with: "Mpff, mpff". And that, of course, is because it’s indeed a Floris van Bommel shoe! The sole is firmly attached. So, it can't talk. Anyway, the blank stares I’ve received so far in response to this drawing are pretty telling. That’s why I’m explaining it here. This way, should you go for this model, you can focus entirely on the shoe itself. And I’ll spend some time thinking about whether I should go "mpff mpff" more often when trying to be funny."

I’ll tell you what kind of shoe this is in two sentences, but first I have to tell you that lately, I’ve been having hiccups. Very annoying. And the strange thing is that every time I hiccup, it feels like I hear someone inside my body gently saying 'help'. It’s somewhere between 'hilp' and 'help'... Does it happen to you too? If so, please email me. But OK – back to this shoe. We spent a lot of time tinkering with the sole. It's a lovely, lightweight material, which has beautifully rounded shapes and we've worked a nuanced version of our zig-zag line into the profile. This is a modern casual shoe that you’re going to enjoy for a very long time, I t-hic-nk."

When my eldest brother stands angrily at my desk because a shoe we designed is too expensive according to his calculations, my standard response is: 'Better too expensive than not for sale!' One of the best clichés in the shoe business is that if you want to live a good life, you have to invest in the quality of everything that separates you from the ground. A mattress for instance, tyres, a chair and... shoes! A fool proof argument, of course. The reasoning certainly holds true for these shoes. This is our most wintery style this season. A tough and sturdy sole with plenty of grip and a proper design on top. Winter fun fact: the thicker the sole, the less likely the cold will get in! And it's also good quality, you know!"