Shoes, Shoes, Shoes!
Recently I was pretty shaken up after a traumatic appointment and I wandered out feeling pretty dejected. Luckily I was standing in the middle of a large shopping center, so there were plenty of opportunities for distraction. I looked around, my eye roving, and suddenly knew what I needed to do to feel better. I wanted to try on shoes. So I just went in to the nearest shop. And I immediately felt better. Pairs upon pairs of shoes spread themselves out before me. Flats. Pumps. Killer heels. Killer heels with plateau soles. Kitten heels. The first batches of new summer collections, including sandals and adorable flip-flops.
The female love affair with shoes is well-known. It has stretched on over decades, it is international, it arrives in the lives of all of us ladies sooner or later. Statistics about online shopping will most likely confirm shoe love among online shoppers as well.
There’s just something about shoes. Why? It’s not just about the way they look, though that is important. After all, we want to wear something that flatters our best features, not something that makes us look like we just don’t have the time to put ourselves together. And shoes are a key part of making that happen. Why? Well, for starters, you walk on your feet. They support your whole body, your legs go up from them, and the way the shoe fits determines your posture, the way you hold yourself, even psychological factors like inner composure, the level of comfort. Not to mention it offers protection from sometimes unpredictable weather conditions. So yes, the shoe is important.
I wandered around the summer aisle first, hungrily staring at all the colors and sparkly bits, wondering if I should already get something or wait until it actually got warmer? Clogs are kind of cool too.
I actually read somewhere recently that ballet flats would be out this year, that they had outlived themselves. But judging from the array of ballet flats I saw on display in the store, either the article was wrong or all the shops are just being sensible and providing what their clients want- shoes in which they can run around all day and that are suitable both for the office and for a party. Although, it depends. Some women don’t like wearing flats, saying they can’t really step properly in them and the pavement is way too close to the foot, as opposed to a shoe with a heel. Others don’t find them particularly comfortable for dancing. Still, they are practical. There are even models available that you can scrunch up and put in your purse! Now, if that were only the same for high heels… Think of all the options you could stuff in your handbag. You’d be ready to go from office to glam in a matter of minutes.
Speaking of high heels. I wouldn’t say I’m a staunch supporter, and if there’s one thing I’m against, it’s the killer heel which makes the foot stand almost perpendicular to the ground. Hello, uncomfortable. I wonder about women who walk around in such shoes – do they have special training? Do they try it out in secret at home at first, when no one sees them? And most importantly – don’t their feet hurt anyway? That’s some serious blister potential!
Still, the heel has appeal. And during my hour in the store I tried on my fair share of them, from an inch high to ones that made me tower over the racks. I wouldn’t wear the latter, but taking a few steps in the shoe store for my own enjoyments was alright.
Shoes with a heel make you stand straighter, they make your legs look longer, they definitely do something for the posture, they add glam both to dresses and trousers. They just provide that something extra, that festive feeling. And they just make you feel feminine, because it’s a uniquely made for women to wear, and because since you sometimes have to walk a little more carefully in them than usual, you feel more feminine as well. And OK, a little sexier.
I ended up buying a pair of shoes which I absolutely didn’t need, which I wouldn’t put on even for a party, because I can’t take five steps in them without wobbling or almost falling. Even in the security of my own home. But when I put them on, I just felt something different. This was something completely different from what I usually wore, from who I usually was, and I liked that feeling. So I got them. They are stored in the back of my closet. I get them out when I’m having a bad day, put them on, look at myself in the mirror and feel the pep come back. Or I slip them on when I have a special evening ahead of me. But in that case I don’t have to walk, I only have to make an impression…
Processing your request, Please wait....
