I swear, between Imelda Marcos, Holocaust shoes exhibits, and various dramas of more or less political characters involving their shoes, we should really have a regular column devoted to shoes in politics (may I remind you of Paul Wolfowitz visiting a mosque in Turkey and having to take off his shoes, thus revealing his raggedy, be-holed socks underneath, much to everyone’s embarrassment, frankly).

Today’s feature would come from Tony Blair. The Internets are abuzz this morning with news that Blair attributes his political success to a lucky pair of shoes he wore for 10 years every time he appeared in Parliament. France 24 reports: ‘I know it’s ridiculous, but I’ve worn them for every PMQs (Prime Minister’s Questions) … I’ve actually had them for 18 years,’ Blair told The Times in an interview, adding that ‘cheap shoes are a false economy.’ Learn from this man!

The lucky shoes were a pair of custom-made brogues made by Church’s, an English manufacturer of fine men’s shoes. At the time, Blair would have paid 150 pounds (almost $300) for a pair. Today, they would cost closer to 250 pounds.

No photograph yet of the lucky shoes, but here’s a pair of Church’s brogues to satisfy your visual appetite:

If you want these for your man, you’ve got to be ready to pony up 370 pounds ($750, or so). Gulp.ch