It seems that these shoes really were made for walking. Or, well, marching. Now that preparations for the March on Washington this Saturday are well and truly underway, women (and men) have begun to share photos of their #MarchingShoes. Not just those in Washington, but those expected to attend the 200 plus solidarity marches worldwide (including our very own London) are blowing up our Instagram and Twitter feeds with photos of the shoes they’ll be marching in.
Some 200,000 people are expected to attend in Washington and a further 700,000 around the world are demonstrating to express their solidarity for the movement. In London alone, 31,000 people are attending with a further 26,000 saying they are ‘interested’, according to the March’s Facebook event.
Despite being a Women’s March, the March’s Facebook page clearly states that it “is inclusive and all are welcome.” Its aims are wide-ranging, aiming to “bring together people of all genders, ages, races, cultures, political affiliations and backgrounds to affirm our shared humanity and pronounce our bold message of resistance and self-determination,” as stated on its website. While the March will be taking place on the first day of Donald Trump’s Presidency, therefore, it’s much more than an anti-Trump march. The March aims to bring women together in an expression of solidarity to fight for not just women’s issues, but issues of class, gender, and race, with the tagline “gender justice is racial justice is economic justice.”
So, it’s not surprising that its far-ranging aims have attracted a vast variety of people. Excitement is brewing for the event, now only days away, with people showing off their #MarchingShoes, as well as banners and placards they plan to take on the day. Most importantly, many attendees have been captioning their shoe snaps with a brief explanation as to why they plan to attend.
Check out some of our favourites below…
'I am marching for all the mothers and grandmothers and sisters who fought hard for the freedoms my generation enjoy (and remembering the Sari Squad) and for all the women who are still fighting for their fundamental rights both here in the UK and worldwide. We will never give up.' @daikular
'W2O is joining the #womensmarch in Boston this Saturday to stand up for our Earth, our climate, our ocean.' @womenworkingforoceans
'I march for Planned Parenthood, for Civil Rights, for Social Justice, for glass ceilings still to smash.' @ellejbeee
'"I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept." #angeladavis.' @ashleyezink
'I'm marching for any woman who feels she has had to force a false self to be accepted by men in the work place.' @meeowsandvows
'Get on your #marchingshoes! I'll be joining the #womensmarchlondon with @actionaiduk this Saturday! Sad state of affairs that we still have to be even having this march! But I'll be standing beside women all over the world and marching proud and forwards because women's rights are human rights!' @clezzawilks