These boots are gonna walk all over you!

When I go shopping, be it I really need to get something to wear for work or just attempting to release dopamine, increase my oxytocin, and serotonin, or in other words what most people call “emotional shopping”, I find myself end up buying a new pair of shoes; Flats, heels, boots, sandals, wedges, I come back home look at my shopping bag and go, man did I just buy shoes again?!

I got to a point that I had to admit it, I am obsessed with shoes, among others. Not any though, just those I find interesting. like it’s kinda strappy or really nicely laced-up or that peep toe is not too peep-y.. Or, or just a unique color that I end up buying and never wearing because nothing goes with it!

I am not saying that I am Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City with an obsession for Louboutin’s, Manolo Blahnik’s and Jimmy Choo’s and over a 100 unique pair, I can’t afford to have all those anyway, and to be quite honest, I actually never knew this information until recently I was researching the psychological aspects of shoe obsession when this came up, you got me, I have never watched Sex and the City (SMH).

Now let’s try to scientif-y this for a little bit, it’s not just me. All women are crazy about shoes, and there are actual proven reasons.

Heels

Heels have always been associated with feeling sexy, powerful, and confident. Louboutin, creates shoes that are brazenly sexy and often extreme with a signature red sole which will only be seen when a woman sits down and flashes the bottom of her foot, which a Louboutin wearer would probably do 1- because she paid ALOT for it so better these bitches see it, and 2- a woman can stand in those heels for only so long.

Growing up I have always felt more secure wearing high heals, flats used to freak me out because I never felt comfortable with my height, I have always thought that I can be better off a couple of inches taller, but when I say that in front of every women I meet in my life, they ALL wished the same! I figured it was never about being tall, average or short, it’s your perception and self satisfaction, and it looks like we all are not. However, those heels seem to make us all satisfied.

In one of her stand-up comedies, Whitney Cummings, (and she is one of my favorites by the way, she cracks me up) on the heels topic and how men complain because of all that discomfort drama we cause, she said “If I don’t wear those heels you will leave me for someone else who does, I’ve seen porn and none of these bitches are wearing aerosoles”. That, ladies, must have occurred to your minds at some point I guess.

Flats

After I started my crossfit journey, as a crossfitter I had to do high intensity workouts combined with lifting, I was sore almost every day, my muscles were in pain and heels were not an option any longer. Weird thing though I felt very much at ease with my flats, but it was just another reason for me to shop more!

The categories widened and now I had to have running shoes, training shoes, lifting shoes, a couple of stylish comfy shoes as well as, you know, all those low wedge sandals..

Buying

One of the polls showed that average woman own 19 pairs of shoes, out of curiosity I counted mine, and I found that I have issues! Oh well, I think that has been established long time ago.

One thing that stuck to my mind when I read Martin Lindstrom’s Buyology, he said “There’s some serious mood-boosting when you try any kind of apparel, the dopamine is released providing a feel-good high, similar to drug which increases until you swipe your card and is replaced with a guilt feeling, except when you’re purchasing a pair of shoes, as shoppers rationalize shoes as a practical buy, something they can wear multiple times a week”.

Shoes have also been associated with sex, it has been long discussed that shoes can be erotic. in one of the articles I read (forgot the author), it said that our minds are structured in a way that may associate feet with sex, where the area of the brain that communicates with genitals is right next to the area that communicates with feet. And I guess a friend who lives in your building can be closer than that who lives in a different city just because of geographical convenience, right? No wonder why Nancy Sinatra’s song phrase “one of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you” have a different connotation in my mind than what the song is actually about. LOL.

Anyway, I decided to interfere for some damage control, I made a promise that I would never buy a new pair of shoes before I throw (if it was consumed) or give away an existing one. That way I just maintain the current status and gradually bring it down to the average normal number.

So my next motto will be, “These boots are made for walking, that’s just what they’ll do” ..

And that’s my two cents worth… Start walking.