> Shoes are expensive, very durable, and typically one of those items that people have only a few pairs of.
Maybe that used to be true, but modern shoes while expensive are not very durable, and most people have several pairs today.
Expensive shoes are still a good indicator of social status.
Re:Sneakers (1992) – 4K Restoration
by 542354234235 on Wednesday May 07, 2025 @02:03PM
(#43918822)
Modern shoes can be very cheap, which is also not durable at all. Beyond that, price and durability are two different metrics, and can tell you about a person. Some people buy expensive shoes specifically for the durability, which could tell you things about what they value, that they are willing to do research. Some people buy expensive shoes for wrongly perceived durability, which could tell you that they want to be perceived as rugged or refined. Some people buy expensive shoes for their lack of durability, which could tell you that they want people perceive their status (conspicuous consumption).
Someone wearing pristine white Jordans, Red Wings boots, or bottom tier Cole Hann dress shoes can all say things about a person.
I mean, seriously, how often do you really look at a man's shoes?
according to the people in this thread, a lot. they're judging the book by the shoes it wears.
BH professional?
My best guess is Behavioral Health
Re:Sneakers (1992) – 4K Restoration
by invalidlogin on Tuesday May 06, 2025 @10:35PM
(#43911691)
What is BH?
Shoes are indeed a valuable source of information about a person. I knew at least one BH case manager who really paid attention to them.
Shoes are expensive, very durable, and typically one of those items that people have only a few pairs of. So while someone can easily change their outfit to match a situation, place, or mood for the day, they may be less likely to change their shoes to match more than a basic purpose.
And shoes tend to accumulate evidence of where someone's been. Are they muddy, dusty, spit-polished?
Personally, I own about five pair of shoes. I have a pair of Oxford dress shoes, a very nice pair of white New Balance with hook-and-loop, some hiking boots I picked up at JC Penney, and a few others. My clothing, on the other hand, is mostly Adidas and Columbia and some tee shirts, but I don't own any Adidas or Columbia shoes. So you can tell a lot about me, no matter what I'm wearing, by studying my shoes for a while.
I met another BH professional who said he owned 52 pairs of Crocs. He said that he'd kicked an addiction habit, but it seems he traded something unhealthy for perhaps a less-detrimental dependence on collecting shoes. To each his own, I suppose, and surely a lot of information could be gleaned about this fellow if you paid attention to which pair of Crocs he'd selected for the day.