The red shoe conundrum
From left: Miss Gee Collection, Andy and Debb, Phillip Lim and Miss Gee Collection. [JoongAng Ilbo]
After all, who doesn’t feel a million bucks in a killer pair of red heels?
Few can say the same about brown or black shoes, no matter how well they’ve served us in the past.
But you need to match red shoes carefully with neutrals, especially outfits that are black or beige.
Red high heels by Kumkang. [JoongAng Ilbo]
If you go for checks - one of this season’s key prints - wear black or gray stockings.
Red shoes also match well with blouses and skirts that have complex patterns and designs.
Lee Eui-in, 23, is an office worker who wears red heels to brighten her mood.
“Wearing red heels is the best way to refresh myself out of a depressing mood,” she says. “Red heels make me more self-confident, but also make me feel like a fashionista.”
Research by the University of Otago, New Zealand, in 2006, shows that young women wearing red heels said they felt more excited and proud than their non-red-shoe counterparts. They wanted to stand out from the crowd.
In Western societies, red shoes are usually referred to as “ruby slippers,” named after the red shoes that Dorothy wore in the movie “The Wizard of Oz” (1939).
In the movie, the ruby slippers have special powers, allowing the wearer to travel back and forth from a magic world.
So some believe that people who wear red shoes subconsciously want to escape from their own reality.
According to Jung Hyun-ju, color design manager at the Korea Color Research Institute, the ultraviolet energy in red makes people feel excited.
It increases a person’s pulse and heartbeat. Red is also a symbol of fire, blood and the heart.
Yet, even for people who like red, it’s not always easy pulling off red shoes.
This also brings up the question, why is red such a fashion taboo for men?
“I want to wear an all-black outfit with red shoes for special occasions,” said Lee Jeong-ran, a 23-year-old office worker.
“I have been thinking about this for five years but I still haven’t tried it.”
One line of argument goes that if everyone could easily wear red heels, they wouldn’t have the same appeal.
It takes time for people to decide whether or not to buy a pair of red shoes. Red stands out and people take notice, so the decision to buy, and wear, should not be taken lightly. Matching red with other outfits can also be a problem.
Considering all these matters, one needs courage to buy and wear red shoes.
But styling an outfit with red shoes is not that hard. A simple gray suit with red shoes usually conveys a cheerful look.
Singer Lee Hyo-ri’s fashion-forward wardrobe has recently been the talk of the town.
She wore black leather pants and matched them with a brown scarf and dark red high heels.
Among foreign luxury brands, Christian Dior has a good range of red shoes, while domestic brands The Shoe and Suecomma Bonnie also stock a wide variety.
These brands have different kinds of red heels, ranging from high, flat and even wedge heels.
Stylist Yang Yun-jung recommends heels of 5 to 7 centimeters (2 to 2.7 inches), which she says are convenient and easier to match with outfits.
Red shoes made of enamel give a casual look, allowing people to wear them regardless of the season. Leather and suede shoes give a warm look, so wear them in late autumn and in winter.
By Song Ji-hye JoongAng Ilbo [estyle@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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