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When Sir Keir Starmer slipped on his shoes before heading out to the England football team’s training grounds on Monday, he may not have known he was going to cause a stir.
But intentionally or not, a new dividing line was created in British politics: one that will split the loyalties of Beavertown drinkers, cool uncles and football casuals alike.
Just weeks after Rishi Sunak went viral for wearing his favourite pair of Adidas Sambas, the Labour leader opted for Adidas Gazelles on his visit to the FA headquarters at St George’s Park.
To those not enthusiastic about footwear, it can be hard – some might say impossible, others might say pointless – to tell these two styles apart.
For what it’s worth, the Gazelle is usually made of suede and has a bulkier midsection, while the Samba tends to be made out of leather with a slimmer look.
If that seems marginal, then you’d better start swotting up. This is about to become the clearest way to signal your position on the political spectrum.
I’m not joking – in a couple of years’ time, all that will matter in an election debate will be the footwear. We’ll be looking at the candidates from the ground up like an episode of Naked Attraction.
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Sitting opposite Arsenal legend Martin Keown – who was wearing an ideologically neutral pair of Doc Martens – Sir Keir said he was very deliberate about his choice of trainers.
Rishi raised eyebrows with his white trainers in an Insta interview (Picture: @rishisunakmp/Instagram)
Craig Munro – wearing a pair of suede boots he got in the January sales – grills the leader of the opposition about his footwear (Picture: Metro)
Sir Keir nailed his flag to the mast with his choice (Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images)
‘These are not Sunak-style, these are my old Gazelles,’ he told Metro.co.uk.
‘This is because you’ll see no end of politicians in suit and tie walking onto a football pitch and trying to play football with ordinary shoes on. It doesn’t work.
‘So I thought, if I was coming to the training ground, I’ve got to wear something I can actually kick a ball with, hence these.’
Your move, Ed Davey of the Liberal Democrats. We hope to see you in your Adidas Superstars on the campaign trail.
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