Winners on the flat

Some women do everything in heels. They drive cars in four-inch Gucci spikes, they buy groceries in vertiginous Pucci mules and yet still claim not to suffer from backache or bunions. Whether or not their devotion to high heels is bound up with a deeprooted fear of looking dumpy (hello, Liz H and Victoria B), you have to admire their dedication.

For those of us without the service of an obliging chauffeur, though, flat footwear is one of life's essentials. Not the sort of flat footwear that involves chaffing at the toe and pinching at the heels, either, but a proper comfort zone. In the arsenal of ladies footwear, there is only one weapon of mass seduction among style-conscious girls, and that's the Converse All Star.

Trends come and trends go, but the Converse All Star is here to stay. Launched in 1920, the canvas and rubber basketball shoe has a devoted following: Kate Moss wears them gigging, The Strokes wear them singing, while

they are the only choice for models rushing from show to show. The hi-top boot is particularly favoured by trendy London girls, who wear them with the shortest of minis.

Nothing - not even Nike's acquisition of the brand in July last year for a reported £175 million - has managed to topple the Converse All Star off the top of the sneaker charts. And the launch of Adbusters' Black Spot sneaker, designed as a protest against Nike's alleged involvement with sweatshops, did little to stop aficionados in their tracks. No other sneaker looked as good.

Until now. Finally, the All Star has a serious rival: it's called the PF Flyer and it's coming to a store near you this spring. Slightly more rugged than the All Star (it has a serrated sole) it's still wonderfully lo-fi, and comes in enough colours and styles to keep the fash pack happy. It also has that allimportant heritage factor: launched in

the States in 1933 as a sports shoe, it was one of the most popular sneakers in America throughout the Sixties.

Best of all, it's super-comfy. "PF" stands for Posture Foundation, and each sneaker has a patented insole providing cushiony ergonomic support. The perfect antidote to four-inch heels? It might just be time to give your Converse a rest. And your feet.