For all my life everyone has always told me “You’re a shoe, you’re a shoe, you’re a shoe, you’re a shoe” And then today I stopped and said “What if I don’t want to be a shoe? What if I want to be a purse? Or a hat?
Rachel Green may have become anything besides a shoe, but the list you’re about to read is one hundred percent a shoe.
Welcome to the emoji version of shoes!
Before we dive into this strangely but strongly gendered sector of fashion, let’s just say, at least once in our lives we have been forced to believe ourselves to be shoes. But we fought against the odds, rose up to our feet, and walked over them with an expensive pair.
This list aims to walk over those odds.
Leisure/Casual Footwear
👞 Man’s Shoe Emoji
Ah, the classic Mr. Bean footwear. Just because an iconic man wore these leathery shoes, does not make them a “man’s shoe”. That’s like repeatedly telling this shoe “you’re a man’s shoe, you’re a man’s shoe!”.
But what if 👞 does not want to be a man’s shoe? What if wants to be a woman’s shoe or just a shoe with no gendered predisposition? Do you ever think about that? No. You only think about yourself.
👢 Woman’s Boot Emoji
Just a single feminine boot. Let’s be honest here. Both men and women wear these boots. Right? So, what makes it a woman’s boot?
*zones out into deep thinking*
Anyway. The problem is not with shoes, it’s with something far greater. Nonetheless, 👢 is just a boot. Not only to be used by women but both. Meaning, if you’re a man, and you’re wearing boots, adding 👢 to your caption is totally fine. You do you, cowboy!
🥿 Flat Shoe Emoji
Flat shoes are not just pretty, they’re super versatile too. You could pair 🥿 with casuals, formals, and even beachwear! So, this particular emoji would rule equally for flat shoes such as ballerinas, bellies, and any other kind of slip-on shoes.
👠 High-Heeled Shoe Emoji
High heels are inseparable from sophistication. People in high heels are blindly categorized to be a “certain kind/way”. Truth is, high heels are straight-up badass. It’s very easy to intimidate in a pair of heels, thus causing the categories. Insecurities.
👠 is the only footwear that needs practice before perfection. Every other footwear on this list and around the world follows the motto of “wear and walk”. But only heels require the “wear, walk, break, fall, rise, walk again” mantra that makes them a badass little shoe.
Also, all genders can like and rock this shoe.
👡 Woman’s Sandal Emoji
Imagine this. A man walks into the store you’re in and you see him in one of these 👡. Does it make you uncomfortable? Does it make you uneasy? The kind that pushes you to “confront” the “problem”?
If it did, think about this. It’s just footwear, the means of guarding your feet against the harshness of changing terrains. So, when it’s used just for protection and style, of course (because we live in the 21st century) why is 👡 bothersome when worn by the “wrong” people?
That way, a woman wearing a pair of sneakers should be throwing people off guard as well.
🩴 Thong Sandal Emoji
Flipflops!! Thank the heavens! You’re finally here to save us from this gendered shoe world.
Flipflop: I’m saving y’all?
Shoes: Hell, yes! Someone to finally remind us that sanity exists!
Flipflop: Um. I’m blue, guys. Wait for me to turn pink and watch only the gals pick me 🩴 Of course, the would then guys cringe at me.
Sporty and Artsy Footwear
🥾 Hiking Boot Emoji
A tough and seemingly durable brown hiking boot is essential if you’re an adventurous person. Not being “adventure-ist” here, even if you’re not into hikes, treks, anything outdoorsy, 🥾 will still be a kickass accessory.
🩰 Ballet Shoes Emoji
These aren’t ballerinas. They’re not the “everyone can sport those ballet shoes“. 🩰 is the original ballet shoes. The ones you need to bend and break in order to fit and perfect.
Innately, 🩰 signifies more than just footwear. In fact, it hardly signifies footwear. This emoji represents the art of ballet. The elegant story of ballet in the face of hustle, defeat, passion, dedication, and grace.
👟 Running Shoe Emoji
Good old running shoes. Serves everyone just as equally as every other shoe. But wait, what’s that? There are male and female running shoes as well?
Well, if 👟 is pink, blue, candy toned, etc., it’s obviously a woman’s running shoe, ain’t it? But if it’s black, green, rugged, ah, a man’s running shoe! Thankfully the one here is red, seems like a neutral shade.
Shoes are shoes. Much like clothes are clothes. Heels look as great on men as oxfords would on women. Wearing a particular kind of shoes does not represent the person you are, it merely represents fashion taste.
Footwear is a dynamic branch of fashion. You not only get to nail the perfect outfit with a great pair, but you also get to vamp up your entire look with them. Shoes are not just comfy and good-looking, they are trendsetting too. So when something as wonderful as footwear gets gendered, it’s quite terrifying to truly express oneself.
The real world may take its own time to come to senses, but the emoji world is already getting there. If you’re talking about gender-neutrality via shoes, these emojis are here to help!