There are many things I like about working in academia, and many things I like about working in a non-prestigious part of it. There are also things, despite my East-Coast whining, that I like about living in Southern California. These conspire nicely when it comes to shoes. When I first moved to SoCal, I had taken (in my youthful zeal) a sandals-only stance. Year round sandals. No matter the weather. Ah, youth. I've wandered in my sandal loyalties from Birkenstocks to Doc Martens to Tevas to my current Teva-Keen mixed marriage.
I heart my Keens.
Anyway, I have now "grown up" and have some shoes where my toes aren't shown. What I like about them mostly is that I can wear my snail socks.
But my relationship with my socks is too complicated to be collapsed into this one post. It's a bit like how I could NOT talk about my relationship with my ass during my hand revelation last week.
Back to the shoes...earlier this week, I was discussing via e-mail with Scouster and the chief cowgirl in the Wannabe Corral where my shoes should go when I take them off. Scout suggested that everyone knew the answer to this question. By which I take it, she meant that any fool (me) should know that they go in the closet. With all the Republican gays.
There are a number of theories about why my shoes end up where they do, many of which might fall into the TMI category. Mostly, I take them off wherever I stop first. Bathroom, kitchen, under the desk, front hallway. I can't ever find the pair I want. But it's kind of like looking at a very easy Easter egg hunt for eggs (or like the Stones sang). You find the shoes you find. They may or may not be the shoes you need.
The good thing is that because I'm a lesbian (gasp, someone cover the children's eyes!) academic, I have only comfortable shoes in mostly neutral colors. Whichever shoes I encounter will probably also match my comfortable clothing that has just the hint of a professional look to it. See how good my life is?
I was standing behind the Prez of this here Uni at commencement and noticed she had on sandals. I suggested to the nearest chair of an ethnic studies department (there are several, this one was closest) that we could wear sandals if the Prez could. The Prez turned around, looked me up and down and nodded very slowly. Sandals it is at Commencement 07. I'll wear my "nice" Tevas. They look a little like I'm an extra on the set of Rome. The lack of a tunic gives me away, though.
Ok, so here's the deal. Share out in comments (let's see if this is more globally interesting to people than bad music):
What your shoe aesthetic is;
and
Where shoes "go" in your home.
As for me, today was a Teva day. My Keens from yesterday are in the front hall. I have tripped over them twice. Still, that's where they go. At least for today.
8 comments:
*ignores Chief Cowgirl appellation*
When not worn, shoes should be properly placed in a closet. Period. That is, until we get around to building a wall of cubbies for our extensive shoe collection. :)
I'm about comfort. I wear mostly flats, neutral in color, easily donned and removed.
Shoes should not be haphazardly removed, nor left haphazardly wherever they may fall. It is against all laws of shoe nature.
When not on the appropriate foot, shoes belong in the shoe locker. Were you raised in a barn, woman?!
Well, since I'm the ballyhooed slangred, I'm supposed to be talking about my shoes ad nauseum, something I have yet to live up to!
However, most of my shoes end up back in their boxes, stacked neatly in my closet (the ONLY place in which I am somewhat organized!), but I have a couple pairs strewn about the bedroom floor until I get around to putting them away. (Which requires faking out the cat so she won't run into said closet with me, dart behind something where I can't get her, and wreak havoc with my stuff.)
My shoe aesthetic is...anything goes, if I like it! Inlcuding what you would find very uncomfortable, but what I, having adapted like a plant deprived of sun or a child deprived of proper nutrients, have grown used to and find perfectly normal in my own "stunted" way.
Suzanne, could you tell me where I can find the shoe locker? Is it in some magical place?
Slang while I think some of your shoes are pretty, the fact that you wear them proves that you couldn't be a lesbian. For which I am sure bryduck is grateful.
I too, as is standard lesbian practice, wear comfortable, flat shoes. Tho, I will wear a dress shoe as needed and appropriate. I do NOT wear sneakers (unless I am doing a sneaker-type activity, such as trail-walking or some such other form of exercise). They are kept in a closet when not worn, organized by color.
I thought only teenagers left shoes all over the house.
For some reason, when choosing "tennis" (generic term) shoes, I have chosen to wear adidas for the last 30 years. Never has a Nike, Puma, Ked, Converse, or any other brand corralled my feet. I have this horrible and heretofore unspoken fear that adidas are poorly designed for my feet, resulting in the near constant foot pain I have felt for decades.
At work (and for when sneakers would be inappropriate, but shoes are required), I go for Wallabees, as all who know me are probably aware of, and are understandably ashamed for, me. Those gooey soles, combined with multiple layers of spongy inserts, are the only things keeping me from screaming in pain throughout the day. Which is probably a good thing, considering the fragile emotional and psychic status of many of our patrons.
Lastly, whenever I possibly can, I wear the blessed Tevas. Easy to put on and easy to take off, and comfy to boot!
My shoes have their storage hideyholes, but only because tripping over them in the middle of the night is swearworthy. Otherwise, it'd be shoe party all the time. Wheeeee!
I miss being able to go barefoot in the summer . . .
Ah, I once tried to enforce the "one pair in, one pair out" rule, but it turns out you actually have to be in agreement with the shoe queen in question. Yes, she is a shoe queen. You can be a shoe queen even if you wear only flat, comfortable shoes.
Chunky and comfortable works for me as well, and all shoes, when not actively adorning feet, belong in the closet. Not all closets are bad.
Gee whiz. All these neat dykes keeping thier shoes in the closet. Guess Im a slobby lesbian, mine are all over the place. Are you really a Republican?
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