A few months back, after showcasing my latest Topshop-sale footwear all over Facebook, a friend of mine asked me what the obsession was with shoes, why people spend so much hard earned money on a pair of shoes (however practical or impractical they may be).
The shoes that started the topic
I could have easily told her that it was to protect our feet, they're important and need care, so a good pair of shoes would do the trick. But I knew she wanted a genuine and honest answer. Not rubbish BS.
The question made me pause and I began to wonder why I didn't flinch at paying £75 for pair of boots and then less than one month later, I paid £75 for a pair of shoes. Once I had money and my heart set on what I wanted, I didn't think twice.
My first big spend footwear!
Well, that's not strictly true, I cried and swooned and dreamt nightly about the shoes. But still.
After five minutes or so, it clicked. It wasn't so much about having what was on trend that season, it was about finding a shoe that gave me a new identity. If a shoe made me feel more confident, and made me walk with my head held high, then it was an extreme turnaround for my self esteem and was most certainly a new identity. A new me.
To me, a shoe has an ability to not only change the dynamic of your outfit, but to change your attitude towards yourself, and others.
If I'm sporting a pair of Vans or Converse, then I'm very relaxed and chilled out, perfect for my Friday's at work. I'm calm.
My Topshop Katz, (one of the £75 pairs) have been worn a million times so far and remain to make me feel smart and quirky, I feel a little more sophisticated as I wear them. Whether I look it is a different story.
It doesn't matter whether they're Valentino or Primark as long as they're right for you. Guess what? Both of these mules are from Primark!
A fantastic pair of heeled boots has me feeling confident, with my head held high and my back straight, like I'm ready to take on the world. And maybe dance a little too.
The long and short of my tale is that shoes, at least to me, are more important than just protection for your feet, they're the key to a new, and different, you.
How do shoes change who you are?
SB xo
