Real stories · The loafers that hold the floor

I'd started planning my steps on smooth floors — these are the shoes that gripped back

Shoes that hold on to the floor, even the shiny ones — that's what these are. I'm 67, and somewhere along the way I became a woman who reads floors. The glossy supermarket aisle, the wet leaves by the gate, our own kitchen tiles on mopping day — I'd slow down, shorten my steps and hold the trolley a little tighter than I'd care to admit.

What I wanted was to cross a shiny floor thinking about my shopping list, not my footing.

Then I found the Corvelyn from a British label called York Boutique — soft suede-look loafers you step straight into, with a pretty criss-cross lace detail and neat stitching round the toe. Mine are the soft pink; there's beige, grey, blue, brown and black as well.

The difference is underneath: a slip-resistant sole with a proper tread that holds steady on smooth and wet surfaces — which is why the careful shuffle has simply stopped. The cushioned insole and the feather weight help too; feet that aren't braced all the time are feet that walk normally.

A slip-resistant sole that holds the floor — which is why I've gone back to walking like a woman with other things to think about.

At £34.95 — half the usual £70 — finding out cost less than the 'sensible' pair in my wardrobe that never once made me feel steady.

They've since done a rainy market morning with Sandra and the daily rounds with Winnie, puddles included. Sandra noticed I'd stopped taking her arm on the slope by the bakery — I hadn't noticed myself. I did check before ordering that I could send them back if they didn't suit — you can, within a fortnight, and the delivery's free — so finding out carried no risk at all.

If you've also caught yourself reading floors, do have a look. The Corvelyn is rated 4.7 out of 5 by more than 270 women, it comes in pink, beige, grey, blue, brown and black, in sizes 3.5 to 9 — and the neutral colours always go first.