I own a lot of shoes. Maybe not a lot in the grand scheme of women and shoes, but I own more shoes than I think I do. I own more shoes than I wear, mainly because I keep shoes longer than I should even though I know the heel is broken and I have since gotten a new replacement pair. I don’t like to abide by seasonal shoe rules. I would never consider myself a ‘shoe girl.’ I hate, hate, hate shoe shopping as much as I hate jean and bra shopping, which is indisputably the worst kind of shopping because they (shoes, jeans, bras) never fit right. They just don’t interest me much. I’ve never really gotten it. I’ve sort of always been waiting for everyone to stop talking about shoes and go back to talking about purses. Or cats.
Well guess what. I’m 23 now and no one will fucking stop talking about shoes. They are everywhere. Like fashion and want to make female friends in your twenties? Like shoes. I think I get weirder looks for not caring much about shoes than I do for not eating cheese (from the right people, of course, some of ya’ll lose your god damn minds about the cheese thing.)
Like any person who over-thinks random thoughts while in bed (or the shower, slowly running out of hot water….) I tried to pinpoint why I fell in the couldn’t-care-less shoe category.
- Do I not like to wear shoes? Couldn’t be more wrong. In fact, being barefoot might be one of the only things that icks me out more than shoe shopping. It’s awful, and it reminds me of the all-around stupid Bare Feet Not Arms sticker Lance and I saw on a car in the Loop that he still randomly mocks. (Not to pick either political side, but that sticker was hilariously unhelpful.)
- Do I find shoes uncomfortable? Yes, normally. That’s why I like boots a lot. Yeah, yeah, they’re a shoe, but they’re a shoe I can pull on and wear with comfy socks and that fixes everything. I walk out of shoes without straps a lot. And also I trip a lot.
- Do I only buy cheap shoes? Yes. I mainly buy cheap everything, and cheap shoes often don’t look too special or last too long. They scuff, they fall apart, they break my heart. And regularly, they are boring. (Wah, wahh, wahhh.)
And then it started to make sense. Other than a few select pairs of great basics (ahem, some fantastic boots) I own a lot of plain shoes. You know, the ‘They’ll go with everything’ types. There is a place for these babies, and that’s when the clothing is the focus. But perhaps the hidden shoe secret is the world of shoe focal points. It is not that I never cared about shoes; I never cared about my shoes, because I’ve always bought the simplest options. It’s official: I’m on the hunt for showstopping shoes. Hell, I own enough neutrals to let any wedge or platform take center stage. It’s time to step up my shoe game. I want to try out this magical shoe adventure so many other ladies embarked upon years ago. I may be a little late, but I’m coming! Watch out, Zappos. (And credit card limit.)
