It's been said many times that men
evaluate the stature of each other
based on the shoes they wear.
Whether true or not that has long
been my justification for my
fétiche de chaussures.
It's been a problem all of my life.
For whatever reason I can't have
enough shoes. Therefore my tiny
closet is over flowing with footwear
of every shape, style, and color!
I've been trying to think where it all
started... and how to stop it.
As a young child, I was obsessed with getting a pair of Buster Brown shoes. They advertised endlessly on the television and all I begged for was whatever free gift they were hawking! Ethel considered BB's bad for my feet. So, rather than
a prize, I always got a practical pair of "orthopedic" shoes.
As soon as I had enough money of my own, I purchased a pair of groovy "Brazilian Leather" platforms. If Buster Browns hurt ones feet, these babies were an absolute assault to the eyes!
The next twenty of my years were spent either in Weejuns, Oxfords, or Docksiders. These were the shoes of my people and therefore parts of the uniform. Frankly nothing was easier than those years.
There was a formula and as long as you had
the key elements in your closet, all was good.
The only challenge in managing your wardrobe was maintenance. And all that required was a quick trip to Brooks Brothers or Paul Stuart to replenish your supplies.
I will never forget my first pair
of black Prada loafers. Their
new proportion was so different
that they seemed GIGANTIC.
As I clomped around the shoe
department at Neiman Marcus,
I felt like Frankenstein. Quickly
I grew to love my new uniform
of minimalistic black, and deep
Prada brown. A closet full of
head to toe Gucci was so easy!
Fashion is cyclical therefore the possibility of a repeat grows with age. Thank God classics are back. If I'm ever required to don platforms again, I predict utter and total disaster.