Browsing by Author "Salonen, Anu"

In this study I discuss shoe collecting as a phenomenon of consumerism and present different viewpoints as to why women’s desire to collect shoes sometimes exceeds necessity and practicality. Clearly we attach many different meanings and values to shoes, both unconsciously and on purpose. How do women, who purchase shoes markedly more than can be termed reasonable, themselves view their habit? What kind of different meanings do shoes have for them? I collected my data using theme interviews. I chose my interviewees based on the criteria that either they themselves identify, or their friend or acquaintance identifies them as passionate shoe collectors. An interesting aspect about shoe collectors is that women recognise themselves easily from the description of one and are pleased to be identified as such. They seem to accept shoe collecting as a positive vice. I interviewed five women from different age groups and economic backgrounds. Thus, their situation differed in terms of how much they could spend on shoes. I planned the interviews based on the viewpoints found in the literature I researced. I transcribed the interviews and used discourse analysis to identify and categorise themes from the data. I then discussed them side-by-side with the theory. The themes that emerged from the data also had an influence on the viewpoints included in the study and the aspects I wanted to emphasise. Most of my interviewees did not have any clear arguments for collecting or accumulating shoes, but being around all the pairs of shoes would bring up many quite surprising connections to other subject matters. The irresistibility of shoes, brought up viewpoints of the concept of identity construction, the influence of fashion, style, adornment, aesthetic object, comfort and practicality. I also discuss the communicational aspect of shoes in terms of the individual’s relationship to their community, blending in or standing out. Spending, collecting and owning were integral parts of the phenomenon, but so were defining of the self and building continuity. Collected and kept shoes form a link between a woman’s past, present, and future identities. They document the zeitgeist and memories.