Difficulty of cycling in suit and leather shoes is one reason casual footwear has gone corporate in the Netherlands

Wouter de Wit was polishing his six pairs of leather shoes, ready for a new job in Amsterdam’s business district, when he received a text message from his new boss.

“He said: ‘Before you go any further, come in and look at the dress code’,” says De Wit. Smart shoes were out, trainers were in. “I had no sneakers, so I bought these,” the 41-year-old consultant adds, pointing at his box-fresh, white Adidas trainers.