Cinderella knew something all women know: the value of the perfect pair of heels.
When her foot delicately slid into the glass slipper, she not only sported some enviable footwear, she also landed herself a new man and a substantial income boost.
"I don't know who invented the high heel, but all men owe a lot to him." - Marilyn Monroe
While most women don't chose shoes based on their life-altering potential, there remains an unmistakable bond between a woman and her footwear. In short, women are shoe-obsessed.
Psychologists have vigorously sought the hidden meaning of shoes, ranging from phallic symbols to secret vessels. Some claim that the female shoe-collector is a frustrated traveler, while others believe she is symbolically searching for enlightenment. It may even be simpler than that, says fashion critic Holly Brubach. A new pair of shoes "might not cure a broken heart or soothe a tension headache," she writes, "but they will relieve the symptoms and chase away the blues."
Whatever the reason, women love their shoes. In 2003 alone women in the United States spent a whopping $16 billion on footwear. Women line up around the block in all weather if they catch word of a shoe sale, and know that a new pair of shoes is often the best way to attain a style makeover - after all, they won't make you look fat!
In Japan, designer shoes are taken very seriously. Footwear lined with brick-sized soles has been the rage among women in their teens and twenties, with some of the shoes reaching as high as 20 centimeters (8 inches!). Women haul themselves around in them with the belief that the shoes make themselves appear taller, their legs longer and their faces smaller in proportion. Stylish young women have always been willing to put up with a little discomfort for fashion's sake.
While there have been serious cases of Japanese women toppling off their designer shoes and breaking bones due to the fall, some shoes may actually be good for you. A recent study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Public Health shows that women who wear high heeled shoes may actually be protected from knee joint problems, as there was a link between regular dancing in three inch heels and a reduced risk of knee problems.
Health benefits aside, pop culture has given shoes a leg up in popularity. In The Wizard of Oz, the Good Witch gave Dorothy sparkling ruby red pumps as a reward for knocking off one of the Wicked Witches. Those shoes gave her a whole new persona, and she was able to courageously find her way home (alright, this may be stretching it a tad).
We all remember former Philippines first lady Imelda Marcos and her infamous collection of designer shoes. Once quoted as saying "I have no weakness for shoes", she recently donated her enormous collection of over 1200 shoes to the Shoe Museum near Manila. Whether she liked it or not, there is no doubt that shoes changed this first lady's life. "I have been ridiculed, vilified and persecuted because of my shoes. But in a way they saved me. Because when they went through my closets looking for skeletons, all they found were shoes."
Style icon Sarah Jessica Parker and her Sex and the City pals have also helped fuel the fanatical obsession with footwear. After all, shoes are Carrie Bradshaw's number one vice. A few seasons back viewers watched her clop around Manhattan in a pair of Dr. Scholl's wooden slip-ons (previously seen on the feet of your neighborhood flower child in the seventies), and the shoes received a huge resurgence in popularity. Parker even designed a shoe for Nike last spring, and had the profits from her hot pink Presto mesh trainers donated to her favorite charity. If not for the Sex and the City girls, we might not have visions of Manolos dancing in our heads.
Bette Midler once said, "Give a girl correct footwear and she can conquer the world." Perhaps this is why we can justify purchasing three pairs of nearly identical black boots - they'll get us where we need to go, and heck, they'll go with everything.
Best Designer Shoes Says:
Tue Jun 17, 2008 11:49 am
For the ladies, who want to walk tall in top Designer Shoes, check out the hot deals on:
smoochie Says:
Sat Aug 16, 2008 8:02 am
i love the the pink and the blue heels but those japanese girls are crazy those things are freakin tall
Norma Shephard Says:
Mon Aug 25, 2008 6:52 am
Here here! but women aren't obsessed only with designer shoes - they're collecting vintage footwear as well. See my book "In Step With Fashion; 200 Years of Shoe Styles." to be released Sept, 2008. ***schifferbooks***
diamond Says:
Fri Oct 10, 2008 2:20 pm
i love designer shoes and i get a new pair every day
jess Says:
Mon Jun 01, 2009 3:40 pm
I only love and keep looking
Jane Says:
Thu Aug 27, 2009 5:17 pm
Designer shoes look yummy but sometimes unpracrical(((i love heels
cassandra brown Says:
Fri Sep 04, 2009 4:23 am
Designer shoes are my favourite, i like them alot cuz i love heels. But sometimes they look really ugly, but i like the pretty ones.
ktihsiri fernando Says:
Mon Nov 02, 2009 11:38 am
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iKamirror Wells Says:
Tue Jan 05, 2010 2:55 am
Those pink and purple shoes at the top are hot. They are super cute and I would totally where them. I never heard of Hilary Magazine but Im starting to like it:)
While there have been serious cases of Japanese women toppling off their designer shoes and breaking bones due to the fall, some shoes may actually be good for you. A recent study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Public Health shows that women who wear high heeled shoes may actually be protected from knee joint problems, as there was a link between regular dancing in three inch heels and a reduced risk of knee problems.
We all remember former Philippines first lady Imelda Marcos and her infamous collection of designer shoes. Once quoted as saying "I have no weakness for shoes", she recently donated her enormous collection of over 1200 shoes to the Shoe Museum near Manila. Whether she liked it or not, there is no doubt that shoes changed this first lady's life. "I have been ridiculed, vilified and persecuted because of my shoes. But in a way they saved me. Because when they went through my closets looking for skeletons, all they found were shoes."
Style icon Sarah Jessica Parker and her Sex and the City pals have also helped fuel the fanatical obsession with footwear. After all, shoes are Carrie Bradshaw's number one vice. A few seasons back viewers watched her clop around Manhattan in a pair of Dr. Scholl's wooden slip-ons (previously seen on the feet of your neighborhood flower child in the seventies), and the shoes received a huge resurgence in popularity. Parker even designed a shoe for Nike last spring, and had the profits from her hot pink Presto mesh trainers donated to her favorite charity. If not for the Sex and the City girls, we might not have visions of Manolos dancing in our heads.
Shan Swimwear
