Old friends are best. King James used to call for his old shoes; they were easiest for his feet.

John Selden (1584–1654), a leading English jurist and scholar, is frequently quoted through the posthumous collection known as *Table-Talk*, compiled from his conversational remarks and published after his death. The saying about “old friends” belongs to Selden’s characteristically homely, illustrative style: he often grounded general observations in anecdotes about public figures. Here he invokes King James I of England (r. 1603–1625), reputedly preferring well-worn shoes because they fit comfortably, to frame a broader point about the ease and reliability of long-established relationships compared with newer acquaintances.

Selden’s comparison treats friendship as something that “breaks in” over time. Like old shoes, long friendships have been shaped by experience: they fit one’s habits, tolerate one’s imperfections, and require less performance or explanation. The remark also implies a quiet skepticism about novelty—new friends may be attractive, but they can chafe until trust and familiarity develop. By choosing a mundane image (shoes) and attaching it to a king, Selden underscores that the preference for the tried-and-true is not merely sentimental but practical, cutting across rank and circumstance.