The point to send a message with shoes seems completely strange. When in formal clothing, of course, the shoes must be in full match. The same when in casual clothing, it would be very strange to wear formal shoes in these circumstances. So, where is the issue?
Today, shoes are an important part of fashion
It is no longer truly acceptable to buy a pair of shoes for years to come. The fashion is changing fast. Formal clothing used to real high spendings on expensive garments and shoes, and they were expected to last. Today, people are also spending a lot of money on casual clothes. What do we understand by casual clothes ? It is not only the matter to contrast formal clothes, it is about sending a message. The matter here is to convey meaning about how someone is embracing life.
If you are wearing casual clothes, it sends the message that you are not caring so much about rigid rules. The rigid rules might be understood as complying too easily with standards imposed by others. But a casual look is far more complex and difficult to build than a formal look. Formality is easy to reproduce, the standards are obvious. They are linked with colours, forbidden colours for some occasions. They are also linked with shapes, lengths, and about shoes, with brands. Whatever the look, if the shoes are not matching the purpose to look smart or relaxed, the whole look then becomes a failure.
Why is it so difficult then to find the right pair of shoes for a casual look ? Well, indeed, nobody wants to look outdated when wearing casual. Casual is associated with youth, and youth is always on the right track about fashion. So, a pair of sneakers is associated with a pair of jeans will show how much you are following the right trends. This fact has created real phenomena. The anxiety to wear the right pair of sneakers is becoming as important as wearing the right tie. At first, the sport shoes were only used during sports, and nobody had the idea to wear tennis shoes outside the court. Slowly the shoes became more and more comfortable and for specific purposes. The running shoes, the trekking shoes, etc.
But the geniality of marketing created the craze. The day a famous sportsman allowed a brand making sneaker to associate a specific pair of shoes with his name, it opened the doors to a new trend. In the USA, it is possible to visit a museum dedicated to the sneaker. Young men are now collecting sneakers, and they are not wearing any collected pairs. The sneakers are now delivering a message. If you are wearing the most recent production of famous brands, this means you are able to know what is the latest hype. If you are wearing collector’s sneakers, you are revealing your passion. It is a great conversation starter and a way to relate to people like you, who are cool but also passionate about the casual look.
