I’ve been thinking a lot lately. About the future of our state, the future of our country, the influence media has on the masses, and the effect technology has on our daily human interactions. But most importantly of course, I have recently been giving much thought to SHOES.
A few days ago a package arrived at my door. Inside the package were 2 pairs of the same exact shoe. As quick as I took all 4 individual shoes out of their boxes and lined them up in a row on my floor, I just as soon began to question my sanity. These multiple shoes weren’t purchased by accident. It was a deliberate attempt by myself to ensure that my favorite pair of shoes would never leave my feet. I already owned one pair of these shoes- the platform Dolce Vita sandal in black leather with a unique chunky wooden heel. The recent purchase of 2 additional pairs of shoes upped my grand total of this type of shoe to be 3 pairs . Let me try and excuse this ridiculousness by giving some explanation to this shoe purchase…
Over the last year these shoes have become my favorite pair of shoes, for several reasons. First of all, the shoes are unique looking, and yet the color combo is classic and neutral which makes them an easy shoe to pair with almost any outfit. Second of all, these shoes have a high platform (my favorite type of heel), but they are incredibly easy to walk in AND very comfortable. After realizing I could wear these shoes all day and all night and not be in any sort of pain, I took advantage of this and began to wear them a lot, thus leading to their inevitable deterioration, thus leading to me purchasing 2 more pairs on Amazon.
Because I love to analyze things until either my head explodes, or I become so existential that I want to crawl into a cave, there are many weird thoughts swirling my brain about this shoe thing. Why do I need 3 pairs of the same shoe? Am I so stuck in my ways and afraid of change that I can’t just let this pair of shoes die and move on to other shoes? Combined with the fact that today is my birthday and I’m now very officially in my “late-twenties,” I’m really feeling more than ever like a weirdo adult. Practicality is something I associate with parents, and people who are (or once were) much older than myself. At some point in the 70s my Dad started wearing a specific type of boot and he continued to wear these same boots for decades (rows of the same shoe lining the floor of his closet). And I can still remember shopping with my Mom as a teenager and finding a top or a pair of pants that I liked and having her exclaim “You should buy 2 of those!”
The older I get I do become more and more practical. But, I think more important than the question of practicality, is the question of change. Fashion is always changing. In fact, fashion changes so quickly now that in some ways it doesn’t change at all. I am arguing that perhaps fashion trends come and go so quickly these days thanks to the Internet and other modern factors (remember that talk Nina Garcia gave during SXSW about this?), that it creates more of a desire within the individual to adhere to their own unique personal style. I think this is what is starting to happen to myself more than ever. It started with these shoes (that I will continue to wear even when fashion magazines tell me that chunky heels are out), and I think it ends somewhere with giant sunglasses and turquoise rings. If adopting a signature style is what comes along with getting older, I think I’m okay with it. Just don’t ever use the word “rut” to describe me and I won’t have to hit you with my stylish cane.