Mind the Shoe
What your shoes say about you...
I used to play a little game when I lived in France... to see if I could tell what country a person came from based on their shoes.
Many times I was accurate with my guess and freaked many of my friends out by it. It may just be that I am overly conscious of shoes…but I say that when you begin to look, there are differences that each country has regarding the styles of shoes they wear.
Germany tends to have bolder colors and wilder styles, the Italians make sure they look expensive, France has the more subdued darker colors with shoes that fit the foot, where the Netherlands tend to have more pointy toed shoes. It’s an effect of culture, and a fun one to discover.
Now, when relating to shoes, Americans are no different. We too have a shoe type, and when we are tourists this tends to be the bright white running shoe. I know they are super comfy, and when you are walking around for miles a day you want comfort. Europeans have the same concern since walking is a part of their daily life, but they go one step further, they also want a shoe they can wear out to a nice restaurant or to go clubbing in (the all-in-one).
If it is a concern of yours to blend in more with the crowd as to not put much attention on yourself (for example if you’re afraid of pick pockets or getting things stolen), this is an easy change to make. Buy a comfortable shoe, just more fitted to the foot. Ta-Da. Who would have thought my fascination with shoes would pay off?
I used to play a little game when I lived in France... to see if I could tell what country a person came from based on their shoes.
Many times I was accurate with my guess and freaked many of my friends out by it. It may just be that I am overly conscious of shoes…but I say that when you begin to look, there are differences that each country has regarding the styles of shoes they wear.
Germany tends to have bolder colors and wilder styles, the Italians make sure they look expensive, France has the more subdued darker colors with shoes that fit the foot, where the Netherlands tend to have more pointy toed shoes. It’s an effect of culture, and a fun one to discover.
Now, when relating to shoes, Americans are no different. We too have a shoe type, and when we are tourists this tends to be the bright white running shoe. I know they are super comfy, and when you are walking around for miles a day you want comfort. Europeans have the same concern since walking is a part of their daily life, but they go one step further, they also want a shoe they can wear out to a nice restaurant or to go clubbing in (the all-in-one).
If it is a concern of yours to blend in more with the crowd as to not put much attention on yourself (for example if you’re afraid of pick pockets or getting things stolen), this is an easy change to make. Buy a comfortable shoe, just more fitted to the foot. Ta-Da. Who would have thought my fascination with shoes would pay off?
