You are what you eat they say, but what about you are what you wear? More specifically, shoes? We often disregard this wearable fashion, and forget to realize that it is more than convenience. There are many sub categories of shoe fashion today that are important to recognize when discussing this culture and the effect footwear has on a society.
Going back in history with an iconic pair of boots, more specifically, button dress boots from the 1800’s, there is the beginning of a deeper importance for shoes. The reason for their significance was because of the strong woman that wore them; Sarah Jane Christie Stevens. Born in 1844, she was a Scott-Irish immigrant that migrated to Minnesota. Not only is her story so compelling, but the shoes she wore carries the weight of history and the start of shoes making an iconic statement in the fashion world. Sarah was a working woman in this time, living through the civil war and many life-changing inventions through the industrial revolution; despite every innovation, the only one she needed was her working boots. “Boots would have served her through all the seasons- even if they didn’t keep her feet warm” (Walk a Century in My Shoes). Even with the other types of feminine shoes (clogs and heels as an example), Sarah stuck to her sturdy boots. The experiences she had through her life with her jobs and her growing family and marriage of 20 years was deeply rooted in these boots. In these boots she also campaigned for prohibition of alcohol and women suffrage. “Watches tell one kind of a time, our shoes another, if only we know how to read them. They can tell us a lot about her, about her times.” (Walk a Century in My Shoes) This is a powerful statement, even we can understand today. Based off of our culture and what surrounds us, we structure our decisions on what we wear for what comforts us on the inside, not just the outside. To date back the relevance of shoes and initial meaning is important to understand when trying to relate them in every day modern life. In an article concerning the foundation of shoes in the 1900’s, there were artifacts of shoes found in a Boston Privy (meaning private location) that explained the textiles, production, and the people who wore them at the time. Leather is a leading component of shoes that is often tied to the workforce or some sort of professional aspect (Fashionable and Work Shoes). This article dives deeper into that meaning and the cause of this initial creation of the work shoe, very similar to Sarah’s work boot. Even though this is an old discovery, its meaning and purpose is more relevant than ever today. You can see the common decisions in shoe making and choice of shoe reflected with the trends we see today.
This was just the start of the implication of cultural impact and footwear fashion. From an anthropological perspective, “Some works view dress as a set of competing discourses, linked to operation of power, that construct of the body and its presentation” (The World in Dress: Anthropological Perspectives). Studying human behavior with what lies on the surface rather than what is inside, is not a new concept. Clothing in general shares a category with anthropology and much more. Through a different lens, there can be an understanding of how clothing and shoes make people feel in a society, a sense of belonging. From the personal experience of a nurse named Adeline Chamberlin, she noticed how much shoes made an impact in her workplace, especially with patients. “When the nurses asked her how her feet felt, she replied ‘Now I can be like you and wear shoes’… Her mental attitude about everything improved” (Shoes). It is truly exquisite to see the way shoes and fashion impact people’s lives in multiple concepts. 
Whether it is a patient in a hospital, or a studied group of a society, it is clear to see the effect wearing shoes has on someone. For a student and employee of Nike, Jesus Reyes explained his personal experience with his favorite pair of chucks. “I love shoes, it is a way to show who you are. It shows another aspect of your personality; All the scabs dirt mess, been through so much but show who you are, and they are not just an accessory.” Shoes can be something to take pride in, to take care of, or to wear on the craziest adventure of your life. Whether the happier or more sad memories, they still represent a period of time for someone.
-Jesus Reyes, Nike employee
“Dress readily becomes a flash point of conflicting values, fueling contests in historical encounters, in interactions across class, between genders and generations, and in recent global cultural and economic exchanges” (The World in Dress: Anthropological Perspectives)
In modern day society, the most talked about topic is the subject of sneaker fashion. This sub category of street fashion has made its way to the main stage of people’s wants and needs. In an article regarding the up-rise of white sneakers, “A good pair of white kicks proves that there’s enough slack in the rope tying you to your role in society— you can be both you and it, professional and a person.” (The Next Step in White Sneakers). Fashion is being taken more seriously as a movement, and as a statement now. Certain areas of shoes and clothing are evolving as well. As an example, moving from outdoor wear and the well-known ‘dad shoe’ image, this type of shoe has a new meaning. A perfect example, the Balenciagas shoes. These are a whopping 750 dollars. The high price and unique design of the shoe, gives purpose to this lifestyle. For some that were lucky enough to spot the trend earlier on, Jesus was able to purchase these shoes at a lower cost of 495 dollars. Even at this, many would ask the question of ‘Would you wear them? At that cost it would be detrimental to destroy these shoes in any way’ But, for Jesus, the dirt and scuffs of his shoes makes the memories they came with. Speaking with Nowlen Webb, a student and the photo chief editor of the school magazine, he also commented:
“It is a point of contention… wear it, just take care of them… It should be a representation of who you are, not how much money you have”
– Nowlen Webb, Chief Photo Director of DAMchic magazine
This generates positive and negative implications of sneaker fashion. Collecting is common among people who buy these one of a kind designs. Generally, people purchase multiple pairs of unique shoes to create a collection. This often shows the type of person someone is by recognizing the purpose behind someone’s purpose. Is it to gain a higher social status? Or for self-purpose? Nowlen spoke about this controversy among the current crowd of sneaker collectors and how relevant it is today. The re-sale market is a special subject regarding sneaker fashion. The goal is to ‘cop the drop’, to buy the items as soon as they are released on the brands cite. Often times, these releases sell out in seconds; by then, the re sell market is roaring. Sneakers are sold at nearly double the original price, for the re-sellers to make a profit. This has become a prevalent issue for the Brands. For others, this can also be another opportunity to buy the product, but the problem still remains. People wishing to buy from these websites, generally end up without what they were hoping for, and having no option but to buy at a higher price from another re sell website or person. This situation ends up being a dilemma for the buyers and the original seller overall.
There are of course, other common issues within this area for fashion and footwear. For Jesus Reyes, an employee of Nike, he explained the importance of creating sneakers and shoes that are original and to avoid cultural appropriation. It is easy to copy a tradition and exploit a culture, and often times we find this happening. Shoes are supposed to be a representation of a culture, not mocking one. Along with the issues of the re-sale market, sneaker fashion and footwear can be daunting at times. Despite the controversies, people still find themselves immersed within this new realm of fashion. In the local community of Corvallis, many students incorporate this uniqueness into their style. Nowlen Webb is a strong example of how sneaker fashion is prevalent on a college campus. Being different and being your own person is the premise of college, you find out what you want and you wear what you want. When talking about his favorite pair of shoes, Mr. Webb replied with “You can tell a lot about a person from their shoes” It is all about representation, and in sneaker fashion, social media stars have the power to influence a younger crowd. This demonstrates the power of fashion and footwear and the connotation it has for any community. This ties back to the logic behind buying the shoe in the first place. Is it for a social status? To show other sneaker heads that by obtaining this shoe, they have made it to financial freedom, they have claimed this social status. For many students like Nowlen, this is a huge disappointment within the community of streetwear fashion and footwear. His hope is for the younger generation to wear what they want and feel confident, and for social media sneaker stars to encourage a more positive message with the content they produce.
Observing the past and present with footwear, there is a sense of understanding for the connection people have with their shoes. Whether it is a pair of work boots from the 1800’s or a new upcoming designer shoe, these represent a time in history and a time of 
evolution for fashion. There will always be a negative and positive effects of shoe culture, but there will always be constant change. What you wear on your feet is often understated but everyone can relate in some way. Look at your own shoes and start recognize the memories and the reason you bought that specific pair of shoe. This is your belonging and your culture, and that is crucial to perceive. As Nowlen wisely concluded, “Wear your shoes…wear your kicks”
Sources
Hansen, Karen Tranberg. “The World in Dress: Anthropological Perspectives on Clothing, Fashion, and Culture.” Vol. 33, no. 1, 2004, pp. 369–392.
Stein, Joshua David. “The next Step in White Sneakers: How They Went from Workouts and Weekends to the Whole Wide World.” Esquire, vol. 163, no. 6-7, 2015, p. 72.
Stevens, Sarah, and C. Ordoñez. “Fashionable and Work Shoes from a Nineteenth-Century Boston Privy.” Historical Archaeology, vol. 39, no. 4, 2005, pp. 9–25.
Pratt, Lucy., et al. Shoes. V &Amp; A Publications, 1999.
Atkins, Annette. “Walk a Century in My Shoes: Minnesota 1900-2000.” Minnesota History, vol. 56, no. 8, 1999, pp. 410–429.
WALK A MILE IN THESE SHOES 