For some people, almost any kind of popular casual or formal footwear can suit their lifestyle, and they rarely have to shop outside of a couple of sorts when it comes to shoes. For others, however, finding the right kinds of footwear can be a more complex process. A pair of lace-ups fit any lifestyle, for example, but a pair of leather knee high boots? Or a pair of hard-wearing combat boots? This is footwear for more particular situations.
Average Urban White-Collar Professional
When you live in the city and have an office job, you spend most of your time in work-friendly shoes. For most men, that means Oxfords or Brogues to wear during the day, or possibly a pair of nice leather or suede loafers if the particular office environment permits a somewhat more casual option. For women, office footwear is a bit more versatile, but it’s unlikely that any urban woman would find herself without at least 2-3 pairs of solid kitten heels for formal work footwear, as well some flats to keep at the desk just for comfort.
How about for the evenings? Men might like to wear boat shoes or even colourful espadrilles when they’re enjoying evening cocktails around the harbour or at a trendy rooftop location. For women, more chic and stylish stiletto heels come out in the evening, especially those of big designer names.
Suburban Parent and Family
The suburban parent may need some of those same white-collar shoes for their workday as we mentioned above, so let’s take those as read, but what about for their non-working time? If you’re a parent, you spend quality time with the kids, which means you need comfortable shoes for family activities. Suburban parents therefore add a good pair of runners to their shoe arsenal, keeping them supported and comfortable as they take kids to the park, to playdates, sports matches, and more.
Families with a garden or a dog may also add in some gumboots for use when they’re outside planting in the mud, or when they’re walking the dog along the riverbank and playing fetch. Yes, family life gets messy, and this kind of footwear becomes needed.
Blue-Collar Professionals
An important addition to the shoe collection of blue-collar pros is that which adds protection for their feet. If you’re a joiner or a welder, for instance, there’s a constant risk of heavy metal objects slipping and falling onto your feet. Where there’s little or no protection, you open your feet up to the risk of broken toes, fractures, perhaps even worse.
Therefore, strong and sturdy combat and work boots with steel toe caps are typically a must for blue-collar workers.
The Outdoors Person
We briefly touched on the outdoors when we mentioned suburban families, their gumboots, and their runners, but what about those families that like to get out and about further afield? The true outdoors lifestyle demands real outdoor footwear, which includes hiking boots and/or sturdy hiking shoes with strong soles, waterproofed exteriors, and a very supportive insole.
When you put your feet through the mill, you are at a higher risk of getting blisters and other foot problems. This kind of footwear helps to prevent that, especially when combined with the right kind of socks.
The Athlete
Finally, we have the athlete. Many Australians consider themselves very sporty, and we are a sports-loving nation. What kind of extra footwear does a sporty lifestyle demand? First of all, you need a more specialist pair of runners, those which are designed for better support and performance either on the track or on the road. Second, you might need special boots for football, rugby, or Aussie Rules.
