I feel the need to say this to the world: I am a woman, and I don’t shop.<\/p>\n
Shopping is not a fun activity for me, and it certainly doesn’t define who I am. Shopping is an unfortunate necessity that often leaves me feeling frustrated, exhausted and – if it’s clothes shopping – with low self esteem.<\/p>\n
Ditto with shoes. I don’t find high-heeled shoes appealing. I can’t wear them. I can’t even walk in them. They’re uncomfortable, impractical and they are often very bad value for money. They wreck your posture and they’re often made for small women who only have three toes.<\/p>\n
The fact is that I am “a woman in comfortable shoes”. I like bellydancing because it’s done barefoot. I have an extensive collection of thongs (that’s “flip-flops”, not G-strings) and hiking boots. I work from home so most of the time I don’t wear any shoes.<\/p>\n
But what is it with shopping and shoes?<\/p>\n
How did it happen? How did womanhood become associated with braindead shopping excursions, maxing out the credit card and amassing large collections of shoes that are often too painful to wear?<\/p>\n
Why are teenage girls brought up to believe that “going to the mall” is what they should be doing with their friends instead of, say, skateboarding or playing sport?<\/p>\n
Why is rampant consumerism a symbol of femininity?<\/p>\n
And why is it that the guys get all the good shoes? I used to buy sandals from Colorado stores until some genius decided to make all the women’s shoes girly. Now the sandals all have heels. Even the thongs. Who decided that was a good idea?<\/p>\n
And while I’m thinking about it, why the hell can’t anyone make a pair of women’s underpants that don’t go up your butt?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I feel the need to say this to the world: I am a woman, and I don’t shop. Shopping is not a fun activity for me, and it certainly doesn’t define who I am. Shopping is an unfortunate necessity that often leaves me feeling frustrated, exhausted and – if it’s clothes shopping – with low self esteem. Ditto with shoes. I don’t find high-heeled shoes appealing. I can’t wear them. Read More …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-237","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-feminism","category-popular-culture"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t