If the shoe fits…
The shoe is an object of worship in modern day society. It’s one of those objects that has been lifted above its mere everyday usefulness into something that sets trends, makes or breaks styles and is, overall, an item of luxury. Shoes, especially women’s designer shoes, are a forced to be reckoned with in the world of fashion. Who doesn’t remember being in high school and wanting to have the best looking tennis shoes, or the latest flip flops? People don’t think twice about it, but for something so small, so out of sight, low to the ground and so easily damaged, we put a lot of thought and importance into a simple pair of shoes.
Because it’s not just about the money we put into footwear or how much it moves in terms of the economy, it’s also about how we perceive them to be so important. There are rules about shoes, some you wear indoors, some outdoors, and these don’t mix. Other shoes are to be worn at special or very specific occasions. And of this makes a lot of sense for a pair of running shoes or hiking boots, but it fades into the realm of non-sense when you’re talking about high heeled riding boots or stiletto heels. But people don’t really bat an eye at this, because it’s something that’s deeply settled into the culture. Even what people said first about heels, that they made women’s legs look slimmer, has been put aside: they are no longer an instrument or a means to an end; they are the object of desire by themselves.
And whether you’re buying Nike shoes from the local store or girls shoes from Very.co.uk, an online store, the feeling is probably very similar. It’s amazing how, much like pieces of jewelry, you can buy shoes by their individual beauty, and not necessarily because of how good they look on you. And this is a sign of excellence and something that perfectly illustrates what we’ve been talking about so far. Because what is luxury but something that stands alone, and survives the test of time? Shoe fashion might not necessarily fit the latest category, but it’s a shoe in for the first one. And with every revivalist movement out there, who knows how long it will take until we’re gifted with a return of 50’s shoe fashion? No matter what, one thing is for sure: walking a mile in someone else’s shoes just became a lot more complicated.