Why women like designer shoes; and other observations.

Why do we like designer shoes? Yes, they are usually very well designed and flattering to the leg, but if no-one was going to see you wearing them, would you pay £500+ for those red soled Louboutins? Would you pay £500 if they didn't have red soles?

Clever marketing, celebrity endorsements and what we see our peers wearing creates associations in our minds of the type of lifestyle we aspire to have. And so we strive to have those things to achieve that lifestyle or at least give the impression that we have. It is an indicator of our social status and therefore how successful we are.

I have used the example of women liking expensive shoes but this forms part of everyone's everyday life and every purchasing decision we make. What coffee you drink, newspaper you read, sandwich you eat, phone you have, car you drive etc all say a lot about you, a lot about how you want the world to perceive you.

In case you're wondering I'm..Starbucks, The Times, Pret, iPhone, Bentley.
Just kidding about the Bentley. Living in central London, I don't drive! But you get the idea.

Why is this important? Why do we want the world to perceive us in a certain way? Of course there is an element of preference. I do prefer the taste of Starbucks to Nero, for example, as I find it way too bitter. But I like Pret coffee about as much as I do Starbucks. But it is Starbucks that I drink every morning; Starbucks where they remember my order; Starbucks mugs in my cupboard; a Starbucks app on my iPhone and a Starbucks card in my purse. That's where I align myself; that's what I feel is the best fit for me. I only get coffee elsewhere if there isn't a Starbucks available.

And that's where the essence of this situation lies, in fitting in. We are animals after all and we have not only a herd mentality but also a need to belong; a need to belong to a group. It's a natural instinct dating back to when safety in numbers when hunting and being hunted was a matter of life or death. That has stayed with us somewhat today.

Back to the shoe analogy. Do you wear Crocs, Uggs, Birkenstocks, Converse, Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, Dr Martins...? (Please feel free to continue that list with whatever brands I haven't remembered). What you wear is an expression of who you are and who you want to be, or who you want others to think you are. It tells those around you a lot about the type of person you are, how you're likely to act and to gain and secure social acceptance in a group of like minded individuals. It's your uniform that shows you belong.

So when you next choose a certain type of beer, sunglasses, magazine, handbag etc. Have a think about what it says about you and what you are telling the rest of us about yourself.