The Language of Shoe Lovers - Bridging the Italian/English Divide

By Jacelyn Keys
As a part of the photography assignment for class, we were asked to create a fresh perspective image.  Essentially, we were asked shift our perspective by getting low to the ground or very high above our subject.  As I walked through the piazza, I spotted a woman sitting on the wall against city hall.  She sat with effortless elegance in a pair of skinny jeans, legs crossed, foot bouncing.  She wore an exquisite pair of shoes.  I knew that I wanted to use those shoes as a part of the assignment, so I trotted over to Giovanni to ask how to say “shoes” in Italian.  Upon getting my answer, I sucked in a breath of air, sent a quick prayer heavenward for courage, and asked to take a picture of her shoes. 

There is an unspoken code among true lovers of shoes.  These just aren’t footwear.  They are a symbol of individual style, personality, and attitude.  They are akin to children – something to be cherished that, honestly, causes no small amount of pain.  Only a true shoe lover would understand being asked to have a picture of his or her shoes taken. 

She quickly agreed and began turning her feet this way and that.  Her toes flirted with the camera as she offered pose after pose.  Once I was done, she thanked me and asked me if I liked shoes (I think) to which I responded that I adore shoes.  In French.  She must have understood because smiled and translated into Italian for me.  Though she didn’t seem to speak English and my Italian is not good enough to carry on anything more than the most basic of conversation, we had found a language that transcends the bounds of mere English or Italian.  We communicated in the language of shoe lovers.