Made For Living

From the first time human skin set foot on frigid snow or sun-scorched sand, it was clear to us as a species that bare feet simply WOULD NOT DO! It was then, that the evolution of footwear began. Born from necessity, the first shoes were nothing more than leather and fur, fashioned into a hap-hazard sheath from the elements. For centuries upon centuries after, this simple, yet effective remedy was deemed "good enough", but soon the world would change. With shifting style, status, and social standing our footwear had no choice but to change as well. After all, we can't have women in elaborate gowns going to masquerade balls in fuzzy slippers, in a style that hasn't evolved since we were still arguing over property lines with Neanderthals.

As humans moved indoors and discovered the luxury of being able to focus on comfort over survival, our minds began wandering toward more frivolous things. Though, it wasn't until the untamed, unspeakable, UNCONSCIONABLE, and risqué, contemporary take on the "high heel" was introduced to the underground world of foot fetish filmmaking and photography that modern footwear, really took on a life of its own. It was in this back-alley basement discovery that self-expression through footwear was truly born. Concepts of Self-expression had been leaked into the "everyman" Psyche.

The Birth of Self-Image

History is filled with repression, judgment, persecution, and fear. It has been a long road for women to prove our place, in the world. The right to self-expression has, in many ways, replaced gender suppression. Through blood, sweat, and tears we have earned our right to walk, talk, and dress how we want, where we want, and for whatever purpose we want...! There are many things in life that now allow us to express ourselves: our careers, our homes, our hobbies, and our voices. But even with all of this said... there are still few things that give a woman the same feeling as admiring that one pair of shoes in the window day after day. Until we can finally call them "Mine".

Please forgive me for speaking in generalities, as I know this doesn't apply to everyone... but if we're really being honest, all masks and fronts aside... I think it applies to most women. but don't worry, I won't ask you to admit it openly, and you, of course, do not have to agree with me; but before you become upset with me for making a statement like "Shoes are more important than career achievements!", give me a second to explain...!

Shoes, are not just shoes, not just a physical, material thing... they are representative of things far more significant. You slip them on your feet for the first time. Slowly savoring the sensation while you commit every texture and every seam to memory as your toes slide slowly along the insole, finding a perfectly formed resting place, and the realization that you... and your shoes, make the perfect pair and your heel finds its place, nestled and perfectly embraced in its well-fitted seat against the masterfully crafted fabric.

A new pair of shoes represents many things. The partnership between shoes, and the feet that wear them, represents even more. They represent places you've been, places you're going, aspirations, changing sense of self, personal victories... and in some cases - defeat. They tell a story and are with us through every step of our lives. They know our strengths and hold the secrets of our weaknesses. Shoes love us in a way we need, that often goes unnoticed by other people... the right shoes, just - fit!

As you remove your old shoes that were once shiny with that "new leather" smell, you remember the day you bought them, and how you felt the same as you do now. You remember all the places you and your shoes have gone together... And how many experiences wouldn't have been quite the same, if not for those shoes in particular. As you set them aside you feel a sense of bittersweet sadness which is subtly replaced by that same sense of excitement and renewal that you felt so long ago. will people see you differently with different shoes? Will you finally get that job that you have waited for, for so long? Will these shoes finally make him notice your legs? The world seems somehow new... A little brighter with more possibilities. Even if only for a little while, you walk away feeling better about life. You think: "These shoes will take me places!", and they undoubtedly will...!

The Truth About Shoes

Many would call this article "Materialistic", "Shallow", or even "sexist" or "Anti-Feminist", but in my opinion: The truth is that our shoes have integrated themselves into our lives, and our lives would not have nearly the quality that they do now, if it were not for our shoes. Your shoes accompany you when you take your first steps. Your shoes are there on your first day of school, your first date, and your first interview, always pushing you forward, encouraging you, and giving you confidence. Your shoes are there to walk you down the aisle on your wedding day and they are there to carry you home in the rain after a night gone bad. Our footwear becomes such an important part of our lives that they are surpassed by few other things and yet go completely unnoticed and taken for granted. It is their boots that carry men and women to work on hard, cold days, in painful and difficult conditions. It is their boots that courageously carry soldiers into battle... and when many others have quit or have fallen, it is our boots that carry us safely home. So, I ask that the next time you strap your shoes to your feet, take a moment to appreciate what they really do for you. Though each pair may come and go, the presence of shoes in our lives is irreplaceable. A phrase we have all heard and will hear again is: "I want to die with my boots ON!"