Some people love shopping for Christmas gifts. They get a kind of festive cheer from it, a tingle of excitement at the prospect of lighting up somebody's face with that perfect present. For others, Christmas shopping is akin to having bamboo inserted beneath the fingernails, only more painful, and it tends to go on for longer. How many endless afternoons have been spent trudging around the shops, filing like zombies through isle after isle of books, DVDs and silk scarves, hoping against hope that the necessary objects will present themselves, and we can all go home. Still, for those of us condemned to celebrate the merry season for all eternity, there are worse places to do the shop than Cairo. For one thing, there are few other people at it on any given day, certainly compared with London's Oxford Street. In which case, the seasonal scrum becomes more of a glide. And just occasionally, one gets sidetracked into the most curious of stores and forgets one's woes altogether. One such store is Ahmed Asfoor's shoe shop near Talaat Harb Square. I originally entered "Asfoor Shoes in search - not surprisingly - of shoes. I'd seen a fine array in the window, alongside some cosy-looking winter pullovers. Considering the shop's petite proportions and the apparent lack of business, I was hopeful of a bargain. On entering the place, however, I had something of a shock. The first leather shoe I lifted from the shelf appeared to be priced at LE 850. Surely some mistake, I pondered, and tried another. This next item - a glossy reddish moccasin - bore a price tag of LE 875. Just at that moment, Mr Asfoor himself appeared over my shoulder and explained that the shoes were highly-priced for good reason. The item in my hand, he explained, was imported from Spain and made of the finest ostrich skin. The others on the shelf - all hand-made - were similarly Spanish in origin, but fashioned from the skins of various species of snake. Turning over the shoe, he revealed the image of a cobra burned into the sole. As if to further my astonishment, the owner then nipped behind the counter and retrieved two more samples of footwear. The first, a hand-made black leather business shoe from Italy, was priced at LE 4,995. In case anybody might doubt its pedigree, the designer had personally signed the inside of the shoe. Next came an English brogue, again handmade, this time a mere snip at LE 5,000. It was at this point that I began to wonder at Mr Asfoor's business savvy. Certainly, he knew a good shoe when he caressed one. But I couldn't help wondering how many passing customers would be willing to reach into their pockets and fish out LE 5,000 for an item of footwear. Not too many, it seemed, judging by the fact that we were the only two people in the room, and neither was buying. Exploring the shop more closely, however, it seemed there might be some method in the owner's madness. He had, he said, a particular liking for top-notch imported clothing, and this passion had sustained him in business for the past 35 years. Indeed, most of the shop's space is taken up not with shoes but trousers, shirts, pullovers and jackets, all of impeccable quality. The Versace corduroy trousers, for example, had been flown in from Italy, and would set the keen customer back LE 795. A nearby Brax pullover (all the way from Germany) was priced at LE 675. Besides Asfoor's passion for fashion, he also possesses an uncanny eye for curious objects with historical resonance. These include a cache of antique walking canes, their tops shaped like the heads of various animals. High on one wall are hats of all sorts and origins: a straw boater, felt trilbies, and German-style Tyrol hats, complete with feathers. Perched jauntily atop a manikin is an old fez, inside which is written "Souvenire du Maroc. For those wishing to indulge their belle epoch fantasies a little further, there is a somewhat macabre display of antique mink pelts. Counting the fox-like faces on one scarf, Mr Asfoor calculated a price of LE 1,000. I was woken from my reverie by the realization that, fascinating though all of this was, I was no closer to buying any Christmas presents. Certainly, the array of cosy woollen pullovers was very appealing, but at these prices I'd have to consult my bank manager before making any firm decisions. I left Mr Asfoor's shop empty-handed, but I am very tempted to go back for one of the rather lovely knitted Christmas stockings on display, decorated with suitably seasonal motifs. The problem remains, of course, what to put in it. "Asfoor Shoes is at 21 Mahmoud Bassiouni Street, Downtown. Tel. 0127480208
