The curious case of the mismatched shoes
Disturbing the peace in polite society
People that know me know that I like sneakers. I have a LOT of them and I enjoy scoring the limited editions and knowing the stories behind the shoes. Sneaker culture, to me, represents one of the broadest, inclusive, and most accessible fashion/style cultures around.
A few months ago, Nike launched the latest version of my favorite running shoe (which I actually use for running, not just fashion), the Air Zoom Pegasus 38.1 As part of the launch of the shoe, Nike offered a Limited Edition pair that contained two different colors, one black and one white.
I was thrilled to purchase these, as I think they look great (who can really decide between two awesome colorways?) and they appealed to my overall quirky style sensibility.
Have you ever worn two different color shoes?
Pretty much everyone looks at them. Some people steal a quick glance, others stare. Some people make a face that I interpret as “does this idiot know he is wearing two different color shoes?” and other people make a face that I interpret as “what kind of idiot wears two different color shoes?”
The shoes seem to upset the balance of the world. I love this.
A few weeks ago I was out for a run and an older gentleman looked down at my shoes, smiled, and then said “I always used to wear two different color shoes!” He was clearly someone that understood style.
In today’s world, there are a nearly infinite number of shoe choices available. Every color of the rainbow, every style imaginable. Walk around and look down at the sea of shoes out there. Most sneakers will be either black or white (sometimes both) and most dress shoes and boots will be either black or brown. But you will also see red and blue and green and clear and maybe pink and orange and yellow (that’s just on me, btw) in low top and high top, boots and sandals, loafers and slides.
But you will also usually see symmetry. Right and left shoes that match. The human eye likes symmetry and we see it all the time on others. Not just shoes, but pants and shirts, socks and gloves. Asymmetry violates the standard pattern and catches the eye immediately. We can’t help it, humans have really good visual systems for finding anomalies and disruptions in the patterns. Our brains latch on to these things and we have to think about them2.
As I stride around the streets of Boston with my mismatched3 shoes, I know I am creating a tide of disruption in the minds of others. Some might think I am just trying to draw attention to myself (I’m not, mostly) and others might think I am just an idiot (I’m not, mostly). I think I am reminding everyone that we are long past the era where anyone has to conform to the expectations of others about what they wear. You make the call on your clothing, and you set your own style.
Now, let’s talk about my asymmetrical eyeglasses…
Runners will know the Air Peg as the most venerable classic runner made by Nike, now in edition 38. Some editions were great, others not so much. I think the 38 is outstanding so far, especially as I return to running after a long hiatus.
You know, like seeing that smudge on the horizon and determining if it is friend or foe, attacking bear or clump of trees, etc.
I consider them perfectly matched - but to others…