Long before spiked heels with exotic names became objects of desire, chicks have been shoe-crazy. But recently, we got proof of exactly how crazy while sales of most things have plummeted thanks to the recession, footwear sales have gone up compared to the same period last year. Yes, buying a pair of shoes has always had near-supernatural effects- like instantly updating an outfit from last year or just making you feel hotter than hell- but that doesn’t fully explain how footwear is beating the odds in sales. Trust science to have the answer: Turns out, we’ve always been wired for shoe lust, even when the going gets tough.
Below are 3 Reasons Women Love Shoes:
Good Shoes Give Them a Sense of Higher Power
All those wonderful feelings are intensified when you choose good shoes, especially high heels, but again, it’s biology and not Jimmy Choo, at work.’ Like most animals, we’re wired to associate height with power,’ says Fisher, Helen. ‘ Higher heels can literally raise your status because you’re taller when you wear them’. Shoes carry historical significance as well, adding to their appeal. In previous centuries, only the wealthy wore high heels- everyone else had practical footwear to do manual labour. ‘Shoes were a measure of class’ says Fisher, ‘ and will still have a bit of that mind-set ingrained in us.
Cute Shoes ( Stilettos) Is a Source Of Sexual Healing
Now go even higher0 to stilettos and another element rears its head: Sex. Stilettos are undoubtedly foxy, but why, exactly? When a woman wears them, she assumes a primal mating pose called lordosis, says Fisher. ‘Her butts lifts, and her back arches’. But there’s more to it than how hot your ass looks. According to Daniel Amen, an Author of Brain in Love Our mind are structured in a way that may associate feet with sex. ‘The area of the brain that communicate with the genitals is right next to the area that deals with the feet,’ says Dr. Amen. ‘These regions share neutral cross-talk, which may be why shoes can be erotic’ And we thought it was just our lust for high style talking.
Good Shoes Makes a Happy Feet
First of all, there’s some serious mood-boosting going on when you try on any kind of apparel. ‘ The neurotransmitter dopamine is released, providing a feel –good high, similar to talking a drug, says Martin Lindstrom, a branding expert for Fortune 100 companies and Author of Buyology.’ The dopamine increases until you swipe your debit card.’ Usually, the high then flatline, and guilt starts creeping in except, that is, when the item you’re purchasing is a pair of shoes. ‘Shoppers rationalize shoes as a practical buy – something they can wear multiple times a week –so the hold on to that pleasurable feeling longer,’ says Lindstrom. But it’s not just dopamine at work. Shoes’ mood-altering traits also come from another brain reaction , says Lindstrom. Buying new footwear stimulates an area of brain’s prefrontal cortex termed the collecting spot. ‘Shoes are a collector’s item, whether women realize they perceive them that way or not’. Says Suzanne Ferris, editor of footnotes: on shoes.
