“I do like a good pair of shoes. I own a lot of them […] but considerably fewer than Imelda Marcos” – ANU Vice-Chancellor Genevieve Bell
At ANU, a pair of sneakers has become a symbol of something much bigger – frustration, anger, and the widening gap between university leadership and staff.
The shoes belong to Genevieve Bell. They’re Golden Goose, a luxury brand known for making sneakers that look worn but cost between $690 and $1,300. The Financial Times calls Golden Goose “the Italian luxury sports shoe brand”. Their sneakers are “derelict chic” and fall in the same vein as Balenciaga’s “Paris Sneaker” with their “distressed canvas and rough edges.” People who know brands, know that Golden Goose signifies money.
Bell says she bought them second-hand on eBay, but for many on campus, that’s not the point.
The university is planning to cut $250 million. Jobs are at risk. The School of Music and the Australian National Dictionary Centre are facing major losses. And at the centre of it all is a VC who, in her own words, likes a good pair of shoes.
For staff worried about losing their jobs, that line didn’t go over well.
“It’s like being kicked in the guts by a Golden Goose,” said Dr Liz Allen, an ANU academic at the Senate inquiry into university governance.
Allen grew up poor. She buys her clothes at Vinnies. Her shoes are worn because someone else wore them first — not because a designer made them look that way.
Others on campus agree with Dr Allen. Historian Hilary Howes said the sneakers showed how out of touch leadership is. A lecturer whose job is at risk pointed to the VC’s $1 million salary, even after a 10 percent pay cut.
ANU’s Head of Public Affairs, Amy Capuano, has defended Bell.
“Shoes? Really? ANU is in the middle of a difficult but necessary program of structural change, many in our community are hurting, we’re having substantial conversations about the best way to achieve the financial sustainability of Australia’s only national university, and some people want to focus on the VC’s second-hand shoes?
“This petty campaign is disrespectful to those people in our community who are grappling with change and uncertainty, and it reflects poorly on those people raising it.
“Full disclosure: I myself have a collection of awesome shoes. If the ANU shoe police wish to issue me an infringement notice, they are very welcome.”
If Amy Capuano is so outraged by the focus on the VC’s shoes, perhaps she should have advised Bell not to rant about her shoe collection at length in the Canberra Times.
Students and staff are now posting photos of their own footwear — crocs, uggs, boots, sneakers, socks — with short notes about how the cuts are affecting them. The movement, “Shoes of ANU,” is quiet but strong. No rallies. No speeches. Just shoes and stories.
Shoes are personal. They go wherever we do. They show who we are. And right now, at the ANU, they’re saying a lot.
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