Monday, July 26, 2010

iconography (or is it signage?) gone wild...


Apologies if off topic. It is, after all, summertime.

I bought a new pair of cheap shoes at a local big box store.

On the sole of the shoe was this sticker.

To which I say: WTF?

Ideas greatly appreciated.

11 comments:

  1. nemeneJuly 26, 2010 at 9:19 PM

    This is what a google search revealed:

    http://www.whatapair.com/UnderstandingShoeLabels.aspx

    ReplyDelete
  2. StrelnikovJuly 26, 2010 at 9:22 PM

    Possibly visual instructions for sewing on the liner and the outside skin of the shoe to the rubber sole (notice the arrow going through the shoe outline) with the last diamond being some sort of factory mark?

    ReplyDelete
  3. SannaJuly 26, 2010 at 9:30 PM

    But... it just tells you what the different bits are made of. Surely this isn't the first time you've come across thsi sort of label?

    Granted, they're generally not on the sole of the shoe on the outside, but still...

    ReplyDelete
  4. W.T. PfefferleJuly 26, 2010 at 10:11 PM

    "if" it's off topic?

    ReplyDelete
  5. ProcrisJuly 26, 2010 at 11:33 PM

    Leather, synthetic/fabric, rubber. And that's without looking at the helpful link me and me posted. Need us to interpret washer-labels next?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Online OpheliaJuly 27, 2010 at 6:02 AM

    It means, "My nipples explode with delight!"

    So this relates to college how?

    ReplyDelete
  7. miserable adjunctJuly 27, 2010 at 6:31 AM

    In order:
    (1) Yes, I know Google is my friend. Senior moment.
    (2) Yes...after 50 years of wearing shoes, this is the very first time I've seen such a label. Really.
    (3) Off topic-ness conceded (multiple times)
    (4) No thanks...I do my own laundry just fine..when the S/O offers up the keys to the machine.
    (5) Even at college, the talk isn't exclusively about that.

    If designed for consumers, gotta say the symbology is unintuitive.

    I wear shoes on campus...

    ReplyDelete
  8. Polar BearJuly 27, 2010 at 9:14 AM

    Leather uppers, fabric inners, soles made of diamond.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Frog and ToadJuly 27, 2010 at 9:46 AM

    Dr. Lemurpants, you win the award for best screen name (and photo).

    ReplyDelete
  10. The_MythJuly 27, 2010 at 12:06 PM

    I thought the shoe symbols were instructions of where to kick snowflakes when they annoy you.

    Obviously, the shoe was not made for American pedagogical use.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Enoch SoamesJuly 29, 2010 at 7:49 AM

    It's relevant to semioticists, I reckon.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)