Why I Heart Shoes

I know its cliche for a woman to love shoes.  I have loved them since as long as I can remember, with Jellies being my first shoe obsession.  In middle school is was roper-style cowboy boots.  In high school is when it really took off, and my first "real" job was working at Off Broadway in Cool Springs.  I really, truly love shoes.  There's almost nothing else in the world that is both calming and exciting, and utterly pleasing, to me than to look at, try on and buy shoes.  There has to be something hard wired into most women that makes us like shoes.  I don't know what it could possibly be, in terms of evolution, but I just feel it in my gut that it isn't only a social construct either.

I started getting into really wild shoes in high school, mostly heels but many other styles.  I still have a collection of Adidas Shell Toe tennis shoes from high school.  Green with white stripes (still my fav), white with yellow, white with black, white with blue, and white with pink.  Out of the 72 pair I currently own, I'd say a good 25% have been with me since high school or the first couple years of college.  One reason I'm able to keep shoes for so long is that I do have so many that I don't have to wear any one pair that often.  Some of the basics get worn out and replaced, like flip flops, tennis shoes, black pumps, etc...  But on the whole, the sheer number of shoes I have enables me to preserve them all longer. 

The other reason my shoes are so well preserved is that at least half of them I'd qualify as "funky," in that they are only appropriate occasionally, and only go with a select few (or maybe even one) outfit.  But, of course, these are some of my favorites because I'm into the funky shoes more than normal, run of the mill shoes.  The reason is the main reason I'm into shoes generally--shoes make an outfit.  I truly believe this.  You can change the whole tenor and tone of an outfit by changing the shoes.  Shoes generally last longer than clothes, so by having lots of shoes its not necessary to have as many wordrobe options.

I also like shoes, and the funky ones, because to me they are works of art.  Just like fashion is an art form, of which shoes are a part, each one was designed with a vision and a purpose.  Unlike paintings which have to stay in one place, or music that you can't listen to all the time, shoes are art you can take with you and admire constantly.  Shoes reflect your attitude at the moment and project an important message about who you are--that you care enough to have on nice shoes, that are well taken care of, and that you pay attention to the details.  They are at once both an item of clothing AND an accessory.

In addition to all that, simply put, I hate feet.  Feet are gross and I don't like looking at them.  Mine, or anyone else's.  Shoes cover feet, so just in principal I like the idea.  And if you are covering something as unsightly as feet, why not cover them with something beautiful that makes the feet attractive, rather than disgusting?

I just got my first pair of Manolo Blahniks today.  They were my birthday gift from Kirby.  Some people may be cynical about that, thinking I'm a label whore or just want to be like Carrie Bradshaw.  I'll admit that I was first exposed to Manolos because of "Sex and the City," but the same can be said for most of high fashion.  Not many women of my generation can claim otherwise, either.  But to a shoe lover--no, admirer--like myself owning a pair of Manolos is like owning a Picasso is to an art lover.  Or an Aston Martin to a car lover.  Just looking at and holding them you can see the quality is better than even the most expensive run-of-the-mill department store shoe.  They are absolutely stunning and crafted to perfection.  They fit like a glove and are comfortable despite having a heel.  I love shoes, but even the most beautiful pair doesn't get purchased by me unless they are comfortable.  I've been down that road and its not worth it.

All that said, I love shoes.  And I love my Manolos.  These will not be my last pair of high end footwear, but just like anything else in life, you always remember your first!