I’m sure many people have heard the Marilyn Monroe quote, “Give a girl the right shoes and she will conquer the world.” However, I don’t think they realize the truth in this statement. Proper footwear is important in many occasions: you probably wouldn’t wear flip flops on a long hike, just as you probably wouldn’t wear hiking boots to the beach (unless you’ve just hiked there), if you have on formal wear then you probably wear formal shoes with it. Blisters from improper or ill-fitting footwear can dampen anyone’s spirits. The right shoes are quite important.

The right shoes are important not only in a physical practical sense but also in a mental sense. Shoes represent the places you have gone and the places where you will go. It is popular to take photos of your shoes in different locations, showing that you were actually there. I stood here, I did this.

In high school, I made my prom dress around a pair of purple flats my mother and I found while shopping one day. Actually, I wore out the first pair and wore the second pair to prom. I had the most comfortable feet all night and my dress was completely unique. For my college graduation, I bought a new pair of purple converse because I had worn out my old pair throughout high school and college. When I say I bought them for my college graduation I mean I actually wore them to my graduation ceremony. Many people complimented my shoes saying they “looked more comfortable than heels,” and they were “very Susan.”

For me, those purple shoes represent the end of one part of my life and the start of a new part. I even wore the purple converse on the plane to China. They have literally been around the world with me. Shoes take us places, they are the places we have gone, the places we will go, and part of our identity.

Guess which shoes are mine?

Notice the shoes