Brogue or sneaker? Prada shoes a hit, no matter the name.

I love Prada’s aptly named new Brogue Creeper (apt, that is,because it seems to inspire sharply divided responses, from covetous to just plain creeped out). What do you think? The shoe is definitely unique, with its combination of a brogue upper, espadrille-style rope detail and foam soles. It’s all the rage in London right now—every retailer in the city has sold out of the shoe (http://tinyurl.com/4a2gn6f). No word yet on whether it’s a retail hit on this side of the pond. Did I mention the design was inspired by brothel creepers? (Not what you’re thinking, I promise!) Brothel creepers were a popular shoe style in the years following WWII, when soldiers based in North Africa wore boots with thick, hard wearing crepe soles. When they returned home, many of the men showed up in London’s hottest nightspots sporting the shoes. The style was adopted by Teddy Boys inthe 50’s, who paired them with drainpipe trousers. Who knew a pair of Pradas could prove to be so informative?