Regarding the love of shoes, women don’t have the monopoly on their love affair with how they decorate their feet. I think everyone has met at least one guy who has countless pairs of sneakers. And no other sneaker has captivated the sneaker lover’s fashion footprint than the Converse Chuck Taylor All Star
There’s a popular school of thought that all women are obsessed with footwear.
And actually, I know quite a few females that have a collection of shoes that would make even Imelda Marcos jealous. I am probably one of those people, merely for the fact that I have more shoes than my closet can hold – however, I don’t consider it a fetish – my purse collection is actually more expansive.
My fascination with shoes is a bit different than most. I have always found the shape of shoes and their designs to be more along the lines of a piece of sculpture. Don’t believe me? Check out the footwear of Salvatore Ferragamo or the ever popular Manolo Blahnik, popularized by Carrie Bradshaw of “Sex and the City” — even the most drab of outfit can be jazzed up by a pair of stop in your tracks stilettos. Shoes can be formal or merely utilitarian.
Which leads me to my latest illustration: tap shoes. I’ve always found beauty in the cast off items of artists — whether it is used film canisters, paint spattered paintbrushes or a worn out pair of ballet or tap shoes. The fact that these everyday items are used and abused tells a story of the life they have helped their owner live.
A tossed out pair of tapshoes might not get a second look from some, but to me, they are a worthy subject of illustration.
