Shoes in New York
An item that many immigrants have been forced to adapt to while settling in New York City has been the shoe. Traditions in footwear may have been adjusted to fit the climate and social norms of the city.
There are a great range of customs in regards to footwear. For example, in Japan and South Korea, it is customary to not wear shoes inside. For countries in the Middle East, this also holds true inside of mosques.
For those arriving immigrants from warmer climates, the New York City winter may force them into wearing heftier footwear like boots– something they were never accustomed to. In a similar manner, those from cooler climates may finally have the choice to simplify their shoe habits.
Also, many arriving immigrants have adopted the “sneaker” culture of New York, if they have not done so already in their previous country. Instead of maintaining some traditional footwear active, some have chosen to assimilate into the American culture altogether. Others, however, may adopt a style of sneaker that may resemble some aspect of their past culture. Many European and South American men, for instance, may choose to wear an indoor soccer shoe as the sport is widely followed in those regions.
Finding information for this section should be relatively straight forward. Taking a visit into some culturally different shoe shops in the city can provide much incite into the culture’s shoe habits. Also, I would be able conduct some interviews with some immigrants and see how they adapted to the shoe culture in New York.
