CAITLIN WHITE
Assistant Living Editor
“Shoes. Let’s get some shoes.” This phrase can now be heard all over campus, thanks to the infamous satirical YouTube video dealing with the subject of shoes, (if you haven’t seen it, please go watch it right now; there is a reason it has more than 5 million views). But especially at a school like Pepperdine, where many students tend to have a decent-sized disposable income, shoes are a common topic, especially for the women here.
But this is one accessory that guys are forced to consider as well, and depending on where people come from, they will make considerably different choices.
Do people give enough thought to their shoes? Shoes can say a lot about a person, what they are into, what they are like even where they are from. The ever-present Rainbow sandal found peppered throughout Pepperdine students’ feet is literally non-existent in mid-west states like Oklahoma, says sophomore transfer student Jeff Wohlgemuth.
“Before I came to California, I barely knew what Rainbows were,” Wohlgemuth says, “We didn’t really have them in Oklahoma, a few people had them here and there, but you couldn’t buy them really. Here, though, everyone seems to have them.”
The Rainbow sandal company was actually founded in 1974 by Jay Longley of San Clemente. He asks in a letter on his Web site, “Why not make a better sandal? After seeing another broken sandal littering the beach, the idea just struck me.”
But California isn’t the only state with a trademark shoe. Each area of the country seems to have it’s own genre of shoe. The northwest also boasts a unique sandal, the Birkenstock, from Germany, or the bulky, brown sandal known affectionately as “Birks” by true Oregonian and Washingtonians.
Miriam McSpadden, sophomore from Hillsboro, Ore. says she’s quite familiar with nationwide differences in shoe taste.
“Birkenstocks basically rule the northwest, especially Oregon. They’re not the cutest shoe ever, but they’re just so comfortable,” McSpadden said. “That is really more the northwest feel— organic and earthy. That’s the epitome of the Northwest, and it’s reflected in the Birkenstock.”
The original Birkenstocks were constructed in the 18th century in Germany by a cobbler named Johann Birkenstock, and have remained quite popular in Europe. Birkenstocks have also become largely associated with hippy culture, McSpadden said.
“The whole hippy stereotype is sort of true. There are a lot of hippies in Oregon. But it is more just the whole laid-back attitude.” McSpadden said. “Brand name and things like that don’t matter as much. For instance, Coach shoes, I’ve never seen a pair back home. And I doubt I ever will. It’s just a different culture.”
So which came first, the shoe or the culture? On the East Coast, shoes certainly reflect the fast- paced, professional life style of the area, as senior Jackie Sittel learned while she interned in Washington, D.C., this summer.
“To work, I would wear heels. That’s what most of us wore, close toed, very conservative heels in neutral colors,” Sittel said. “Here in California, it would be ok to even wear brightly colored heels, but that’s not how it was there.”
Most people in Washington, D.C., take public transportation to work, and then walk a few blocks to their place of work Sitell pointed out. This can cause a dilemma for young interns, walking four or five blocks in heels is not appealing.
“Since D.C. does have such awesome public transportation, we would just take the metro to work. And since you would have to walk a fair amount, many of the girls wear flip flops until they get to work,” Sittel said.
The idea of wearing heels every day shocks many people from the western states. Sophomore Abby Uhrinak, who grew up in Las Vegas, wears heels only for special occasions.
“I can’t imagine wearing them every day, to work or anything like that,” Uhrinak said, “I wear them if I’m going out to a nice dinner or something, but on a day-to-day basis in Vegas we just wear flip flops or UGGS.”
UGGs are another California shoe craze; the flimsy, furry boots can go for as much as $160. Rachel Shipp a sophomore, from Austin Texas, said she doesn’t understand the appeal of UGGs.
“That just seems like a ridiculous amount of money to spend on shoes,” Shipp said. “I love boots, because they’re kind of a Texas pride thing, but I definitely haven’t invested in a pair of UGGs, and I probably won’t.”
Senior Zachary Mason relates the marriage of the East Coast preppiness and northwest innovation that he sees in his home state of Washington, specifically in Seattle.
“Seattle is all about Chuck Taylors,” he said. “While most people were just wearing Chucks in elementary school, true Seattleites still sport them every day. Even businessmen. I’d see it every day; Armani suits and Chuck Taylors.”
Different areas of the country certainly require different shoes, just for function.
Derek Bloxo-m, sophomore from Missouri, hasn’t seen anyone wearing a typical Missouri shoe at Pepperdine yet.
“I would say a typical Midwest shoe would just be the boots people use to work on their farms,” he said. “No one wears them here because there aren’t really any farms. But I think shoes are about both culture and necessity, the culture is reflected in the necessity.”
In snowy Colorado, an unexpected creation was unveiled; that of Crocs. Originally invented as an outdoor shoe for activities like boating, the colorful, rubber shoes are now seen in everyday attire. Sophomore Colin McAtee praises the quirkiness of Crocs.
“They’re comfortable and unique. They highlight the creativity inherent in Colorado,” McAtee said.
Wherever you hail from, take a good look at your kicks. Do they reflect you? Or are they a function of where you are the most and what you do? Shoes say more than you might have thought. So next time you see some unique shoes, reflect on where they originated, and what they say about you. You might even discover something new about the foot frenzy you’ve been unwittingly living in, or, like Jay Longley, you might inspire the next footwear craze.
09-13-2007