Like many women, I love shoes! My husband finds it amusing
when I pack a suitcase full of shoes for travel along with a toothbrush and change
of clean underwear. On the street or in the mall, if he sees a shoe store
nearby, he tries to steer me away from it. Actually, I am very good about window
shopping but not buying. I gaze at unique shoes with zippers, unusually colored
shoes, shoes with fun heels, saddle oxfords, huaraches. At home, I secretly
surf the web for purple boots or red suede walking shoes. Rarely do I buy, but I
also have to admit that I have a small foot, so these days finding shoes in my
size proves quite challenging. So I look and long.
Imagine my surprise recently when I came across the word “shoegazing”
while looking up another word in the dictionary. (I was even more surprised
that my picture was not next to the word.) I have heard of stargazing, but
shoegazing? As it turns out, the action of shoegazing does involve looking at
one’s feet, but in a specific context. The “American Heritage Dictionary”
on-line defines shoegazing
as “a genre of popular music characterized by droning, electronically modified
sounds, typically performed and listened to motionlessly with the eyes cast
downward in introspection and often under the influence of psychoactive
substances.”
Never having heard of this activity, I immediately completed
a Google search. I found two helpful articles, “Shoegaze:
a beginner’s guide,” and “Where
to start with this enigmatic music known as shoegaze.” Evidently,
shoegazing first originated in Britain in the late 1980’s and currently is
undergoing a resurgence. I listened to a song or two. I found the music
alluring, although I was under the influence of caffeine, if that substance
qualifies as a “psychoactive substance.” As tempting as it is to become a
musical shoegazer, I am going to stick with gazing at “durable covering
for the human foot, made of leather or similar material with a rigid sole and
heel, usually extending no higher than the ankle” in shoe stores and on web
sites.
Who knew? I wondered how I missed this music in the late 80s? I listened to a few songs and have to say it's not my cup of tea, but I'm glad you've discovered a new word!
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