the politics of shoes

Bet you didn't know there was such a thing as a "politics of shoes," did you? Well, there is, and I'll tell you why I think so. Several years ago, oxfords were in style for women, lovely saddle oxfords and spectators and other wonderful types I don't know the names for. The point is, they became my favorite type of shoe, and everytime I went to Payless of K-Mart or Wal-Mart, that's what I'd get.

Then a couple of years ago the fashion changed. Big clunky work shoes and platform sneakers came into vogue. Well, they're ugly, and my feet are huge enough without adding to their bulk. Oh, I would lament everytime I went shoe shopping and could not find the oxfords of my dreams.

I went shoe shopping a couple of days ago, since my black-and-white saddle oxfords I got at the beginning of school last fall had just about given out. I went to Payless and was disgusted by the lack of sensible shoes for women. Platform clogs and open-backed pseudo-oxfords are not suitable footwear for a fat, bad-backed trying to walk around a hilly campus. So I said to Suzy, "Oh, the hell with it -- I'm gonna look in the men's shoes. Where I very quickly found a lovely pair of black oxfords that were actually less clunky than the women's shoes I'd seen. Not only that, but they were of a significantly better quality than any women's shoe that same price. And much more comfortable, being wider than your typical woman's shoe.

So I bought them, making the comment at the register that I wished that Payless would start making women's oxfords again, and that the shoe industry doesn't play such mean tricks on men as it does on women. As I was driving home, I realized this was reminding me a lot of "The Beauty Myth" by Naomi Wolf (which is a great book that all grrls oughtta read). One of the things she states in the book is how industry in general makes products geared towards women that are more expensive and of poorer quality that the corresponding men's product.

If you doubt it, go have a look at the following things at at the grocery store. Lady Speed Stick is always smaller in volume than Speed Stick. Skintimates shaving gel is more expensive and contains less than Edge, put out by the very same company. Any shaving cream for sensitive skin is well suited for the areas that women are socially expected to shave; why should we have to pay extra just to have a "feminine" scent? And take a look at the razors while you're in that section. I'm sure you'll notice other things I haven't mentioned. Just have a look.

© Alison Bechdel