Of shoes and self esteem
Anyone following my Pinterest boards (and my Shoes board in particular) may have noticed that my taste in shoes is consistent, if not entirely predictable. Evidence below:
On the whole, I battle to find this type of thing here in Cape Town, and so, in the past I’ve gone to great lengths (some expensive, some painful) to indulge my love of wood-soled buckled shoes. So one of my goals on our recent trip to the US was to bring back the perfect pair. Sounds like an easy task, right?
Well, I trawled through Soho in NYC for days, trying on shoes, most of which didn’t really tick the boxes at all. I roamed the stores in San Francisco, both vintage and modern, and I peered wistfully, but fruitlessly, at racks of shoes in Portland, all to no avail, returning to Cape Town last Friday with the same shoes I’d left in. All in all, on the shoe front, it was a rather ‘meh’ experience.
Sunday morning in Cape Town dawned, and in an attempt to shake off my jetlag, I went to the Waterfront to find new yoga clothes. I popped in to Country Road and… O M G!
Not one, but TWO pairs of shoes SO up my alley, I practically paid for them before I’d even tried them on. Wood-shoe freaks, meet The Shelby and The Joan, now new best friends of my wardrobe.
Of course, I’m thrilled to have new shoes, and double thrilled that I didn’t have to lug them around the US with me, but what triple thrills me is that I found these in my own back yard! And this experience leads me onto a preachy path, I’m afraid:
Shoe buying and national self-esteem may appear to have little in common, but in fact this experience resonated with something that my recent trip brought home to me, Â and that I really think all South Africans need to wake up to. In short:
WE ARE FANTASTIC
and
THE WAY WE DO THINGS IS FAB & INTERESTING
and
WE NEED TO STOP THINKING WE’RE CRAP, COS WE’RE NOT!
Now, I could witter on in this vein for a while, talking about how our nations’ self-esteem is vulnerable due to our erstwhile status as global pariah, our geographic situation and our multiple cultural identities, but an article about adverts tweeted by Lauren Beukes last evening cuts to the chase rather nicely, so let’s leave it at this: Local readers of this blog, please make this article required weekend reading , and then start, like I have, to realise that despite what we seem to like to believe about ourselves, sjoe! We’re actually doing a bloody good job of things down here.
Deborah
Very interesting post! I would LOVE to visit South Africa! The distance and cost may make me think twice but I would bet I land in your country one of these days. I also enjoyed seeing the photos of your US trip. You managed to do and see things that I never have.
skinnylaminx
It’s always true that visitors get to do LOTS more than we ever do in our own countries. Hope you get the chance to come and see lots more of my country than I ever have 🙂
helen:)
he he:) Shelby and Joan were waiting for you at home like the good and pretty girls that they are. It’s funny how sometimes the last place you expect to find excellence is somewhere close to you:)
I have – it’s better everywhere I’m not – syndrome that resulted in a lot of gypsying in my life.
On the other, lighter note – I have very similar taste in shoes… and since they don’t sell Swedish Hasbeens around here (Canada)… I’ve purchased 5 pairs online in the past 2 years. Bruised toes, blisters and almost a broken ankle later – I love them just as much:)
p.s.: missed your blog while you were New Yorking it and San Fransiscing:)
skinnylaminx
“The last place you expect to find excellence is somewhere close to you” – Well put, Ms Dardik !
xx
Anneline
I’m a South African who has been living in England for nearly 12 years and I only buy my shoes in South Africa. I love Tsonga shoes, that’s all I wear 🙂
skinnylaminx
Yay! Good to hear!
xx
Jacqui
I had the same experience looking for boots when I went home to Canada this winter. I looked through so many shoe shops and ended up gettin an ok pair – come back to NZ and find heaps I really love but now can’t justify! I think perhaps there is more of a national style of clothing and shoes than I’d realised, and I don’t care for NA stuff so much anymore. I recently bought a pair of red peep toe clogs from Lotta From Stockholm that I adore. They look pretty much identical to Swedish Hasbeens but half the price so I’m not sure what the deal is there!
We specialize in National Angst here in NZ too, except most of our esteem (well not mine personally) is tied up in rugby. Man if the All Blacks lose this World Cup the country will explode in an orgy of self-loathing, recriminations, hand-wringing and bitterness. What is it with colonials? The only ones who don’t seem to have this problem, and perhaps are a bit too far the other way, are the Americans.
skinnylaminx
Ya, what is it with us colonials? Honestly, we need to get over ourselves. And ooh, those red peep toe clogs sound simply gorgeous, you lucky thing!
xx
Asiye
the shoes are gorgeous- been admiring them at the shop myself! glad you found a couple of nice shoes for summer that tick all your boxes
Asiye
oh and yes SA is just fabulously awsomne!!
skinnylaminx
Innit!
xx
flowerpress
We often have the same feelings here in Australia, we value others praise about our stuff more than our own. But I think the internet has helped to change that a little, we can share and get feedback about our stuff more easily in an international context. Borders aren’t as insurmountable.
(Though in that vein, isn’t Country Road one of ours 😉
For the record I think Africa has some amazing talent, people, landscapes 🙂
skinnylaminx
Hmm, interesting that this mindset may simply be a colonial hangover, more than anything. Thanks for your input and encouragement. (And I think you’ll find that although Country Road launched first in Aus, it’s actually owned by Saffers. See http://www.woolworthsholdings.co.za/).
xx
Janne
Great shoes! And that’s coming from someone living in wooden sole central 😉
heloise
I’ve just spent a lovely few minutes catching up on your trip – welcome back. The article above made for very insightful reading thank you for the link.
kbd
Amen, sister! SA is a deeply interesting, beautiful and wonderful place. And you know what? The Americans I talk to in Boston are fascinated by it and think its way more interesting than the US. The American sister of a friend here went to visit SA and she said her visit was profound and wonderful. Nuff said!
shirley
As an American (*ahem* North American, *ahem* of the United States), I wish I could offer some words of wisdom about this tendency of once-colonial countries, such as SA, that experience low or poor self-esteem. Someone above mentioned how the US (let’s face it, when you say ‘America’ you’re really targeting the states) doesn’t have this problem and honestly I think it’s the distance from Europe and our situation as such a big country and how we came into global power after WWII that has created this attitude that we are the best. I think had history gone a different route and had we never become a “super power” (what does that even mean? and China’s soon to be the next super power it seems), I don’t think we would feel so proud of ourselves as we do now.
Anyway, like I said, can’t really offer much wisdom about this topic. And, reality is, many parts of the world were colonized and how some are faring now has A LOT to do with the events that occurred.
But as for your newfound pride in your own country? Kudos to you Heather! You needn’t feel like your own country isn’t as great or as grand because of whatever reason it is that made you feel this way. Every country has reason to be proud of who/what they are. EVERY country.
I too hope to visit South Africa someday. Africa as a continent is a big and scary place to most of us but I hope to visit every continent in my lifetime. 🙂
Athol
Beautifully said Heather. One always appreciates home more once travelled.