If The Shoe Fits..

I live about 40 minutes from downtown Chicago. I usually am in the city a couple times a week for a business meeting or dinner with friends. I take some back roads to get to the highway, for a direct shot into downtown. Even though I travel those roads quite often, I have noticed something that has driven me to write this blog.

When I travel the back roads, I come across this intersection that has had a history of being very unique. The intersection is called “shoe corner.” Every time I come to a stop at “shoe corner”, I always take time to noticed all the shoes that are thrown all over the place. There are shoes everywhere; in the road, on the side of the road, in the ditches.

It’s been a tradition that started long ago, that people dump their shoes at this intersection. Even though the county and neighbors have tried their best to stop the activity, it has lasted for years, if not decades. Now the corner(s) have become somewhat of a roadway local celebrity as everybody in the area knows of “shoe corner.” It has joined those other famous roadway celebrities such as: State Street (Chicago), Broadway Avenue (New York), Bourbon Street (New Orleans) and Duval Street (Key West) to name a few. Some groups have tried to cleanup, throw away and/or recycle the shoes periodically. Nevertheless, the shoes keep coming, adding a continuous supply of lore and legend.

I can’t help but notice particular types of shoes as I pass through the intersection. I find myself looking at the shoes and then pinning them to a particular personality. There are all kinds of shoes there; work boots, basketball shoes, cowboy boots, and dress shoes. I imagine the lives that filled those shoes. Shoes are the kind of clothing that immediately conjure up the idea that a person is a certain way. In other words, someone wearing running shoes, you would assume is a runner.

Shoes don’t always change who we are, but maybe define who we want to be. Its the exact reason why people pay so much for a pair of “Air Jordan’s.” I have thought about this as a science. Shoes cover the feet and the feet are tied to a science called reflexology.

Reflexology is a form of alternative medicine that involves the different zones or areas of the feet (and hands). These areas control different parts of the body as a whole. So what am I getting at here?

If you want to change your outlook on a situation or want to change your state of mind, change your shoes. I think shoes have a lot to do with personality and outlook. Really, for the last year, I have tried this out as a personal science experiment. My shoes of choice have been one of three primarily for the last year. Crocks, Crock flip flops, and Chuck Taylor’s (Converse – low tops).

I have confirmed a few things. One, if my feet are comfortable, the rest of my body is usually comfortable. Think about that for a minute. Two, your feet definitely have some connection directly to the brain. Try putting on a pair of work boots or high heels (just the ladies) and compare your mental feelings to that when wearing flip flops. Three, changing your foot ware will absolutely change how you act physically. Your activities usually change with your foot ware. In these economic times, you may think about changing your shoes as an improvement or change to your mood, outlook or even actions.

You may even want to go barefoot! Is there anything that is more freeing to a person than being barefoot? Maybe more people are considering changing there mood, outlook and actions than you might think. I am seeing more and more shoes at the intersection. Maybe we are on to something. Maybe, just maybe, we can change this country…two feet at a time! Thank you “shoe corner”!

"Remember…wealth has nothing to do with money, success has everything to do with failure, and life is as simple as you want it to be!" -John Dessauer