Silly Shoes in Zamalek

Made a useless trip to Orman Gardens today for a plant show that will show up in a couple of weeks and found myself in Zamalek with a friend. There is a shoe shop at the corner of 26 July and Brazil there that has always made me laugh. But the silly shoes you might buy for a one-off outfit are a fraction of the price outside of Egypt. 

Flipflop Land

A visiting friend needed some sandals so we went into Nazlet Semman to find them. Most of the poorer Egyptians wear these most of the time  

Location, Location, Location

Passing by the mosque on Road 9 in Maadi one morning I noticed that a shoeshine man had set up shop there. Since those who enter the mosque to pray remove their shoes, this is a perfect place for his business. Why not get your shoes cleaned at the same time?

Busy Streets

Generally the sidewalks near the post office in Maadi have been kept quite clear of the entrepreneurs who make maneuvering streets in Cairo both interesting and sometimes aggravating. But recently with many, many fewer police on the streets, the vendors and others have been able to expand a bit. Here a shoe shine man works on one client while another waits his turn.

These Shoes Were Made For....

They are probably made for decoration but in the old days the wealthy women of Cairo did wear sandals similar to this (though possibly not made of silver) to the baths or even in other versions in the streets. Like the Japanese sandals that kept the feet dry, these would have done the same.

Shoe Shine

Egypt is hell on shoes. The sidewalks are irregular enough that only someone with a death wish would try to walk in high heels. The most rational choice for footwear is usually a comfortable pair of sneakers, but if you want to impress someone you really should wear good leather shoes. Surprisingly enough, given that our air produces enough dust to fill a shoebox in a week, people here are quite attentive to shiny shoes and you can find someone to give you a quick cleanup almost everywhere.

Old Boots

I found these pairs of boots at a shop the other day. They had such character that they almost seemed to have a life of their own.

Flip? Maybe Flop? Unlikely

They have been using wooden sandals in the baths of Cairo for centuries. Shagarat el Dohr is said to have been murdered with a pair in Mameluke Egypt by a rival. These are very rough and look to me like something that could cause splinters. But some friends of mine saw them being worn by workers at a brick kiln.

Roadside Business

A shoeshine boy squats outside the coffee shop in Shubramant cleaning the patrons' shoes while they have a tea or coffee and watch the passing scene. Shoeshining is a job that involves little expense and one finds people doing it all over the city. Clean shoes are important and many people prefer to patronise their favourite shoe man at a favourite coffee shop. It helps keep the money circulating.

Glitter Shoes

One of the things I've always loved about Cairo has been its outrageous taste in shoes. For a relatively reasonable price (compared to London, Paris or New York) you can buy some totally over the top pumps that you might only wear once with that special dress to that special event...and then not feel quite so guilty that you will never wear them again. If the ruby slippers took Dorothy home, I wonder where these would take you....

Winter Shoes

It's too cold for sandals now and the shoe stores are displaying more seasonal shoes. Rather than simply displaying them in the window, this imaginative shopkeeper has hung them all over the front of his shop with bright lights for evening shoppers to take their pick.

A Puzzling Question

So I'm riding along with some friends and in the middle of a trail that is nowhere near a home or a village, we see a shoe. Just one shoe with no laces. If someone was walking or running and lost one shoe, surely he/she would notice, right? Even if you are walking carrying a pair of shoes and one falls, you would notice, right? It's one of those Egyptian questions: where do these single shoes come from anyway?