By: The Gothling

Shoes. One word, one syllable. Seems like a small thing, but the right pair of shoes can make or break the look of your club wear. Don’t believe me? Picture this: You got your hair to fall just right, for the first time in weeks, your eyeliner did exactly what you wanted it to. Your collar, cuffs, and belt match perfectly, and your top and bottoms show you off at your very best. On your feet… a pair of black $1 flip-flops from Wally-World.

Not quite right, is it? I’m not knocking flip-flops, of course. I have a black platform pair with pyramid studs that work perfectly when I’m in a rush out the door and I’m not thinking about what I’m wearing. I’d never wear them to a club, though. They don’t fit the style of any of my club outfits. Stupid though it may seem, having shoes that fit into the style of your attire is big. Since I prefer corsets and skirts, I have regular Mary-Janes, platform Mary-Janes, and a recently acquired pair of Victorian style lace-up boots. All of my club shoes fit with any outfit I can make with my wardrobe.

For those who prefer pants or ’shorts’ with the big legs or even fatigues, combat boots are a definite plus as footwear. They’re the longest lasting footwear I can think of. You could probably drop a bomb on them, then just dust them off, put ‘em on, and head out the door. The guys on the scene seem to have the biggest addiction to combat boots, and you know what? I’m not gonna stop them!

Another style of footwear popular with the men is platform boots. Like they NEED to get any taller. I swear, when I wear flats I feel like a midget at the clubs sometimes. That being said, I’ve seen the men pull off the most fantastic looking outfits with platform boots. If you have a getup that features lots of buckles, by all means, wear the boots with buckles on them! I’ve seen boots with spikes, boots with studs, boots that looked like Martians dropped them off for us Earthlings, I’ve even heard of a pair with bats on the buckles. . Even if you don’t have the fanciest pair of boots, you can use multi-color reflective tape that normally goes on racing motorcycles to customize your boots and add your own twist.

Since plenty of gents on the scene like the Victorian or Romantigoth style of dress, you might find a pair of black dress shoes work the best with what you have in the closet. Even better for you, you don’t have to knock yourself out finding a place that actually sells them. Face it, you have it the easiest!

As always, we ladies have the biggest variety of footwear to choose from. We have everything from ballet flats to almost-standing-on-my-tiptoes heels, from Mary-Janes to witch boots. I’m gonna air my opinion now, I prefer flat platforms or 2-4 inch heels. Then again, I have been genetically blessed with all the balance of a drunken stork, and have broken a foot twice (yes, you read that right, twice) by sliding off the side of a too-tall shoe. Considering my history, I stay away from the ‘hooker heels’ and anything that is not wrapped or strapped firmly around my foot. Granted, this limits my choices of footwear, but I can deal.

For the ladies not cursed with a vendetta against gravity, the shoe world is your oyster. Platform heels look as good with a short skirt as a pair of platform boots, and long skirts look great with black flats, Victorian boots, and Mary-Janes. If you like PVC and fishnets, or even just fishnet with all the “essential-to-make-this-street-legal” bits covered with patches of leather or what have you, platform boots or heels make a great statement.

For everyone, a few essential pieces of foot care advice. Ladies who wear super-tall heels, I’ve heard that rubbing cocoa butter on your heels not only keeps them from cracking, for some reason it also helps keep you on the dance floor longer by staving off painful feet. Everyone who wears boots: socks. Socks are key to keeping your feet from getting icky, and help keep your boots from stinking. Ladies who wear Mary-Janes or other types of footwear, just wearing tights or fishnets will help keep your tootsies from getting yucky. And for everyone, make sure you air out your shoes after wearing them. It keeps away funk, and also keeps away foot fungus, because really, who wants to deal with that?

All in all, shoes are a fun part of a club wardrobe. Now, to the dance floor!