Tube Feet
By Yusuf Özkızıl
29 Dec 2007
I don't know about you, but the older I get the shorter my attention span seems to be. I get easily distracted, forget the names of strangers faster than I used to, retrace my steps more often and have difficulty finishing a newspaper. Elements that should, by and large, make a long trip all the more tedious... except not.
Recently, I've found myself increasingly entertained by simply staring at people's shoes on the tube. From the condition they're in, to the positions they adopt they paint a picture of their owner and tell a story. "What on earth must be going through the mind of the woman who coordinates her footwear to match the style of her handbag?", "Just how long did that guy spend get his shoes to shine like that?"
I'm not the only one who thinks so. According to June Swann, a shoe historian based in Northampton, "Shoes are the best indicator of how people are feeling." Shoes give us insight. Shoes speak of status, gender, ethnicity, religion, profession, lifestyle and personality.
So, next time you forget your book, forget reading the ads... peruse the pairs of feet in front of you instead! They're more than just laces and heels...
