Book Review - 'Outloafer' by J.R.R Withers

From the pen of J.R.R Withers, author of The Shoe Seller’s Daughter, Tess of the Espadrilles and War and Peep-toes comes an incredible new novel.

Deftly combining the genres of romance, historic fiction, sci-fi, and the 1997 Pavers catalogue, Outloafer is the incredible story of Claire Startrite, a shoe-saleswoman from Cleveleys who discovers a mysterious circle of brogues on the beach and finds herself magically transported to 18th century Scotland where she has to adapt to a life before Hush Puppies. She soon falls in love with a young highlander, Hamish Briza, and together they embark on an adventure filled with heart and soles.

Enjoy this exclusive excerpt from the book:

Claire slowly opened her eyes, gradually coming out of the daze. What had happened to her when she entered that mysterious circle of shoes?

The sand beneath her was wet. If only she had worn her galoshes! She looked around. In the distance was a man she didn’t recognise, walking towards her in Highland brogans. He was handsome and rugged, not that she could take her eyes off his footwear.

“What are you doing here, lassie?” enquired the man, his tartan socks complimenting the brogans perfectly.

“I think I’m lost,” replied Claire. “There was a circle of shoes on the beach… brogues I think… and the next minute I found myself here”.

“Aye, the brogue circle,” acknowledged the highlander. “It’s well known in these parts. The shoes speak to certain people and some have been known to travel through them. You might be stuck here for a while, so you’ll be needing some better shoes than the ones you’ve got on! What in the name of Jimmy Choo are those, anyway? Sandals?”

“They’re slingbacks, actually”, corrected Claire. “They are technically a kind of sandal, but characterized by an ankle strap that crosses only around the back and sides of the ankle and heel”.

“Is that so?” the Scot scoffed. “Well from now on I think I’ll call ye’ slingback. How aboot that?”

Claire secretly liked the nickname but didn’t show it. “Call me what you like, just help me get home. I desperately need to slip into a pair of flat-heeled Mary Janes”.

The stranger looked confused. “What is this strange language you’re talking, slingback? I don’t know anything of this Mary Jane of whom you speak”.

“No, I don’t imagine you do”, said Claire, solemnly. “Well, they’re a timeless shoe. Timeless…” The realisation struck her like a steel toe cap wellington. “Wait, what year is this?”

“Ye dinna ken what year it is, slingback? Why, it’s 1743 of course”.

“Astounding” remarked Claire. “I can’t believe the sneaker won’t be invented for nearly 200 years”.


Outloafer is available from all good bookshops and branches of Deichmann.

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