All I want for Christmas is…gold organ shoes

I have always wanted gold organ shoes. A few years ago a correspondent pointed me towards Diane Bish playing in gold organ shoes on YouTube and I’ve been suppressing twinges of envy ever since.  Yes, my serviceable black Mary-Janes have done me proud for twelve years, and are fine for Lent, but on Festival Days?

Colourful shoes have an air of agency about them which you don’t get with everyday black or brown.  (Think of Dorothy’s ruby slippers in The Wizard of Oz. And have you seen The Red Shoes, in which Moira Shearer’s red ballet shoes get a sense of entitlement and actually take over? Scary.)

Anyway, this is all leading up to saying – now I’ve got a pair of gold organ shoes! Organmaster in the US (available in the UK as well, see below) shipped a box over superfast, and I’ve been skipping over the pedalboard all afternoon in them.  What I’d failed to notice up till today is that the soles of my old shoes had worn very thin and shiny.  The suede soles on the new shoes have more grip and a more positive touch – a bit like your car after the clutch has been replaced.  This I rather like, though Organmaster say they do get smoother with use.

Who will notice on Christmas Day?  Well ME, obviously, feeling slightly smug and special.  And perhaps the choir will spot an unaccustomed sparkle at the console as we run through the descants before the service.

Will my pedal playing be any better?  OF COURSE.

Now, which frock to go with them?

ORGANMASTER SHOES do organ shoes for both men and women.  They ship internationally from the US.  Church Organ World is their agent in the UK, and they have dealerships around the world: list here on their website.

They offer whole and half sizes in three different widths and I found their size charts (from US, to UK, to European shoe sizes) accurate for me. My old black shoes were also Organmaster, and I asked for the same size as 12 years ago and they fit perfectly. (They have a whole page on selecting your shoe size, and will accept returns and exchanges if you are not happy with the fit.)

And check out their website for accessories and gifts for either yourself or organist friends: bags, gloves, socks. metronomes, jewellery.  (And I’ve just noticed a suede sole brush – the obvious answer to my too-shiny old shoes.)