THE POWER OF THE CHONKY BOOT

Chonky (adjective)

Chon·ky

1 Informal: plump or chubby especially in an endearing way

2 bulky, oversize

Also see chonkier, chonkiest

Platforms are the easiest way to add height, and sat here writing this as a 5’2” woman, I genuinely believe that there are few creations better than the chonky platform boot. Since I was about 13 I have barely grown, so as a primary school kid I was taller than my peers, and even a couple of my teachers, but a few short years later, it was everyone towering over me. 

This led to years of being used as an armrest for my not so vertically challenged friends and neck strain from looking up at almost everyone I spoke to. Then at around 16, I bought my first pair of platforms- white boots with a three inch block under them. Everyone I was friends with told me they hated them and it was justified. They weren't cute, but I loved them for that little bit of height they gave me, and since then the collection has only grown. 

At work, at university and out socialising, I am now able to meet people’s eye-line and not strain my neck looking up at whoever may be talking to me. More than that, I speak up more and stand up for myself, rather than be meekly in the background and easily missed in discussions, I’m included because it's simply harder to miss the fact I'm there! More than that, I have a higher level of confidence than I did before; I have always looked younger than I am, only about a week after I turned 22 I got ID’d for energy drinks 3 times in one week- and was denied from buying them one of those times. When you've been old enough to buy them for 6 years and still aren't allowed, you are overly aware of how young you must look, and if that's happening in shops, you become hyper-aware of it in the workplace. 

Having a little added height has done wonders in compensating for this, and for being taken seriously. When you look young, have almost all your superiors literally looking down on you, it's so easy to feel like fading into the background. But stand tall in your chonky boots, and take on the world.

This was written to be assessed as part of my Journalism course. This was in Semester 2 of Level 6 and was for the Undergraduate Major Project, where I created a (primarily) music magazine, aimed at Gen Z. Below is the page design for this article.