DE BONO’S
SIX ACTION SHOES
(Six Action Shoes was written by Edward de Bono
and published by Fontana in 1992)
ACTION SHOES
Occasionally, thinking is an end in itself, but
usually the purpose of thinking is to choose or
design a course of action.
Sometimes there is a distinct thinking phase and
then an action phase. At other times thinking and
action are intertwined so that thinking takes place
in the course of the action.
Shoes imply action
If you are not walking anywhere, then you don’t
need shoes.
Shoes, like action, are reaching for a destination.
Different situations require different action.
The shoes separate action into 6 basic styles:
 Routine
 Crisis
 Human Values
 Enterprise
 Investigative
 Authority
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THE SIX SHOES
NAVY FORMAL SHOES
Routines and formal procedures
(A pilot completing a complex pre-flight check)
ORANGE GUMBOOTS
Explosions and danger
(Reacting to a sudden hostile takeover bid)
PINK SLIPPERS
Warmth and relaxed comfort
(Comforting a colleague who didn’t get the
promotion)
BROWN BROGUES
Sensible and practical
(Cutting through red tape and get the new building
finished on schedule)
GREY TRAINERS
Thinking and investigation
(Collecting competitive information for launching a
new brand of baby food)
PURPLE RIDING BOOTS
Authority
(Issuing orders to your staff to complete an urgent job)
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NAVY SHOES
The Navy Shoe action mode is about using formal routines.
It emphasises formality and drills.
At times routines are essential to ensure safety and to avoid
making mistakes. Often routines free up our thinking so we
can tackle other issues, but we need to be careful that the
routines don’t stifle initiative and restrict flexibility.
A routine is a pattern of action that has been predetermined.
Once a routine has been selected, then action consists of
carrying out this routine.
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GREY SNEAKERS
These shoes are quiet, casual and relaxed.
The grey action mode is about collecting information and
also thinking. When in grey action mode, a person may use
aids to thinking such as the 6 Thinking Hats,
This mode involves exploring, but you don’t know what you
are going to find.
What you find determines your next step. If a clue turns up
you follow that clue.
Professions who use grey sneaker mode are:
 Scientists pursuing a theory
 Investigating journalists
 Detectives solving a crime
 Market researchers
 Pollsters
 Tax inspectors
 Police investigating computer fraud
This action mode can interplay with other action modes as
information gathered reveals the need for other types of
action.
As with all the other action modes there is often an overlap
of needs and an action rarely consists of only one action
mode.
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BROWN BROGUES
Brown is a practical colour. Brogues are hard wearing shoes
worn day-to-day.
Brown brogue action is about practicality and good sense.
The main question in this mode is “What can be done in this
situation”?
Flexibility is a key aspect to brown brogue action. You
change your behaviour as the situation changes. You do
what can be done. You do what you can do.
This is low key action. Good common sense is used. It is
action where you might “get your hands dirty”
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ORANGE GUMBOOTS
Gumboots are not normal wear. You wear them for special
situations.
Orange gumboots suggest special occasions. Orange is not a
gentle colour: it is vivid and striking. The colour shrieks.
Alarm bells ring.
Orange gumboot action mode is directly concerned with
emergency situations. Once something is classified as an
emergency, then priorities change. There are new rules for
action.
Professions who are trained to work in orange gumboot
mode are:
Police officers
Fire fighters
Doctors
Ambulance officers
Soldiers in action
As well as physical crises there are other types of crises such
as:
 financial
 personal
 community
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PINK SLIPPERS
Pink is a warm colour. It is a conventionally feminine
colour. Pink action mode is about human feelings,
compassion, sympathy and tender loving care.
People caring for people is the essence of a family.
People caring for people defines a successful community.
People caring for people is the basis of civilization
Professions involved in Pink Slipper action mode are:
 Nurses
 Teachers
 Social workers
 Doctors
This mode adds an element of human caring and
compassion to other actions
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PURPLE RIDING BOOTS
Purple is a grand colour. It was the imperial colour of
Rome. It is the colour of royalty.
Purple action mode indicates an authority role. people
who hold authority positions may act differently in those
roles as they do as individuals.
Riding boots are not normal wear. They are worn by
people riding horses or motorbikes. Riding boots used to
be associated with the privileged. A horseman was a
superior fighting person, and in society the superior
people who owned horses looked down on people who
were on foot.
An official position is not necessarily a superior one, but
when an official acts within the boundaries of that role, and
then he or she has more authority than someone without an
official role.
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The Olympic Games
Write a brief description of an action that would match the person
listed and the “shoes”. For example a spectator would need Navy
Shoe action when organising to get tickets to the Games. If you
feel that there are shoes that some of these people would never
wear, fill in your reasons. For example a volunteer may not be in a
position to take Leadership action.
Navy
Pink
Orange
Grey
Brown
Formal Slippers Gumboots Sneakers Brogues
Shoes
Purple
Riding
Boots
Athlete
IOC Official
Spectator
Hotel Owner
Policeman
Volunteer
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Healthy Living
Use the Six Action Shoes to determine action to take in certain
scenarios such as:
 A Year 6 student / a friend / a younger sister in your class
smoking
 You are wagging school
 You are being bullied
 You are wearing your bike helmet but your best friend isn’t.
 You are eating the wrong foods
 Your friends start hanging around with the wrong group
 You observe some teenagers damaging trees
 You start arguing with the umpire
 Your new friend starts being teased for his / her cultural
differences (bringing different food to school, wearing
different clothes)
 Someone is tampering with the “frog bog”.
Choose a scenario and write in the grid the sorts of actions that
different people may take in response to this behaviour.
Slippers Brogues Gumboots
Riding
Boots
Sneakers
Formal
Shoes
You
Your
mother
17 yo
Your
teacher
School
Nurse
Social
worker
Friend
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