A few observations about Greek women's shoe culture

In our recent trip to Greece, we visited our niece's new shoe store several times. An unchanging part of Greek life is the presence of at least one shoe store selling mostly women's shoes every block or two of every neighborhood. A lot of time and money is spent on shoes, especially women's shoes. Here are a few observations about Greek women shoe culture that may have some sociological benefit.

1. The most desired color of a shoe for a woman who is not in mourning is either shiny metallic gold or silver. A limited number of other non-metallic colors (red, bright lemon yellow, fluorescent green, depending on the year's fashions) can be considered acceptable.

2. The height of the shoe's heel for a woman not in mourning should be at least 3.0 inches (approximately 7 centimeters). The woman's height and age is not relevant to the height of the heel, nor is her occupation. This rule can be relaxed if the woman is in mourning, or is a grandmother.

3. The heel of a woman's shoe should be able to neatly pierce a watermelon.

4. The shoe should expose the majority of the woman's foot from the bottom of her ankle bone to the tip of her (usually bright red) toenail -- approximately 96% altogether of the foot should be uncovered.

5. It is always summer in a Greek shoe store.

6. The size of a woman's foot must never be measured or suggested by the shoe store owner. Instead, the woman is expected to announce her shoe size, which will be 2 or 3 sizes smaller than the actual size. The owner will shrug and bring out the requested shoes in sizes that are even smaller, suggesting out loud that the woman's foot is in reality smaller than she herself thinks. The woman will smile and gratefully try on the shoes, then angrily reject them as obviously too small and that the size she requested from the blockheaded store owner, as she well knew, was the correct size. She will buy the shoes in that relatively larger size. Which will still be too small.

7. Number 6 is true whether a woman walks ten meters each day or ten kilometers.

8. It is unwise for the shoe store owner to use the descriptive words "sensible" or "practical" in regards to any pair of shoes when speaking with a woman customer. The customer will be offended. The insinuation is that she suffers from a podiatric condition or disability requiring shoes that are ugly but practical.