In the city of Durres, on International Women's Day, the country's main boulevard filled the stairs with red shoes to commemorate women who have lost their lives to domestic violence. The stairs of the "Nikolet Vasia" gallery were filled with red shoes, collected mainly by the women of the city.

"Red Shoes" appeared for the first time today in Durrës, but the idea dates back to years ago, when Mexican artist Elina Chauvet started the installation "Los Zapatos Rojos" (Red Shoes) in honor of her sister, who lost her life as consequence of domestic violence.

Since 2009, when "Los Zapatos Rojos" was created, red shoes have been a symbol of this. For years, they used it to protest the murder of women and mostly domestic violence.

"Chauve red shoes travel everywhere, but they can see nothing. They occupy space, space that belonged to a woman, a girl, if she were here, if she were alive," one of the descriptions reads. of Chauvet's work by PBS News Hour.

For Chauvet, red takes on several meanings. It represents shed blood, but also change and hope and love.

In other contexts, red shoes represent liberation of desires, courage and passion.