As important as shoes are in real life, it’s no surprise that they hold a special place in television and film. Whereas a lot of attention is paid to actor’s expressions, voices, and script, there’s a lot to be said for those extra details that make everything believable and immersive, and small things like footwear can do that trick.
For a few illustrations of the overall importance of this topic, consider that there are entire shows that feature shoes of some sort, that they often have thematic importance in movies and film, the foley work that goes into good film sound, when they get focused on, and their importance in niche martial arts movies.
Shows About Shoes
There are literally TV shows that are just about shoes, like the It’s the Shoes TV series that started in 2005. Though seemingly narrow, when people are interested in shoes, that’s the kind of laser focus that they want in their programming. Don’t knock it until you’ve watched it, and maybe you’ll learn something about culture in the process.
Thematic Importance
We all remember the scene in Die Hard – ‘shoot the glass!’ says the villain in the flick. Our hero had taken off his shoes to massage his feet earlier, and thus was running around barefoot saving the day. So, in that case, one of the primary thematic elements were shoes, or at least the lack of. Once again, it’s those kinds of details that, if left out of cinematic purposes, would leave the overall product in a much weaker state. Dive in and see what other examples you can think of that would be important in this way.
Foley Work
And have you ever wondered why the sounds of footsteps are so clear in movies and in films? They certainly aren’t recording those sounds on scene. That audio would be a wreck. So, the job of getting those elements is up to the work of the foley artist. If you’re not familiar with how hard of a job that is, check out some famous foley artists, and be fascinated by what they accomplish.
For the Foot-Oriented
And if you’ve ever watched any Quentin Tarantino movies, then you know that he always has a pretty good degree of emphasis on feet and footwear. Even the mild foot fetishist will appreciate the effort he puts into piquing that particular interest.
Martial Arts Movies
And martial arts movies wouldn’t be the same without the right shoes on the heroes and villains. It doesn’t matter if they’re in boots or airwalks, the visuals of the kicks have to be just right to match with the vibe of the scene. Pay attention and you’ll notice how detailed those particular elements are.