Rumination on Shoes

We are all familiar with the old maxim, “clothes make the man”. If clothes make the man, do shoes make the woman? Do the shoes that you wear change the way that you feel about yourself on any given day?


I work from home and, in the winter, spend most of my time in bedroom slippers. It doesn’t matter what clothes you wear, there is nothing that makes you feel more slovenly than wearing bedroom slippers all day. I shuffle around the house in my slippers and I feel like an old, agoraphobic cat lady.



Winter or summer, it’s always wet here on the farm and frankly, with all the free-range poultry running around, there is a lot of bird poop to avoid! When I’m outside I always wear Wellies. Wearing my Wellies makes me feel like doing manual labor. I feel like I can do anything out there in my Wellies. They’re comfortable and when I slip them on, I’m ready to get to work!



Wearing clean, white tennis shoes makes me feel practical. I feel like running errands, cleaning house; organizing everything. In my sneakers I feel energized.

Flip flops, even cute ones, make me feel sloppy. When I have them on I constantly question whether they are age appropriate. I have several pairs in fun colors and patterns but unless I’m on the beach, I never feel quite right in them.


Dressy flats make me feel cute, as opposed to beautiful; perky and sometimes stylish.



High heels make me feel beautiful and confident. They make me feel powerful. I’m very comfortable in heels and have worn them frequently for a good part of my life. Lately my lifestyle hasn’t afforded me much opportunity for wearing heels and strangely enough, I think it’s affecting my self-esteem. I’m looking forward to moving into town and getting back up on my heels again!

How do different shoes affect the way you feel about yourself? Have you settled into what’s comfortable or do you mix it up?