I WORE MY HEART ON MY SNEAKERS

Two people agreed to meet to chat about shoes and fashion. Said two people met and talked about life stories, and the characters that made the narrative possible.

- KELLY LEWI

TO LOVE IS TO WEAR. Just over a month ago, Golden Goose opened the doors of its Fioreria Golden in Marina Bay Sands, its second branch and first Fioreria concept store in Singapore. Reminiscent of a nook in a flower garden, I was first greeted by an artist personalising a pair of the iconic distressed Super-Star sneakers. The store was lined with ready-to-wear pieces and shoes, and most importantly, people. People trying on worn-out-looking shoes, people wearing jackets painted over by local artists collaborating with the brand. People sharing stories, mostly.

I am arguably one of the worst people I know for being allowed to shop for myself. I keep all my dustbags, I fuss over every tiny, new, barely noticeable nick on my bags, and I store all my shoes in their boxes. I even keep the boxes of my figurines displayed on my office desk, a habit that irritates everyone except me. Maybe they’re baffled by my insistence on keeping everything as pristine as possible, thinking I want them to appear untouched.

To be honest, that’s not entirely wrong. Growing up, I didn’t have the luxury of buying things on a whim. Many of the things I had as a girl were bought after deliberate, careful considerations. Clothes and shoes that would last me several years were always bought sized up. I chose toys I could share with my younger brother that turned out to be more gender neutral than anything else.

My real indulgence, however, were Barbie dolls because they could only be mine. As they were such rare purchases, I took great care of them: never brushing their hair to maintain the curls, never bending them too much, and never keeping them out of their boxes for too long.

Because I did not know better, I grew up doing the same thing.

As I grow older, however, I realise I simply cannot do it anymore. Despite my best efforts, I cannot prevent my leather shoes from creasing or my bags from getting scratched.