Shoes of the World: Copenhagen, Denmark

           We all have addictions.  Whether we choose to admit it or not, that’s another thing.  Everybody has that one special item that they just can’t get enough of, and they constantly find themselves on the search for more.  Logically, we know that we must stop.  Many of us even join support groups in order to control our overwhelming addiction.  They say that accepting that you have a problem is the first step.  Believing this to be true, I have come to the realization that shoes are my thing.  It just can’t be avoided.  

Stilettos, wedges, sandals, boots, loafers, converse…I love them all!  Now, by no means am I like Carrie Bradshaw (with an entire closet dedicated to shoes with sliding drawers and a rotating carousel), but I do have my fair share of pairs.  Keeping this love/obsession in mind, I have decided to begin a little project with shoes as the theme.  The whole idea evolved last weekend…

So, it was Saturday morning, and Edda informed me that she was going to go to the store and do some grocery shopping.  Although typically a mundane task in the United States, I saw this as a wonderful opportunity to immerse myself further in the Danish culture, and I said that I would love go along, too.  Typically, any grocery store on a weekend could prove to be a challenge, but this is even truer at Netto (one of the most affordable chains in Denmark).  While shopping, I witnessed survival of the fittest at its finest, as swarms of people were seemingly everywhere.  The thing that makes shopping at Netto the most difficult is the narrow aisles that run like a maze throughout the store.  If you don’t move quickly enough and get out of the way… YOU.  WILL.  GET.  RUN.  OVER.  Luckily, we managed to buy everything we needed without a hitch (except for me trying to figure out which Danish word meant “turkey”) and left the store unscathed.

            Since the Netto we went to was in a shopping center not far from Birkerød, Edda wanted to show me the other shops that were included in the center.  At one point we lost Jonathan, so she decided to take me into a store called Noa Noa, which she said had Danish-style clothing.  As a side note:  An interesting thing that I’ve observed about the way Danes dress is that it’s very individualistic.  More often than not, they are wearing extremely nice clothing, but there are no obvious “trends” that they follow, as Americans so often do.  

Keeping that in mind, I innocently wandered through the store, looking for nothing in particular.  At one point, I felt myself drawn toward the shoes.  As I turned in their direction…I saw an absolutely lovely pair of shoes.  Made of leather and suede, they were just waiting for me.  What’s even better, they were 70% off their regular price!  Of course, this being my first time in Europe, I had no idea what my European size was, but I had to try them on regardless.  To my complete and utter joy, they fit!  Feeling as if the shoe gods were smiling down on me, I realized it was a “sign” and I had to purchase them.  I mean, really, how often would I have an opportunity like this one ever again?

So, on to my proposed project/mission:  As a way of commemorating my time here in Europe (and more importantly if my bank account will allow it), I am going to attempt to buy one pair of affordable, but unique shoes in every country I visit.  I think Carrie would approve of my plan.  So, here is pair number 1: “The Denmark Shoes!”