Relay Column: Women's Tenacious Resistance with Shoes – From Chinese Foot Binding to Modern Pumps (Aoi Saito)

In graduate school, it's not uncommon to feel anxious due to the uncertainty and solitude. However, I find joy in being able to wear my favorite thick-soled sports sandals to stroll around campus and attend seminars. Had there been an atmosphere at these seminars or research meetings that encouraged wearing heels, I might not have chosen this path.

My friends who work in offices often wear what is termed as 'office casual'. They wear pumps. Like me, my friends don't prefer heels, but due to the unspoken dress code at their workplaces, they had to find comfortable options. Once, I saw a friend buying pumps worth 20,000 yen. Even as I admired her for being able to afford such shoes, she told me, "It's a necessary expense to be seen as a proper adult." She said I should know, considering our long friendship, that her true fashion sense is different. I think she should buy what she wants, but we both understand the complications that can arise from acting too freely.