Now that I’ve done my foot tour, I’m closing that box and putting it on the shelf until something else utterly unpedestrian jumps out at me. So I gently close the lid on this with this thought:
the shoe is not just an accessory. It is not just a mere foot covering. The shoe is a social indicator. For some, it is an unfortunate symptom of an addiction. It can be a source of self-crippling.
A shoe in its proper place and fit helps you stand tall, and adds that final element of proportion to your overall look. The right shoe is one that fits the life you have – a running shoe for those concerned most with running around, a style shoe for those where style is the first step in negotiation.
I have a confession to make here: I hate shopping for shoes. I used to try to get out of it whenever my mother would take me shoe shopping – boxed up in a too-hot room with pairs of rubber soles lined on shelves as if they were stored on the Arc was my definition of a well-tractioned hell. I would rather have dipped my feet in shellac to avoid the pains of road rubble on my bare toes.
To me, the Internet is the greatest thing ever for shoe shopping even though even I have had to return an occasional pair. (I weep for the boots I had to send back to Silhouettes but alas, my calves would not fit them without surgery.) There is no forced social interaction – women have strong opinions about shoes and need to share them with each other, but I prefer to make my decisions from a contemplative and silent place. If I get fatigued looking online, I can come back to the computer at any time – the store doesn’t close, and I don’t have to work it around a car-sharing or bus schedule.
Still, the shoe is so much more than an accessory. It’s legally necessary to have a pair on to order indoors at a restaurant. It’s been thrown in political disputes since people started wearing shoes. Heck, in some cultures showing the bottom of your shoe equates with flipping the bird.
So consider carefully your shoes: they are your foundation. They determine much of your posture, your gait, and they are what causes every other part of a look to fall in the place. That’s far more than anything an mere accessory could bring to your look.
