In my own sandals: what shoe selection tells us about identity, culture, and belonging

Abstract

This article explores the way that the shoes we wear are a symbol of our identity, the context we are in, and what we are communicating consciously and unconsciously. By using an autoethnography method I explore how I express my identity through the footwear I wear. The primary objective of this paper is to explore external articulations of identity, and internal awareness of congruence, thorough incidental and deliberate choice of footwear. In the paper I consider how choice of shoes depends on the context, the elements of identity we are trying to communicate including religious expression, and the groups we want to be associated with. The second objective is to explore issues of power within something as simple as the everyday selection of shoes. The results of this exploration show that the articulation of identity is contextual and subtle, and can be affirmed and amplified through the shoes we wear. This story sharing contributes to a deeper sense of belonging within oneself and in relation to others and the context.