The Life Changing Magic of Shoes

I used to have a pair of Nunn Bush shoes. They were blue suede and I loved those shoes. I never had many new clothes when I was growing up. If I was lucky, once a year or so I could buy a few things. I never had too many clothes. I would try to not throw any clothes away or donate any so that it seemed like I had more clothes than I could really wear.

I felt like people respected me in those shoes. However, they also screamed out the fact that I was not a slave to modern fashion trends. While everyone else wore boxy, leather shoes that were common in the early aughts, I wore these elegant, round-toed blue suede shoes. However, these shoes were only for dressy occasions and church. But once a week I got to slip into the shoes that felt like me. I wanted to be rich enough to wear them every day and own 50 pair so that when one pair wore out, I could just pick out another and slip them on. 

Suede requires care. I used to lovingly spray my shoes with the funny smelling spray and brush the nap so that they looked their best for as long as they could. That smell always seemed to linger on them. It was the smell of clean. I avoided water and snow, not an easy thing to do in Colorado, and I tried my best to keep those shoes looking their best so I could feel important and valuable. 

The first pair of shoes I was even more proud of were my Florscheim boots. Originally $800, they were marked down on clearance at their outlet in Las Vegas. The seams on the top of the boots extended from the toes to the ankle. The leather was soft and shiny black. They came with this large imposing box and a large bag that read “Florscheim” on the side. I proudly carried my bag with my large logo next to me as we left the shop with the new boots. 

The next pair of shoes I was ever excited about was my first pair of Nike’s. I wrote about that experience for Flux Magazine.   I had never owned a pair of shoes like that before. I had always worn leather shoes and other such things. I had never owned a proper pair of decent sneakers/trainers in my life. I was excited for the first time I could slip my feet into those shoes. I was surprised at how comfortable they were and how I felt like I could do anything. 

I guess I never realized how affected my life has been by the shoes that I wore or how I used something as simple as a shoe to give me feelings of value that I didn’t possess in my own self. However, I am amazed and how a simple pair of shoes can change your life. Although it is not healthy to have one’s own happiness tied up in material goods, shoes do have a certain magical quality about them. 

I met someone recently who arrived to rainy Seattle with very bad shoes. Where she lived, she didn’t really use shoes. However, I knew that she would not last long in our moist climate without decent shoes, especially when using mass transit. I bought her a pair of shoes that would be comfortable, breathable, and help her keep a sure footing. She has always been grateful for that purchase. I think shoes have a quality that way. Once you can walk well and feel better about yourself, all sorts of things are possible. 

Maybe that is the life changing magic of shoes.