Random Shoes On The Subway

Have you ever just taken photos of shoes that are being worn by people on the subway? I find it very interesting what type of shoes someone wears. It tells a story that no one knows but the owner. It shows where they have been, how much they work, how far they go, how much money they have, how much they value brands and much more. If you really think about it, it is amazing to know all the stories a shoe can tell.

Do you see the black shoe in the bottom middle of the above photo? Those are my shoes. I bought them less than a month ago, but if they could speak, they could tell many stories already. They have walked in water in the pouring rain, been across the Brooklyn Bridge more than once. They have walked up stairs and through doors. They have a story to tell that is all their own.

There are so many things in a day that we forget that may matter to us or our loved ones or even a stranger. When we pay attention to the steps we take, we can tell our own stories. So, this is going to be a start of series that I am going to write on the stories of my shoes, but how about we introduce all the other shoes and why they matter? My shoes's many intriguing stories can be told at a later time.

This shoe belonged to a random man that was with his, I think, child. It was hard to tell, but he looked like a man that was well put together. Someone that wore basic clothing and had a life without much entertainment but his shoes tell another story.

The way he held himself in pure confidence was inspiring, but his shoes showed that he had a fun side. He wasn't just business all the time, but he liked to think outside the box. He enjoyed a little bit of fun and enjoyed making a lasting impression. The amazing thing about this is, the shoes tell all of this on their own.

These red Nike's were worn by a man that knew exactly what he was doing and how to do it. I am not that great at riding the subway standing up yet, but this man was a master at it. You would think that he would care about what people think and have the confidence to be himself no matter what. He stood tall and had the clothes to show that he had money. His clothes were clean and perfect. The shoes gave a pop of color and were name brand, but if you look closely at these shoes you would be able to tell that may not be true. Do you see how the tongue of the shoe is tucked under and the shoe laces are not tied? What do you think that means? You can think of anything. That's the fun in trying to guess the story of shoes. I think he was in a rush and threw on his shoes not caring what people would think. But really, we have no idea if that is true or not. He may have been out all day and just did not care to tie his shoes or untuck the tongue. If that is true, he really isn't what he seems at first glace. He may not actually have money or even care what he looks like. His clothes and posture tell one story, but his shoes tell another.

This shoe was owned by a man that was sitting down with his legs crossed over one another. He did not care or even notice me or anyone else on the subway. He had on clothes that seemed like he did not have that much money and his shoes seem to tell the same story. They are a nice pair of shoes, but they are basic. They are well worn and are nothing out of the ordinary. In NYC shoes are different and expensive, but these shoes are shoes that I have seen worn by many people in Southern Illinois, so is there a possibility he is a tourist? He might be, but he also may not be. He could just not care about what he wears.

Okay, I love these shoes! Can you guess why? They are black, but have style that I absolutely love! I am pretty sure these are Adidas, which is a very popular brand. I can't even afford this brand yet. One day I will, and I will be wearing the female version. Look at the way he is standing. His legs are crossed making sure he shows off his style. He had moved in many different positions throughout the train ride and he looked at me more than once. Normally when someone moves a lot and notices other people on the train it shows a sense of insecurity. I think his style was a way to break out of his nerves. I may be wrong, but that is what style does for me. His shoes also have mud on the front and sides. Even though it was not muddy out or raining at the time, his shoes were dirty. He had style, but he did not value his style. He could have been a hard worker and got dirty at his job and did not care to clean his shoes. He could have just liked to go on walks in the mud and not care about how dirty his shoes are. Or he may have been in a rush and forgot to clean his shoes.

Do you see how many stories we can tell with just one pair of shoes? There are never ending stories that can be told, but the only one that really knows the story is the person wearing the shoes. I can make up multiple stories about a person's shoes, try to guess what their entire day was like, but I would never be right. There is a slight chance I could be close to right, but not very likely.