New Orleans Don’ Mess w’ Me

Pair no. 16 the sandals that literally try to go with everything. I have never in my life seen so many different colors of snake, crocodile, and metallic leather in one sandal in my life! Also, look at the ink on the calf — there’s a lot goin’ on here. In someone’s words “You don’t wanna mess with this!”

Nice Guy, but must you?

Shoes no. 11: Okay, this was a great guy who let me take a photo of his, well, crazy summer look. Now, I get that feet don’t always look good, but that’s why God created those sandals that don’t show your feet. If you want to look like a Geisha and wear tabe, then buy the real things — they’re out there. While you’re at it, buy a sword and a cotton kimono to go with them. There’s a “look” — one of my favorites as a matter of fact. But in a cool hip park? Really? Must you?

Seriously, don’t.

Pair no. 10: Now, you can’t believe this, but this guy wearing the toes shoes was with a beautiful girlfriend. A beautiful and somewhat embarrassed girlfriend. I found them in a hip park in Philly, opposite The Parc restaurant, sitting together on a bench. Now, the geeky side of me thought these were pretty cool shoes, but after seeing the aggravation that this poor girl was feeling, I have changed my perspective. No matter how comfortable and techie-gearish or naturo-earthman, a guy shouldn’t embarrass his girl by what he is wearing. Even if geeky me says that these shoes are “blog-worthy” –which, you know, they are. Geeky. Blog-worthy. Earthman street. Kind of goes along with driving a “contraption” — you know, like a Segue.

100 Pairs of Shoes, Mermaid Ink

Pair no. 9: This woman thought that I only asked her The Question because of her tatoos. At the time I was almost insulted — I mean, I was truly interested in her shoes. But now that I look at the picture — she’s right. Her ink is crazy wonderful in a way that not many women can pull off. I told her that her tatoos “were amazing” in that way that sounds like I am gushing. But honestly, they were fantastic on her! She started to tell me her story. “I was 19.” Her eyes said, “if I’d only known then what I know now” — I told her that I was “too chicken to get inked.” I would always be too chicken and that “I love to see other people’s tatoos. I get to live vicariously for a moment while I am looking at their body art.” She looked into my eyes in that deep and discerning way and I looked back. I feel like we “got” each other and that we understood that a yin-yang, two opposite sides of the coin thing is good.

I am loving this project, meeting new people, and realizing that people are amazing.

100 Pairs of Shoes

Pair no. 8: On the streets of Philly, I continue with my quest — take photos of cute shoes, interesting shoes, and real shoes being worn by real people. This photo was taken of a woman who was out on a girls’ night out (I presume, since there were two other women with her). She and her friends were shocked that I would stop her and ask the question. “may I take a picture of your shoes?” In a way that only some women of color have, she went through her emotional display with alacrity: shock, consternation, surprise, flattered, and then acceptance. All in the course of 10 seconds. She is a girly girl and her friends acknowledged that these shoes for this moment were “blog-worthy” — and if you feel pretty, you are blog-worthy.