For the love of our shoes

Khaleej Times - Opinion (LIFE)

Asha Iyer Kumar
30 November 2011, 6:28 PM

It’s official. At long last, the relationship has now been acknowledged and accorded its due status. There is a deep, psychological intimacy between women and their shoes and the phenomenon cannot be dismissed as a flippant obsession anymore.

Thanks to the new documentary film ‘God save my shoes’, people will soon start taking this innocuous, humble fixation that made icons out of Imelda, Jayalalitha and Mayawati more seriously. Aha! We women can now openly brandish our elaborate, stuffed-to-the-shutters shoe rack. We can now ignore the bewilderment on our men’s face when we drool over a matchless pair in scarlet red in the store window and if berated for our love, blame it on our chromosomes. Dear women of our times, we owe a salute to the team that has purportedly striven to comprehend and legitimise this bond between us and our footwear, and the creative men who thought of putting the movie together, please take a bow. We are gratified and vindicated.

We have endured years of chastisement and it is time for redemption. Do you think we don’t notice you watching us derisively as we gingerly pick our way through the crowds in our pencil heels? Agreed, we sometimes make the mistake of donning the wrong pair for the occasion, like how one of us once wore tight, tall boots on an airplane. It was a blunder. Now, how are we to know that the new age travel rules stipulate us to take off our shoes for security checks?

Yes, we do have our issues, but which relationship doesn’t? What happened on the New Year’s Eve last year was an aberration. We were out there at the Dubai Mall in our platforms and pencils, stilettos and chunky heals. After the celebrations we had to walk all the way back home. How we missed our flip-flops then!

You may wonder why many of us prefer style to comfort when it comes to our shoes. To my mind, it has got something to do with our definition of self esteem and a unique predilection. We dote on our feet and pamper them no end. We treat them like we treat our pet puppy. Now, if that beats logic, go and watch the new movie on our shoes, while I carry my specially made, orthopedic sandals to the cobbler for repair, for without them, my fussy, flat feet will get hopping mad. Despite their down to heel condition, I love my pair, for on them rest my soles in lasting peace.