Although there are plenty of people who pay a lot of attention to shoe fashion, we feel that this item of apparel isn’t well represented during our holiday celebrations. Sure, shoes represent a fashion statement for some, but for most of us, they’re just something that we throw on our feet before we head out into the world.

That’s why we decided to give shoes a little bit of love by listing the best shoe holidays that currently exist. However, before we begin our discussion about shoes, we probably should address the proverbial elephant in the room.

Many people are likely reading this article today and wondering why we would spend valuable space talking about holidays dedicated to shoes. To answer that question, we would like to give a few reasons why people might want to show their shoes some appreciation.

Why Shoes Are Significant

Cultural symbolism: Shoes are important symbols in many cultures, and the wearing of shoes can have a significant impact on people’s social interactions. For example, in some cultures, it’s a sign of respect to take off your shoes to enter a home or temple. In other cultures, touching a person with the soles of your shoes is a sign of great disrespect.

Style and fashion: For many people, shoes are a part of their personal sense of style and fashion. Some people’s shoes are a very personal part of their creativity and self-expression. And that’s not even mentioning the fact that shoes are celebrated around the world for their artistry and craftsmanship.

Shoe-related charities and causes: The last reason we feel that it’s important for people to celebrate shoe-related holidays is that some of them focus on the importance of footwear for people who don’t have access to shoes.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s move on and dive into the shoe-related holidays that we feel everyone will want to celebrate, if they care anything about shoes, that is.

National Shoe the World Day (March 15th)

March 15th is National Shoe the World Day. This holiday highlights the fact that almost half a billion people worldwide lack access to footwear. Many of these people have to walk for miles to hunt, gather water, or go to work — all while wearing substandard shoes or even going barefoot.

However, that doesn’t have to be the case. There are a number of organizations that are working to help shoe people around the world.

National Two Different Colored Shoes Day (May 3rd)

For people who value individuality, this might just be the perfect holiday. On this day, people are encouraged to go ahead and wear two different colored shoes. How will you go about celebrating this holiday? Perhaps wearing one red and one green shoe, or one white and one black shoe.

Of course, those aren’t the only two options available to you, so you should go with whatever combination of colors sets your soul aflutter.

National Croc Day (October 23rd)

Crocs, a somewhat controversial shoe, are having their own holiday. Some people swear by them, and some people wouldn’t wear them if they were the last pair of shoes on the planet. For those who might not know, Crocs are shoes that are based on Dutch clogs and were originally designed to be boating shoes.

Put On Your Own Shoes Day (December 6th)

This holiday encourages everyone to put on their shoes. After all, going barefoot can be really dangerous, especially if you’re walking outdoors. Just be sure to look inside your shoes because this day is also Saint Nicholas Day, a holiday during which Old St. Nick puts candy and/or treats in the shoes of good boys and girls.

Okay, my faithful readers. That does it for today. We hope that our discussion of the above shoe-related holidays will encourage more people to see their shoes in a different light.