SHOES

I had never realized how much attention I pay to shoes. Not only mine, but those of others. Women, mainly. Men's shoes are quite similar and boring. Lately, as I have been walking quite a lot around the city and mainly in the subway I have noticed the kind of shoes most working women wear. Some are proud to wear nice shoes. High heels, fashionable, combining with the rest of their outfits, mainly young women between their 20s-30s. Younger women, students usually, wear colourful flats with details like bows, buttons, straps, buckles, floral or animal printings; they might wear very low heels and open toes or tennis shoes out of pure commodity.

Older women, mothers mainly, wear comfortable shoes. Not much personality to them, they are square shaped, monochromatic, no-nonsense shoes --designed to walk and resist running after children and carrying sweaters, bags, toys and whatever.

Aged ladies, who walk slowly and heavily, wear flats and also very old shoes, already shaped to the feet they carry, or cover, they might wear tennis shoes or the square kind, cushioned if they are lucky to have a little more money. Usually aged ladies in the subway are not exactly well-off. They are mostly beggars, really poor. Sometimes they wear sandals with a tire sole.

Children, poor children who beg for money, always for money, are usually barefooted or wearing tire-soled sandals.

I can't decide where to locate myself. I wear my old black boots. They are already shaped and domesticated. They are water resistant, and the wedges are high enough, and comfortable to walk and climb steep slopes. They are old. The leather is peeled off and they need new heels. Or rather, I need new boots. The time to wear new things will come. Someday.