JSLALALAND

CITY & ITS PEOPLE

In LA, shoes don't lie

I've done outfits and cars; this time, look down. In Taipei, shoes have to survive puddles under the arcades; in LA, your shoes are a preview of your day. Eight tribes plus a hidden one: one glance down tells you where you're headed.

Translated from Jasmine’s original Chinese. The illustrated slides are on the interactive reader.

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  1. 01 | The Eastside Creative (team Birkenstock Boston)

    Suede Bostons with thick socks all year round, an oat latte in hand and a book in the bag. Spotted in Silver Lake, Los Feliz and Highland Park: 'These just get more comfortable the more I wear them.'

  2. 02 | The Step Counter (team Hoka / On)

    Chunky, bright-colored soles, walking like you're on clouds, a watch reporting steps every day, and straight from Runyon to brunch. Signature line: 'I've already hit ten thousand steps today.'

  3. 03 | The It-Girl Sneaker (team Samba)

    Black-and-white Sambas with wide-leg pants or a mini skirt, looks effortless but is very deliberate, and the shoes are in every story. 'I was wearing them way before they blew up.'

  4. 04 | The Flip-Flop Local

    Flip-flops to the grocery store, to dinner, to the airport, tan lines on the ankles, and the most expensive thing in the shoe closet is surf booties. Spotted in Venice and Manhattan Beach: 'In LA, flip-flops are formal shoes.'

  5. 05 | The Cozy Contradiction (team UGG)

    UGGs with shorts at 20°C (68°F), even on May Gray mornings. Spotted at The Grove, in Calabasas and in the Erewhon parking lot: 'Warm feet, warm everything.'

  6. 06 | The Desert Romantic (team cowboy boots)

    Worn-in cowboy boots with a dress or jeans, a desert trip at least once a year, and a wide-brim hat in the closet. 'I dug these up at a vintage shop in Palm Springs.'

  7. 07 | The Quiet Luxury (team designer flats)

    No visible logo, but those who know, know; she walks lightly because she never walks far (it's valet everywhere). Ask the brand? 'They're really comfortable.'

  8. 08 | The No-Shame Comfort (team Crocs)

    Clogs covered in charms, the same pair for walking the dog, taking out the trash and going to Costco; comfort is fashion. Signature line: 'Put them on and you'll get it.'

  9. Hidden tribe | The Car Closet

    Three pairs in the trunk: sneakers, flip-flops, heels; three settings in a day, and the shoes change with them. In LA, the trunk is a second shoe closet.

  10. Same occasion ① | Brunch with friends

    The Boston type hits the farmers market first and walks over, the Samba type changed outfits three times but not shoes, the cowboy boot type is late because they just got back from the desert, the luxury type booked ahead, and the Crocs type: 'Can we get it to go?'

  11. Same occasion ② | It's raining in LA

    The Boston type: suede! Not going out today. The Hoka type goes out like normal even when wet, the UGG type (silence), and today is the Crocs type's home game. Rainy days in LA are a test for your shoes.

  12. A Taiwanese person's first pair of LA shoes

    When you first arrive, you wear the sneakers you brought from Taiwan; in year one you buy flip-flops and discover you can wear them anywhere; by year three you own UGGs (even though LA isn't cold). Back in Taiwan, you realize Taipei rain and LA shoes don't get along.

  13. Shoes don't lie

    In Taipei, your shoes have to make it through puddles under the arcades; in LA, they just have to get you from the car to the door. Shoes don't lie, because they walk with you through every day.

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An original JSLALALAND field guide by Jasmine Chang (@jslalaland).