If The Shoe Fits

Liesl, 7N

My friend Stacy posed a challenge for us to discuss on this blog. Here is the challenge: The shoes in that link are fine Italian, technologically advanced marvels. Can a self professed shoe lover love such a shoe? It is superior to most other hiking shoes out there, the design is based on many years of refinement. The materials represent the latest and the greatest. The comfort factor is extreme. The likelihood they will wear out or fall apart is remote. They are amazing. However they will not flatter you calves, make your feet look dainty or make most men say ooh la la. (My hubby loves the way I look in hiking boots-heh) So here is the question: do "shoe lovers" love all shoes that represent fine craftsmanship and engineering or do they really only love dainty stuff that makes your feet hurt?

I think I have an answer: form and function are not equally important in shoes. We're not trying to convince anyone that 4-inch heels are comfortable or even practical; we're also not trying to convince anyone that comfortable shoes are always unbecoming. However, when it comes to true shoe love, form will always win over function. Does that mean we eschew all functional shoes? No, of course not. However, given the choice between the two for everyday living? A true shoe lover will go for form over function every time. Now, if we are talking about hiking in the outback, yeah, function will win. Big ass snakes don't care if your feet look dainty or cloddish, right?

In the end, the Aristotelean mean will always tip to form for shoe lovers. Which means that we should overshoot toward more and more fabulous shoes just to reach that golden mean. I can get down with that.

Today's favorite shoe:

Will's Fancy "Celeste"