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Back in the Day: Shoes

9/9/2010

19 Comments

 
This post is on something very close to my heart. I think about it, dream about it -- it permeates my existence. I’m talking, of course, about shoes. They make life worth living. Sure, there’s the whole ‘great family, nice house, wonderful friends’ thing, too. Whatever.  The word ‘shoes’ puts me on a whole other plane. With that, allow me to present…


BACK IN THE DAY
Shoes: That’s all I need to say. Shoes.

When it comes to my shoe obsession, I know I’m not alone. How else did the Beatles song, “All You Need is Shoes,” became such a classic? Women love shoes. It’s in our DNA. Sure, we can’t all afford to be all ‘Sex and the City’ and fill our closet with $900 Manolo Blahniks, but the clearance section at TJMaxx? Watch out.  

To understand my own personal relationship with shoes, you need to go back to my teenage years in the Eighties (surprise!). During that time I loved trolling the malls. All the clothes, all the purses, all the shoes! Problem was, I got stares wherever I went.  Was I a great beauty? No. A freak of some sort? Well, yes, but that’s not the point. People stared at me because I was incredibly tall. I say incredibly, people!!

I was, and still am, 5’11”.

I know, I know. That’s not gargantuan anymore. What historians say is true: the general population has grown taller with each generation. People keep getting bigger. As a matter of fact, Xerxes the Great stood only five inches tall. His chariot was actually a Rice-A-Roni box with bottle caps for wheels. True story!

Okay, so maybe I’m not that strong in history but I speak the truth when I say that whenever I walked somewhere alone, particularly in heels, at least one three year-old girl would yank on her mommy’s sleeve and point. Part of me thought it was cool. Another part thought it sucked.  You know the whole ‘gotta blend in instead of stand out’ part? Anyway, that part won out and I gave up shoes that had any sort of heel.
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Though classic pumps were popular then, a lot of girls wore flats. They came in every color imaginable so if you wore a red shirt, you could wear red flats. If you wore a pink shirt, you could wear pink flats. Color coordination was highly prized.

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There were also Sperry top-siders, a.k.a. boat shoes, which went with the whole nautical/preppy phase. Everyone had to look like they’d just stepped a schooner.

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When it was rainy (or not) we wore duck shoes, these incredibly bulky rubber things that weighed an absolute ton. Still, they did keep our feet dry.

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I can’t forget Dr. Scholl’s Exercise Sandals (later to be ripped off by Candies). Featuring hard wooden soles, they hurt like blankety-blank if you landed on them wrong.  Wooden-soled clogs made an appearance, too.

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When it came to gym shoes, Nike and Adidas were in a heated market share battle, though plain white Keds (as well as red Keds, blue Keds, green Keds etc.), Tretorn, and K-Swiss had their followers, too.

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The goofiest trend had to be jelly shoes. Made of PVC plastic, this mid-Eighties fad came in all sorts of colors and styles. They really made your feet sweat, so they died out quickly.

Back to the most important part of this post: me. J So there I was, lost in a sea of flat footwear. When I got my first job out of college, I went to work every day wearing low rise pumps. Fashionistas would have been appalled, but my passion for shoes had long since waned.

Then I saw them. Black leather stilettos with the coolest gold buckle and two and a half inch heels. I know, not a lot of 'wow' factor, but that was part of their charm. They were the Michael Cera of shoes: cute in their own way with just enough star quality to put a sparkle in your eye yet leave you with a feeling of accessibility. My guard immediately went down. “I can wear these, can't I?” I said to myself. “After all, it’s only one pair.”

When I wore them to work the next day, my boss looked at me and smiled. “Great!” she said. “You’re wearing big girl shoes now.” That’s when the big shift inside took place. I was a big girl. I didn’t care if I stood out anymore. I AM WOMAN, HEAR ME ROAR!

I spent $400 on shoes that weekend. In today’s dollars, that would be at least $8000. (Okay, so not very good at math either.) Anyway, it felt wonderful and I never looked back. Today I wear heels with pride. Not that I wear them all that much -- my knees are shot and Merrells are so comfy -- but when the mood strikes me I’ll strap on a pair.

And dahling, when I do I feel mahvelous!

19 Comments
Antonia Blanca link
9/9/2010 02:50:44 am

Jelly shoes! I used to have purple ones when I was in 5th grade. Did you notice they tried to make a comeback recently? I used to wear platform heels in high school (90s) but I'm your exact opposite (5'1") - so I needed every inch I could find. I adore shoes! SHOOOOOOES! And TJ Maxx! Now I have messed up knees, too. Aging stinks. But shoes still rock.

Reply
Mom link
9/9/2010 02:59:32 am

Antonia,

Gotta love the jelly shoes! They've tried to make a comback several times, all with marginal success. They're so cheap (I remember them being a buck or two way back when) but the sweat? Bletch. As for your whole 5'1" thing? Man, you could wear any shoes you wanted -- jealous!!

(Sorry, getting giddy. That happens when I talk about shoes....)

Reply
timethief link
9/9/2010 12:55:20 pm

I've never been a high heels person. I wear trainers a lot and I also wear flats quite often too. But when it comes to boots -Yowzaaa! Ankle length, calf length, knee high- you name it, and in every color with every style of heel there is - I love boots. BTW I still wear duck shoes in the winter. I live on the coast.

Reply
Mom link
9/9/2010 01:12:53 pm

timethief,

So we've got a boots person, eh? You won't find discrimination here. Boots are FABULOUS! And I'll forgive you the duck shoes. They sure are clunky, but do their job. Sounds like you really need them!

Reply
Katja
9/9/2010 02:25:04 pm

Converse, combat boots, and flip-flops are the only shoes I wear. Let's try not to use stereotypes when speaking. Not all females love shoes.


I may have come off harsh; but stereotyoes make me very, very angry.

Reply
Mom link
9/9/2010 02:34:30 pm

Katja,

Alas, you are right. Not all women love shoes. Sad, really, when they give me such joy. Shoes are one of life's sweetest gifts. That goes for chocolate, too. Gotta have my chocolate.

Reply
Jeremy from We Took The Bait link
9/9/2010 03:01:34 pm

And if you found a pair of shoes made out of chocolate....

Reply
Mom link
9/9/2010 10:36:52 pm

Jeremy,

I like the way you think!

Reply
Katja
9/11/2010 02:58:43 pm

Well, I do like chocolate...
Only dark or bittersweet chocolate, though.

Reply
Mom link
9/11/2010 03:07:44 pm

Dark chocolate is my absolute favorite. And you know what? I can eat a ton and my shoes will still fit me the next day. Can't say that about my pants. Yet another reason to love shoes!

(See how boldly I'm trying to sway your opinion?) ;)

Reply
jay.me link
9/12/2010 02:08:26 pm

Cool post! =)
This is what happens to me shopping:
--I see a cute shoe on display,
ask to see it in my size...
and they bring out something that
looks like a family of four
could sail to Hawaii in it. =(

Reply
Mom link
9/12/2010 11:42:57 pm

jay.me,

I'm guessing your not a big fan of boat shoes then, huh? ;) JK. Alas, not everyone has cutie patootie feet but think of it this way -- I bet you can kick the ketchup out of a soccer ball. Water skiing barefoot? Not a problem!

Seriously, though, I have the same problem when I see a cute outfit on a mannequin then grab it off the hanger in my size. It just doesn't look the same. But I love myself anyway. Mannequins can't cook the way I can, plus I'm sure I'd beat at least 65% of them in Trivial Pursuit. Wear those shoes with pride, no matter what the size!

Reply
jay.me link
9/13/2010 11:13:00 am

"But I love myself anyway" That's the key isn't it? =)
...boat shoes! =D

Reply
JJ Loch link
9/14/2010 09:29:51 pm

What a delightful post! Amazing blog!

Cheers, JJ

Reply
Glen link
9/15/2010 07:25:45 am

Ah women and shoes - the age old love affair. Embrace your height and enjoy your heels. All hail the Stiletto :-)

Reply
Ladygoodwood link
9/15/2010 07:30:38 am

Janene, I was a teen in the 1970's - the era of huge platform soles and big chunky stack heels. I had a saturday job in a fancy shoe shop and spent all my wages there. I am 5' 1" so 6" heels were an absolute godsend for me - it made me look like I actually had legs!

I didn't really loose the Imelda Marcos addiction until 4 years ago when I had an accident and broke my knee :( Did a lot of damage and today find I have to be rather circumspect about my footear. I am usually found in either flip-flops or walking boots! Oh for the glamour years.. LOL

Reply
Mom link
9/15/2010 07:38:06 am

@ JJ - Thanks! Ya'll come back now, ya hear!

@ Glen - Ahhhh...the stiletto. I love them, though I feel a little bit like I'm on the high dive when I wear them. Scary!

@ Ladygoodwood - after what you said, I think you'll like my post tomorrow. I'm sorry about your knee, though. Ouch! Luckily, flip flops are not only fashionable right now, the come in every color and style. As for their arch support....

Reply
Katja
9/15/2010 01:44:29 pm

Fourtunatly, I don't have to worry about my weight, and I probably never will (just because I love food) :)
Yes, I see...that is quite bold...however, my opinions are very strong, and I may never change them... :)

Reply
Mom link
5/8/2011 11:17:30 pm

Katja,
Lucky you! As for being bold? Don't go changin'. ;)

Reply



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