My Relationship to the Infamous Sneaker

via thefashion.gr

It has come to my attention that designers and bloggers alike have decided to succumb to comfort and opt for the sneaker rather than that jaw-dropping high heel. As a representative of short women everywhere, I am slightly disconcerted by this shocking, yet simultaneously inevitable, decision.

What happened to that statement shoe that made us all stop in our tracks?
What happened to roughing it up during fashion week in impractical shoes as you run from show to show?
Are we all being led to believe that we are just like models and can afford to wear comfortable shoes in public?
Or have we all just given up on trying so hard?

Now, don't misunderstand. I love the idea of women embracing comfort and I know that we curse those heels every night out when we opt for 5 inches or more after dancing the night away. I've done it too. However, I've decided that if I am stepping into those high heels, I have no right to complain that my feet hurt. There's nothing more unpleasant than someone complaining about a decision that was made consciously. Therefore, I vow to stop regretting my decision to wear heels, because I love them too much to get angry at them when they hurt me.

But this post is not about my love for heels. Rather, it is about my relationship to sneakers. Let me give you a lowdown. When I was in High School, I wore Converse. Honestly, who didn't? Those Converse continue to sit in my closet untouched with frays from my youth and I don't have the heart to get rid of them. Though I prefer a heel for every occasion, I feel emotionally attached to my sneakers. They don't just provide physical comfort to the foot, but they remind me of those carefree days where I didn't care about being the shortest girl in the room.

via stylelovely.com

Today, I enter the world of sneakers, swayed by bloggers like Man Repeller and Sincerely Jules as well as Karl Lagerfeld and Christopher Bailey. Though I used to belief that high heels were the only empowering footwear on the market, I've currently discovered that sneakers can have that same effect. In a new stage of my life, I can wear a pair of Addidas high tops and proudly expose my height to the world. I look at sneakers in the same way I look at baseball caps. No, I do not play baseball, but I love to play with boundaries and when it comes to fashion, practicality barely figures into the equation. If all men are going to wear their caps, I want to do it too. And if athletic boys can wear their Nikes and Addidas every day, why can't I? The popularity of sneakers arises from a trend of androgyny or rather, a desire to be "one of the boys", while keeping that femininity alive in other ways. It's a challenge in the same way a pixie is, but slightly less risky.

I always thought that I couldn't pull off a sneaker because I didn't play sports. Who made up that rule? Maybe I want to wear my sneakers to make a statement. Perhaps I feel good in a shoe that represents comfort, equality, and an easy-going nature. Let's stop suffering and wear our sneakers with dresses. According to Cyndi Lauper, girls just want to have fun, and sometimes that's easier to do with a comfy sneaker on, don't you think?

Ponder that.

XOXO.

Bella