Top 10: Shoe Choices Of My Childhood

01/08/2016
Jasmine Thompson

Jazz reflects on her most renowned shoe choices she made as a kid- the significant, the questionable, the unforgivable.

If you know me well, you know I love shoes.

If you know me well, you know I love shoes.

Like most of you I’m sure, my trainer collection has been expanding at a constant rate throughout my life, and isn’t exactly slowing down. Purchasing a new pair fills me with satisfaction and guilt, tears and laughter, love and hate. I know I shouldn’t be doing it, but before I know it, I’m filling in my bank details on the latest release size 4s all three colour-ways, why not also choose next day delivery. It’s like an addiction I can’t kick.

But upon reflection, it hasn’t always been the same story. I remember my childhood and even adolescent years were cursed with some dodgy trainer choices from time to time, but i’m getting the feeling I’ve just suppressed the bad memories.

So through gritted teeth ladies and gents, I’m going to take you through the archive of shoes to have graced my feet throughout the years. Like the UK Top 10, there will be hits (but mostly misses) but with every struggle there comes success.

Kickers, 1996

Photo by Mum

I was two years old, and I was flexing. No two ways about it, my mum knew what was good. Pocket-size pink kickers, regularly teamed with blue dungarees and a bucket hat. It’s hard to believe isn’t it, but it’s true- I really did look that good.

Timberlands, 1997

Next year, another number one hit. Still flexing.

Photo by Mum

Jelly Shoes, 2000

Photo as always- by Mum

I think every young girl went through this phase at some point in her life. It started when I was three (above) and continued for years. The ‘girly’ gene appeared to have skipped me; I was unfazed by Barbie dolls, prams and princesses, but this however stopped me cold. Minutes were spent gazing at these bad boys in Woolworths. Pink or silver, that was the question. I remember my little cousin had the same and I hated her. She knew I had my eye on these show-stoppers and not only did she turn up with the same, but hers were pink and glittery. She not only hit me with an upgrade, she pushed me right under the bus.

Dead Cats, 2001

Photo source: Tumblr.com

I’m not exactly proud of this one. To be honest with you, I’d rather not even bring it up but these were too much of a big part of my life for to go unmentioned. It was at this point I lost trust in people around me. Day after day I was allowed out in these and no one uttered a word. It was after this I vowed to obtain more trustworthy friends.

Powder Pink Cowboy Boots, 2002

Photo source: publicdomainpictures.com

It began as a joke. There was a ‘Toy Story’ themed party at school, naturally I went as Jessie. But a Jessie that had fell head first into a bucket of pink paint. I felt this look was strong- the pink cowboy clothes left, but sadly the boots stayed.

Converse, 2005

Photo by me

I genuinely believe this was the first time I fell in love. From the get-go, I was obsessed. Hours were spent shoe-perving and gazing through shop windows crying at price tags. I had just started high school and I wanted to be cool and this obviously, was the way to do it. My first pair were peach hi-tops and we’re still together now.

Babycham, 2007

Being thirteen and convinced these were the ultimate sexy foot, I wanted to wait until I found the perfect pair to reflect the glamourous style queen I was. This was them.

Photo source: eBay

Nike Air Force 1s, 2012

photo by Jasmine Thompson

These mark my entrance into uni culture. And boy, did I rinse it. As a classic shoe they can be styled up to that effortlessly cool look, but I took a different approach. Instead these were usually worn to house nights around Bristol four times a week, teamed with disco pants of various colours, excessive gold jewellery and glitter literally, all over my face. But they made me feel like a bigman so I loved them.

Asics Gel Lyte, 2014

Photo by Jasmine Thompson

These trainers aren’t in this list because they were a bad choice, quite the opposite, they are here because this was the first time I did the unthinkable of buying the exact same shoes as a boyfriend. But I knew it and I didn’t care. Yeah I went there. It was a big hurdle and even until this day it’s a sensitive subject. Public appearances together are made in fear of a ‘double act’, but that’s what the spare pair of shoes in the bag are for. Resting easy.