Waiting for public transportation in the early morn', it is often safer to avoid eye contact. No one feels particularly human at that hour, except for me.
I opt instead to focus on footwear, and no matter how many times Luke quotes The Shawshank Redemption, I am firm in belief that shoes make the difference.
Exhibit A:
Young man, neatly dressed. On his feet were a pair of trim, streamlined loafers with a horse-bit accent. Ah.
Exhibit B:
Standing next to him, another young man, but on his feet were, urgle, a pair of black New Balance sneakers. The type that 80-year-old men wear to shul because their feet have given out.
This guy? Still in his 20s.
I kept glancing back and forth between the two pairs.
Aaaaah.
Oooooy.
Aaaaah.
Oooooy.
Aaaaaaaaaaaah.
Oooooooooooy.
This is unacceptable. I don't care how comfortable they are. He wasn't not limping, so I'm guessing he isn't recovering from bunion surgery.
I'm not unreasonable. I don't demand designer, just a wee more discretion when it comes to shoe fit. I've managed to discover flattering footwear for the familial menfolk in my life with just a few extra minutes of research. Rockport, for example, possess a number of options that aren't murder on one's feet yet are still fit to be seen in public.
If you insist on wearing sneakers anyway, don't get sneakers that are pretending to be something other than sneakers. Get sneakers that look like sneakers, that aren't ashamed of themselves.
Sneakers are actually "in" right now (there is even a "sneakerhead" movement), so dress shoes aren't even necessarily required. So get something fun, with a pop of color!
I get it, I know, shopping can be a drag. But so's dating, right, and that hasn't stopped any of us. You want to find the one? You've got to look first.
I'm not unreasonable. I don't demand designer, just a wee more discretion when it comes to shoe fit. I've managed to discover flattering footwear for the familial menfolk in my life with just a few extra minutes of research. Rockport, for example, possess a number of options that aren't murder on one's feet yet are still fit to be seen in public.
Sneakers are actually "in" right now (there is even a "sneakerhead" movement), so dress shoes aren't even necessarily required. So get something fun, with a pop of color!
I get it, I know, shopping can be a drag. But so's dating, right, and that hasn't stopped any of us. You want to find the one? You've got to look first.
While I mostly agree, I also want to point out that sometimes "frumpier" shoes are unavoidable. What someone wouldn't know from just looking at me is that um completely flat footed. Sometimes, nicer / the regular tyoe of shoes i wear put me in extreme pain. While they are more like the rockpprts than the new balances, they are still not all that flattering. However, my choice is either to wear nicer shoes, be in plain and hobble, or to wear something less flattering and be pain free. I'll almost always choose the latter.
ReplyDeleteI dislike shopping (except for books), I dislike clothes shopping more than other shopping and I dislike shoe shopping more than any other clothes shopping. I have never got the hang of predicting whether the shoes will fit once the leather is worn in.
ReplyDeleteStill, the pair of shoes I'm wearing right now are pretty similar to the Rockports you picture, so you shouldn't hate me complete. :-)
I have one pair of Converse trainers that get worn only on Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av. I find them quite uncomfortable by the end of the day and wonder why they are so popular. My sister has an almost identical pair (but pink) and loves them...
Prof: My objection was to wearing Zeidy sneakers; if you have to hobble, wear funky, zany sneakers that advertise your youth.
ReplyDeleteOh, you're so cute, you think women's shoes are all that comfy? We hobble professionally, without foot conditions. We even give ourselves foot conditions.
Think of the greater good.
DS: I wear most of my sneakers with Dr. Scholl arches, and they seem to do the trick, as well as with my Converse.
I don't think women's shoes are comfy. On the contrary, I often times think giros are crazy for wearing the shoes that they do. I don't get the point of wearing something so uncomfortable that you hobble. I (usually) can't bring myself to do that
ReplyDeleteMy point was is that sometimes we suffer to look good. What is good for the goose . . .
ReplyDeleteIf you live anywhere in the New York City area, it is possible I was the New balance guy....
ReplyDeleteSorry for offending your sensibilities, but I'll probably be sticking with these...
Also, thanks for a new blog to read :p
Hate it when someone puts years into making a blog, then i finish it all in a week, only to find out they've stopped blogging....
-M
Shudder. Could I not coax you into something a wee bit more youthful?
ReplyDeleteOh, I hear you on the "disappeared blogger" thing. Also annoys me. I cannot affirm for how long I shall continue, but in the meantime . . .
Perhaps, but unlikely. I'm one of those "I don't care how I look, so long as it's comfortable" people - well, at least when it comes to footwear.
ReplyDeleteAnd I've tried both Rockports and Converse before, didn't think much of them.
There's a reason the 80 year olds wear these.
Oh well, maybe that's why I'm not married yet (Actually, I'm not ready to be married yet. You know the whole girls mature faster thing? Well, at least for me, in relation to most other women I know in my age range, they all seem much more mature then me. I don't feel ready to get married at all yet.)
Anyway, before I go out to get shoes again, maybe I'll send you a message and you can educate me on sneaker etiquette, if it bothers you that much :p
-M
I keep fashion and marriage in two separate categories. After all, I'm single too, right? One does not have to do with the other.
ReplyDeleteThere is a girl out there who thinks the same way as you do: Comfort above all else. You will be very happy together, iy'H. (OMG, I just iy'Hed you. Hypocrite!)
I certainly hope my future wife and I have more in common then that...
ReplyDeleteAnd it's ok, I forgive you (this time).
-M