My first recollection of when I fell in love was when my Grandma took me to the Malacanang Palace in the Philippines, home of the infamous Imelda Marcos. We went on a guided tour of the palace and out of the whole experience, the only memory I have, till this day, was the vast display of her shoe collection. There were wall-to-wall, floor to ceiling displays of her beloved footwear collection. Perched so delicately on wooden shelves; perfectly lit under glowing lights. The whole room lit up and I thought to myself, one day, I will have a room dedicated to shoes.
Shoes complete an outfit. What you pair with the whole ensemble can make or break the look. No one in their right mind (or fashion sense) would wear a pair of New Balance walking shoes with an A-line skirt. Or clear-heeled stilettos (yes, that kind) with an elegant evening dress. Or god forbid, Crocs with herringbone tweed trousers. But it happens, tragically enough.
But it isn't purely based on a superficial or materialistic standpoint either. I believe that what you wear on your feet tells a lot about the person - their personality, mood, interests - just as much as what they wear throughout the rest of their body. It's another way to make a statement, showcase your individuality, communicate your style or maybe even the way you feel. A pair of red stiletto heels speaks fire; a pair of sneakers with worn out rubber soles convey miles of travel. The soles on your feet tell a story. Some of adventure and of worldly excursions; some of pain and heartache; of happiness, success, failures and of love. Each one of them; all different.
My bff came up with a rule when it comes to weeding out men, which I can agree with. When approached by a man, always look at his shoes. If they just don't go (or make sense) with everything else he's wearing, then it's a deal-breaker, for sure. Consistent and well-paired footwear is key. It shows that he's made an effort to look nice and presentable from head to toe. First impressions are the lasting ones, after all. And shoes do definitely leave an imprint.
Not only do I admire beautiful shoes on people's feet, on store-fronts and racks, I also love photos of them. I'll continue to post pictures of real-life accounts on what will be my Shoe Diaries but for now, I found these public images through Flickr. Might I add that it's amazing how many public photos are available on that site. I promise to credit their rightful owners in the future, since I've lost track of these.
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