The Anabaptist Perspective on... Shoes!

[Signtist]

I don't positively know what our church says. But my wife has in turn worn white, black, brown, and a pale aqua shoes or boots. No sandals allowed, if I remember correctly and I'm pretty sure bare feet are disallowed. But nude hosiery is perfectly fine, so I'm not sure what the deal is there. Probably nobody else knows either.

[Neto]

Many of the women in our congregation wear sandals, or other types of open toe shoes. A few of the men do as well, and I did once or twice to a Wednesday night service. Back home in the MB church, as children we might have been barefoot, but I really don't remember. Otherwise, Sundays and to school were the only times we wore shoes during the months with no R's.
At the University of Oklahoma, during summer grad courses in linguistics (conducted by Wycliffe Bible Translator sister organization Summer Institute of Linguistics (but credited through OU), I generally didn't wear shoes, to either classes or to chapel. Got some strange looks from some, but as they say, "I was being my own bear".
In the village, we took our sandals off anytime we went inside any building, and we did the same at our house on the mission center. The only time out there when I wore shoes was when going to town, or on the trip out to the village. Then they came off and I didn't put them back on until we were getting on the airplane again. (Except for longer walks down the jungle trails.)

[Sudsy]

Since I am allowed questions - why do some cape dress Mennonite women wear modern and often quite brightly coloured running shoes that are visible and I have heard laughed at by non-Christians ? To them, they see traditional dress except for the shoes and wonder why shoes can be modern/worldly ?

[RZehr]

Since I am allowed questions - why do some cape dress Mennonite women wear modern and often quite brightly coloured running shoes that are visible and I have heard laughed at by non-Christians ? To them, they see traditional dress except for the shoes and wonder why shoes can be modern/worldly ?

Because we don’t make our own shoes. Because wearing dress shoes all of the time isn’t real practical. Running shoes are good for running, which we do. Because we wear homemade dresses for tradition, but also for covering the body better than other clothes. Boughten shoes cover the body fine.
I think the more conservative churches would prohibit brightly colored shoes. When I was growing up, there was a brief time where we had to wear black shoes.
Just some thoughts.

[Sudsy]

Since I am allowed questions - why do some cape dress Mennonite women wear modern and often quite brightly coloured running shoes that are visible and I have heard laughed at by non-Christians ? To them, they see traditional dress except for the shoes and wonder why shoes can be modern/worldly ?

Because we don’t make our own shoes. Because wearing dress shoes all of the time isn’t real practical. Running shoes are good for running, which we do. Because we wear homemade dresses for tradition, but also for covering the body better than other clothes. Boughten shoes cover the body fine.
I think the more conservative churches would prohibit brightly colored shoes. When I was growing up, there was a brief time where we had to wear black shoes.
Just some thoughts.

Thanks. However, it would appear that black running shoes are available for the gals and I wonder why the change to 'worldly attire' in this area ? In the MB church I attended dress was very non-restictive. Young men were even wearing ball caps in the singing leadership with logos on them. I was wondering just when one of these logos was going to be a beer ad and if so, if this would be where they 'draw the line'.

It isn't that black running shoes are not available, right ?

https://www.amazon.ca/Womens-Black-Runn ... ning+Shoes

[steve-in-kville]

It isn't that black running shoes are not available, right ?

https://www.amazon.ca/Womens-Black-Runn ... ning+Shoes

If you have a bunch of old injuries like me, one must be fitted for shoes and hardly anything athletic is available in black. I have one pair of running shoes that have black uppers but the soles are white/grass stained. The pair that will be replacing them is a darker blue.

[Neto]

Quite a bit off topic here, but I no longer own any "tennis shoes" (unless the barrel of stuff stored in Brazil still has a pair in there). I buy good quality black leather shoes from the second-hand stores, usually for around 3 to 5 bucks. That's what I wear to work every day, and until this last month that I've had a severely swollen foot, I walk back & forth to work morning noon and evening, in all weather. As the shoes start to wear out (I wear the heels & soles down on the roadway surface), they go down to garden work duty, auto mechanic work, whatever it is I need to do. (I do also still have a pair of steel toe high tops, but seldom wear them, partly because they are quite heavy.)

[Yeah, off-topic, except that it is an "anabaptist perspective" in that it complies with conservative values dealing with lack of extravagance and simplicity.]

[QuietlyListening]

Is it considered lack of extravagance or simplicity if you buy high quality shoes because of feet issues and can't wear the less expensive ones because they hurt your feet? Not fancy shoes but quality ones that do cost significantly more.

[mike]

Thanks. However, it would appear that black running shoes are available for the gals and I wonder why the change to 'worldly attire' in this area ? In the MB church I attended dress was very non-restictive. Young men were even wearing ball caps in the singing leadership with logos on them. I was wondering just when one of these logos was going to be a beer ad and if so, if this would be where they 'draw the line'.

It isn't that black running shoes are not available, right ?

https://www.amazon.ca/Womens-Black-Runn ... ning+Shoes

It's because conservative Anabaptists don't regulate everything to the nth degree. In the areas where they don't have hard and fast rules, you're going to see a little more individual expression. It's not rocket science.

[mike]

Is it considered lack of extravagance or simplicity if you buy high quality shoes because of feet issues and can't wear the less expensive ones because they hurt your feet? Not fancy shoes but quality ones that do cost significantly more.

I'm pretty sure people see that as a necessity. For example I know a person who pays near a thousand dollars for eyeglasses. It has nothing to do with extravagance; it's a medical necessity.