I am the first to admit that I am no
girly-girl. I don't buy new clothes each season. I don't have a flair
for accessorizing. But I will also admit that a stylish shirt and a
pair of pants that fit my curves just right can do wonders to boost
my mood. Until I look down in perplexity at my bare feet and at the
rows of shoes in my closet, none of which match my outfit.
Why is femininity linked to shoes?
Multiple shoes. Casual shoes. Dress shoes. Shoes for long skirts.
Shoes for short skirts. Loafers. Knee-high boots. Ankle boots.
High-heels. Pumps. Sandals. Sling-backs. Flats. Shoes. Shoes. Shoes.
I walk into a shoe store with modest
goals. Usually to replace my worn-out fall-back shoes, the shoes I
nearly always wear after dismissing each of the trendy pairs in my
closet. Frequently, I find myself leaving the store with three or
four pairs of shoes, none of which meet my intended goal and most of
which will be returned by the end of the week or will sit in my
closet gathering dust.
Regardless of my poor track record, I
walk into each shoe store with high hopes. I am a woman. It will be
fun to have new shoes. My hope dwindles as I circle the store. Ugly.
Gaudy. Big random buckles or bows. Impossibly long square or pointed
toes. Skinny towering spiked heels. Nothing that resembles the size
and shape of an actual woman's foot.
I don't give up. On the second circle
of the store I move more slowly. Perhaps my initial reaction was
hasty. I begin to see how some of these shoes might be nice - with
the right outfit. I begin surreptitiously checking out the shoes that
other shoppers are wearing. I tend to like shoes I see other people
wearing. I just can never seem to find them in a shoe store.
On the third pass, I usually spot a
pair that look promising. Something leather in a neutral color. I'm
not sure about the buckle, bow, tassel, or other odd adornment. I
tell myself that must be the style. I ask the salesman to bring me my
size, or if I'm in a warehouse style store, I begin searching the
boxes. Frequently, they are sold out.
When I do find a shoe to try on. I sit
down and wait for the salesman, or if I'm in a warehouse store, I
wobble on one foot at a time and slip the shoes on. I stand up and
look down. My feet look ridiculous. I look over at the nearest mirror
for a side view. Better. I begin to walk.
Pain! Did the designer of these shoes
hate feet?! A pain shoots up the ball of my foot. The leather digs
into one spot on my ankle. The toes on my left foot are cramped and
the heel of the right shoe is too long. I take a few more steps.
Maybe they aren't too bad. If I shorten my stride, shift my weight a
bit, and give them time to break in, maybe they would be all right... but they don't really match anything I own.
I ask a salesman if he can recommend a
comfortable pair of high heels. I hear two women behind me snicker as
if I had asked where I could buy a pet unicorn.
One hour and a dozen shoes later, I'm
again holding three shoe boxes. I don't really like any of them and
they probably won't match my clothes at home. I look around at the
other shoppers and wonder if their feet are shaped differently than
mine or if they are simply more willing to put up with the pain.
As I look at the aisles of shoes that
are destined to be worn at most for one season, I begin to get angry.
Why is femininity linked to shoes? Why do women need to have shoes to
match each outfit? In the Silence of the Lambs, why does Hannibal
Lecter judge Clarice for having a good bag and cheap shoes?
I put my shoeboxes back in a burst of
outraged defiance. I will not let fashion magazines manipulate me
into buying shoes that I do not need and barely like! I will not buy more shoes that
hurt my feet! I will go on wearing my broken-in, out-dated shoes
that, despite their scuffs and worn spots, at least have worn
themselves into a comfortable mold around my feet. Wearing
comfortable but out-of-style shoes will not make me less of a woman!
As I'm heading proudly out the door, a
group of women come in. One of them is wearing lovely, strappy
sandals with a wedge heel. I hesitate in the doorway. I think maybe
it wouldn't hurt to at least ask her where she got them... and maybe
go try them on.
Because I really could use a new pair of shoes.
I'm also very choosy while shoe shopping & only prefer shoe at Timberland.
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