My job has required me to wear all kinds of shoes. For the sake of fashion I have, many a time, bared my soles to shoes that have been either too small or too tight or just plain near impossible to walk in. Models may not be known widely for their superhuman powers but walking on stilts does require certain skills. Sometimes, an ill-fitting shoe has resulted in a tumble, at others a near fatal accident. 

On a recent visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, I walked into its summer exhibition ‘Shoes: Pleasure and Pain’. Aptly titled. As I wandered through the museum for nearly three hours, I thanked my stars for not giving in to my desire to wear my new platform heels, and opting for my Keds instead. With over 200 shoes on display, the exhibit traced the journey of footwear from the medieval times to its current avatar, walking through kingdoms and closets of the rich and famous and its footprint in history and mythology.

Fairy tales and folklore are flushed with magical abilities of shoes. Cinderella’s glass slippers that at once make her into a gracious princess as she waltzes into the arms of her prince and her happily-ever-after. Dorothy of The Wizard of Oz’s ruby red shoes that can take her back home. The cavalier Puss in Boots helps his master win the heart of the woman he fancies. Sikander Jah, the erstwhile Nizam of Hyderabad’s mojri was made of gold, finest silks and precious gems. In fact, some of his mojris were designed only just to wear while seated — mojris built with an exaggerated curl of the toe that made it impossible to walk in! 14th century Venetian noble women wore Chopines, shoes with a 20” elevated platforms to keep them above mud and soil.

Shoes seem to have, and indeed do have, powers of transformation, status and seduction. High-heeled footwear enables its wearer to literally be head and shoulders above the crowd, and be looked up at, profounding a sense of power and rank. It beholds the sensation of being someone else, or somewhere other than what the reality at that moment may be. 

That shoes seduce, is true. Any girl who has slipped on a pair of stilettos would confess that they make her feel strong and sexy. And yet, if the boots are indeed made for walking, why on earth do they have to hurt so? Interestingly, most shoemakers have been men. Once you put on a 6’’ heel, you have to alter the way you walk. Marilyn Monroe used to have the heels in her shoes customised such that one heel was slightly higher than the other, giving the actress her very own brand of iconic sway. “Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world,” Ms Monroe said. Tom Cruise, and closer home the venerable Khans, are widely thought to wear elevated insoles to look into the eyes of their leading ladies. 
 

Shoes can give extraordinary powers too. They can make you run faster, they might even make you fly. They can also take Michael J. Fox back to the future. Nike (named after the winged Greek goddess of victory) designed Air Jordan collaborating with Michael Jordan for the promised leap of faith. The Puma King has a foothold in history as they were on Maradona’s Godly feet throughout his career. Vibram is now making gloves for feet, shoes that mimic running barefoot, a trend rapidly gaining popularity. Michael Jackson’s boots let him moonwalk and defy gravity (shoes that he had designed and patented).
 

I now look for my shoes to treat me like a loyal friend — it should make me feel good, look good, stay strong and steady even if I have gained a pound or two, and to be an able partner if I want to dance the night away. With my un-lotus like feet, it was nearly impossible to find shoes that fit when I was a child, and I often had to wear “Naughty Boy shoes”. A common lament of other long-limbed model friends of mine, who have now traded up to sky-high heels. Ha! 

Can one really then judge a man, or woman by her shoes? Buckle up and listen. History at large, and my own, shows that it is true. The good news is that there’s a pair of footwear out there for every budget, and for every sartorial reason. From shoestring to designer extravagance, sky is the limit. It usually is a toss-up between comfort and style. Heck, there’s nothing stopping the both of them walking hand-in-hand.

While shopping for a closed pair of shoes, it’s prudent to try them on with a pair of socks or Peds. And then to walk around in them, for as long as it takes to fully feel comfortable in them. If they feel tight in the shop, it’s more than likely that they are going to feel that way when you get home. I have made a couple of wishful purchases and no amount of hoping and praying have enlarged those shoes. Shoes should support the arch of the feet. Insoles help in providing extra support and a snugger fit if the size is marginally bigger.

Sex and the City and Carrie Bradshaw have had a defining role to play to make Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo household names across the world. Patent wars have been fought over Christian Louboutin’s trademark red soles. Interestingly, in the early 17th century, the French king Louis XIV, permitted only those who were in the royal inner circle to don red heels, indicating access to privilege and wealth.

To be happy, one has got to be comfortable in one’s shoes. The shoes that we choose to wear perhaps play a larger role than we may think. Shoes wisely. 

Indrani Dasgupta is here to answer your grooming queries.
Write in to askindrani@abp.in