From an Azkal to a Pup
"Shoes! Why shoes?”
Imagine a handsome young man saying that line in a heavy British accent, with amazement and confusion in his voice. His eyes were widening, his nose crinkling. It was as if he was given the answer to a challenging Math equation, but only realizing in the end that it was just a matter of simple addition and substraction.
A teenage Phil Younghusband had exactly that moment when he asked his friends what the secret was to getting a girl's attention. Like any adolescent guy (or even the mature ones), Phil wanted to unravel the mystery that is Woman -- what ticks her off, what turns her on, what does she look for in a guy.
“When I was a teenager, I asked a friend about what girls look for in a guy. He told me that girls first notice the smile, and then the shoes. And I went, ‘Shoes! Why shoes?’ And he said, ‘Beats me.I don’t really know why,” shares the Azkal football player.
But no matter how much he found it ridiculous, it was one thing that stuck in his mind. Since then, Phil makes sure that he wears clean a pair of nice and clean shoes, or even a new one, every time, especially when girls are around. One can really never know. But Phil is quick to point out that although he is a self-confessed shoe addict, he doesn’t make having or wearing stylish shoes a requirement when dating a girl.
“I don’t mind what women wear. I don’t look at the shoes so much. I’m all about personality and smile. But girls are different.They look at boys' shoes. Yes, shoes are important. They protect the feet. You just have to be comfortable with what you’re wearing and how you look. After all, you are what you wear,” Phil enthuses. And girls, definitely, no foot fetish for Phil.
“People choose clothes and shoes for different reasons. Maybe, it’s how they look, the style, comfort. I go for basic, simple shoes.I don’t like something that’s over the top or grand. I need to find a brand that will suit my active personality. It has to be comfortable enough that I can wear it while playing football, or casual enough for a stroll in the mall, or formal enough for parties and events where I am required to be seen,” says Phil.
He continues: “A person also needs shoes for different occasions, for different purposes.”
This is particularly true, especially with someone like Phil who has a busy schedule. With the recent popularity of the Azkals, the Philippine football team, it is no wonder that Phil has to go to different events -- attending presscons, doing interviews and pictorials for both print and TV, going to various social events, and practicing football -- which requires him to use different shoes.
“That’s why I like Hush Puppies. It is classy, simple, and suits my personality. Just recently, I went to the shop and bought five pairs which I can use for five different occasions,” says the young football player who shares that he wears a size eight or 10, depending on whether they're rubber shoes or formal shoes. But with Hush Puppies, he’s size nine on the US shoe size standard.
Phil confesses that he needs and buys a lot of shoes, not just to earn brownie points from the girls, but because a new pair of shoes often doesn’t last long.
“I’m not good with taking care of the shoes,” he admits. “I like to run around a lot. When I’m in an event, I still want to be active. And when I see a football lying around, I would kick it even if I’m wearing leather or formal shoes. I would wear them down after a month or so. That’s why I need a lot of shoes.”
But while he’s lax with maintaining his shoes, Phil is big on taking care of his bread and butter, his strong and beautiful feet.
“As a football player, feet are very, very important. Passion can win us games, and the feet are our tools. How could we play and win if we don’t have healthy and strong feet?” says Phil.
He adds: “As we practice and play every day, we get blisters. We get wounded. Our feet get dirty and tired. So, it is very important to take care of them. I maintain my feet the same way I do my hair, my body, my hands. I always keep them clean and hygienic. I have to make sure that I can take pride with their appearance.”
Every now and then, at least once every five months, Phil will visit his favorite wellness center and indulge in a pampering foot spa and massage. But just once in a while. “The problem with going to spa regularly is that it makes your skin soft. And when the skin is soft, you’re more prone to blisters and wounds,” says Phil. Maybe, this is one of those times when callouses are acceptable.
Phil also makes sure that he wears the proper shoes: “Some shoes are heavy. Others are light. When choosing shoes for football, I look for something light. When I want to kick hard or run fast, I need something that would give me that. Light shoes means fast and hard. But with casual shoes, it’s all about the appearance. It doesn’t matter whether it’s heavy or light. But of course, it needs to be comfortable,” enthuses Phil.
Wearing the wrong shoes could lead to injuries. Just last December, Phil suffered from minor injuries. “When you have an injury, you just follow what the experts say. If you want to heal well, and fast, you listen and do what the doctors tell you.”
But then again, injury in football might be partly blamed on not wearing the right soles or playing in the wrong grass. “Soft grass provides cushion to the feet. It doesn’t give unnecessary strain to the feet. Players are more prone to have injuries in the Philippines than, let’s say, Europe. The grass is hard here. Europe has soft ones,” shares Phil.
He continues: “But what’s good about being in the Philippines is that I can afford not to wear socks. You see, I like wearing socks. I don’t go around running barefoot. I have to always wear socks. I like my feet warm, especially if you’re in Europe and it’s winter. But here, I can afford not to wear socks.”
And when asked how he keeps his feet planted on the ground, Phil enthuses: “I have the right people around me. I surround myself with real friends and families. I stay away from people who don’t support me. I have a geat family who supports me and tells me whether I’m doing the right thing. I have friends who tell me if I’m doing something bad, but at the same time encourage and support me to be a better person.” - Article courtesy of Manila Bulletin
Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites
