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I must have some sort of mutant gene, shoes have never been important to me and unlike Maggie–and I’d venture to guess, most other women–I don’t really remember what kind of shoes I wore at what point in my life. I do know that nowadays I’d rather not wear shoes at all, especially in the summer when I spend most days in sandals or flip-flops. And I know I’ve always had at least one pair of tennis shoes, usually two or even three. I’ve tried all the major brands over the years, Reebok, Adidas, even Keds when I was younger, but Nike is my preferred brand so I always have a pair of Nikes, preferably, Nike Airs.
But as for my telling my life story through shoes, I can’t do it. A total blank. I do remember getting my first pair of heels but more because my dad took me to get them than anything else. I’m not sure how he ended up with that job, but it was one of the few days in my youth when I had him all to myself, without my mom or any of my brothers and sisters around.
When I saw that pair of heels in the shoe store, I knew I had to have them. My dad wasn’t so sure, and he wasn’t going to let me get them. He said I was way too young to wear heels and guided me to a pair of flats. I shook my head at those, said they were too babyish and he pointed to a pair of low-heeled pumps. I pouted, cajoled, and finally talked him into the ones I wanted even though he thought the heels were way too high for a girl my age.
In a scene that now reminds me of Atticus and Scout in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, regarding Scout not ever going back to school, my dad and I reached a compromise. He bought them but only on the condition we take them to a shoe repair place and have the heels cut down to a more appropriate–in my dad’s eyes–inch and a half.
I don’t remember how old I was, probably around fourteen, and I can’t even remember what they looked like except that they were white. Bright and shiny and perfect for Easter. Back then it was pretty much a cardinal sin to wear white shoes before Easter so I had to wait a couple of weeks before I could wear them. It seemed to take forever for those two short weeks to pass and I finally wore them for the first time–out in public, that is, I’d been putting them on and traipsing around my bedroom from the moment I got them–on Easter Sunday.
They looked good, at least to me, but strangely enough, they didn’t make me feel any more grown-up or sophisticated, or whatever it was I was looking for at the time. I was still the same old tom-boy me, only with fancier shoes.
Maybe I should’ve gotten a hat instead.
*Picture courtesy of momtogirls79 on PhotoBucket
Although I know flip flops aren’t the best footwear for our feet (but they’re so comfortable!), I was curious about the history of this shoe, and here’s a brief summary of what I learned. Thong sandals (flip flops) are the oldest form of footwear and have been around at least six thousand years, as evidenced by Egyptian murals dating from 4,000 B.C. The 
placement of the toe strap varied among ancient civilizations; the Romans used the second toe, the Greeks the big toe, and the Mesapotanians the third toe.
Flip flops didn’t appear in America until after World War II when soldiers brought the Japanese zori back as souvenirs. They became more popular after the Korean War, when soldiers again brought them back as souvenirs. At that time, flip flops signified an informal lifestyle, more specifically that of the “surf culture”. But as styles have changed, so has the status of the flip flop. Once representing a working class lifestyle because they were so inexpensive, they are now showing up on model catwalks and have been spotted at such pretentious affairs as the Cannes Film Festival and at the White House to meet the president.
The term “flip flop” became popular in the ‘60s and is a trademark protected brand-name owned by flip*flop GmbH and the Bernd Hummel Group in Germany. The basic design of the flip flop has remained the same throughout time, although flip flops are now made from rubber, wood, plastic, leather or bamboo, and come in a variety of colors and styles, some with platforms. Currently the US market for flip flops is estimated at 2 billion dollars, with the majority of this footwear priced under $50 per pair.
My favorite pair of flip flops: black and neon pink, purchased at Wal-Mart for under $10.
To see this blog and more info about flip-flops, go to: Kellie Caldwell’s Burgers, Beaches & Bars™: www.http://burgersbeachesbars.com/2012/03/19/be-a-flip-flopper/
Did you ever think of your own history in terms of the shoes you’ve chosen? I decided to have fun with the idea and came up with this unusual memoir.
1951, age 2, San Antonio, Texas, barefoot; white buckle, smooth soled shoes with white ankle socks; black lace-up shoes with white ankle socks. (Hair kept long.)
1955, age 6, Hemmingford Abbotts, England, lace-up shoes for Scottish dance lessons in first grade; rubber boots; black lace-up shoes with white ankle socks (wore skirts).
1956, age 7, Ramersdorf, Germany, black lace-up shoes with white socks.
1958, age 9, Sedalia, Missouri, barefoot for Judo and swimming lessons; tap and ballet shoes; white buckle shoes with white socks.
1962, age 13, Tokyo, Japan, barefoot; zories (flip flops); cheerleading shoes black tennis with white laces; English riding boots for horse back riding lessons.
1963, age 14, Tokyo, Japan, learned to walk in heels at Patricia Charm school.
1964, age 15, Goldsboro, North Carolina, barefoot; flip flops; cheerleading tennis shoes.
1966, age 17, Burns Flat, Oklahoma, barefoot; kitten heels at Junior/Senior dance.
1968, age 18, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, flip flops; brown slip-ons (changed from skirts to jeans at Slay Dorm).
1970, age 21, Goldsboro, NC, low heels. (Ran out of college funds; worked in suits– back to skirts)
1973, age 24, Jacksonville, NC, low heels; boots “these boots are made for walking”
1974, age 25, back at ECU, Greenville, NC, flip flops; barefoot (jeans); jazz shoes for class.
1979, age 30, Clemson, South Carolina, 2″ heels (business suits and short hair for first time); golf shoes
1980, age 31, Spartanburg, South Carolina, hiking boots (for five day backpacking trip on Appalachian Trail)
1986, age 37, York, Pennsylvania, riding boots (Honeymoon at Dude Ranch), heels and flats (still in suits for work).
1994, age 45, Boone, North Carolina, barefoot; ski boots (Ski patrol at Sugar Mountain); hiking boots
2000, age 51, Boone, NC, tennis shoes (work as Census taker), flip flops (earned first cruise)
2009, age 60, Boone, NC, barefoot (author working at computer); kitten heels (to writer group meetings); hiking boots; high heels (on cruise); flip flops.
That was a fun visit to my past. What is your history in shoes?
