WHAT'S UP, DOG?

WHAT'S UP, DOG?
Hey there! Welcome to my blog. I'm a free dog living in Portugal and I write about my life as an artist and street dog. This blog is a way for me to have more of a connection with other dogs (and people), to share ideas, experiences and some of my art. I love to hear what others have to say so feel free to comment on any of the posts or to contact me via e-mail. If it's your first time here, you might want to check out my first post and read on from there. You can also have a look at my profile in the column to the right.
Tchao-wow,
Ruca

Friday, September 23, 2011

something to chew on

journal sketch, ink


I want to talk a bit about shoes and my shoe fetish. Actually, it’s not so much a shoe fetish as it is a chew fetish. Now, apparently, many of you reading this [particularly people, as opposed to my readers who are dogs (hi William!)] also have shoe fetishes. Some people are more specific and might call it a heel fetish, or a brogue fetish but call them what you will – shoes, sneakers, plimsolls, pumps, runners, trainers, hikers – whatever you like, they’re all chews to me.
   
And that brings me back to my point.  Nothing beats a good shoe chew. And each shoe has its own merits. For instance a well worn athletic shoe has a certain je ne sais quoi, and I don’t know what it is. Certainly there’s the nearly overwhelming dark sweaty odour coupled with a pervasive lingering dampness that just doesn’t present itself in a fancy dress shoe. And the texture begs to be torn at with a certain degree of vigour.

But then a dress shoe has different qualities that demand equal attention. The leather is of a texture and resilience that begs a more leisurely chew. One needs to gnaw slowly and steadily in order for the saliva to really have a chance to permeate the leather, releasing the subtleties of the flavour.
   
A sturdy work boot is an enticing combination of an athletic shoe and a dress shoe: It has the mysterious sweaty flavours perfectly combined with the subtleties of leather, although usually a somewhat heartier leather than that found in a dress shoe.

Really, what it comes down to is personal taste. And for me that changes with my mood. Some days I have a craving for that lively Nike, whereas on another day I just want to mellow out with an Italian loafer. My motto is “never eschew a good shoe chew”.
journal page, relief print, ink

17 comments:

  1. Hi Ruca, I heartily agree with your observations on the qualities of various types of footwear...after all, I have been known to enjoy very similar activity when given the opportunity!

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  2. Yes William, I knew you'd understand!

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  3. Hi Ruca, what wonderful observations. I don't think I'll ever look at dress shoes quite the same :)

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  4. lol, brilliant. as a cat I am only interested in shoes with laces. I never thought about any prefereces in shoe laces, tho. something to mull over. after a nap...

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  5. Excellent draftsmanship on those shoes! Beautiful!

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  6. Ah Anonymous, might you be tempted to have a nibble yourself?

    Petra, yes, you really should consider the laces. Synthetic versus natural is a difficult choice.

    Celeste, thank you!

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  7. You have very talented paws - the drawing is excellent (obviously prechewed) and the writing is wonderful!wonderful. I never eschew a good post!

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  8. I love this--so clever and funny!
    Thanks for the howl for my poor doggie! And I'm glad you like his portrait!

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  9. Hi Ruca, You have been gone for awhile. Perhaps chewing up some good shoes?

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  10. Dan, thank you. A compliment from such a good storyteller as you means a lot.

    Elizabeth Rose, I'm blushing (which for a dog means my nose is running). Thank you.

    Jacqueline, you got me. Does Jimmy Choo mean anything to you. Can you say "April Calfskin Over-The-Knee Boots"? Now that's a lot of shoe!

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  12. Well, Crème has definitely got a shoe fetish going on. A few weeks ago, we left the house for a couple of hours and when we returned, she had two pairs of our shoes - my Birkenstocks and Hugo's sneakers - on her bed. Not a single chew in sight. Go figure!

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  13. Hi Ana, I talked to Crème yesterday and she said that she's thinking about starting a shoe cellar, much like people have wine cellars. She's trying to amass an assortment of very fine shoes so that one day she can invite all of her friends (including me) over for a decadent evening of shoes and canapés, and maybe some music and dancing (fox trot perhaps?).

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  14. What an adorable blog, told from the eyes of a dog... Ruca, you type VERY well and draw just as good. Keep your owner happy.

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  15. Thanks so much Krista. I'm glad you like. As for keeping my owner happy, that's easy. I'm a free dog so I guess my owner is me and I'm easy to please!

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  16. I'm very happy reading and viewing your blog. I love a dog-eared journal that's been around the block a few times. Ideas plus great art--that's what I love. Thanks!

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  17. Tom(Cranky Bird Studio), I'm glad I can return the favour of giving you some blog-reading pleasure. It's always a treat for me to visit yours! Readers, if you haven't visited his blog, do it now! You can find the link in my bloglist to the right.
    Tchao-wow!

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