Just, Um, Hanging Around

This is one of those stories where it's better just to show, rather than tell:

A shoemaker has been described by Tube bosses as "stupid" after he made a pair of boots that allow travellers to hang upside down on carriage handrails.

Dutch-born Eelko Moorer designed the boots in his studio in Hackney Wick, east London.

The boots took him about a week to make and they have been on display at a British Council exhibition in Italy.

But London Underground criticised the designer, saying his design could result in serious injury.

A London Underground spokesman said: "This is a dangerous and stupid act that could result in serious injury to not only the individual concerned but also other passengers."

Mixed reaction

The boots have been designed with a slot carved into the heel which allow them to hang from handrails.

Mr Moorer got girlfriend Alice Wolff to try the boots out on the Tube.

"We had a somewhat mixed reaction from other Tube travellers," said the designer, who is also a shoemaker.

He went on: "Some people were surprised, others liked it and others were appalled. I had been on a Tube train a while ago and thought how boring and similar journeys are."

Hat tip, as usual, to the delightful Annie Mole.