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Oct. 29th, 2004 01:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
valancystirlingHave I mentioned that I have this thing about shoes? See, I like them to fit right and be comfortable. And I guess I must have weird feet or something, but for most of my life I could never find shoes that fit that description. I only wore shoes when I absolutely HAD TO until the time I moved into The Big City and it was just not acceptable to go to the mall barefoot.
And dress shoes were the worst. They were all too narrow, too pointy, too high of heels, etc. And because I didn't think there was any hope, I subjected my poor feet to conforming around these poorly-made shoes that had no noticeable correlation to actual human feet.
So I suffered for several years because of this, paying too much for shoes that were somewhat cute but horrendous to wear. I would come home everyday limping, with blisters, aching arches and areas rubbed totally raw. Every. Day. Of course, it helped that I had two jobs for a lot of this time, no car, a lot of walking, and being on my feet for sometimes ten hours a day doing the retail thing. My feet fucking hated me.
And then I moved to Boston. The walking capital of the fucking planet. And I learned very soon that this was just not going to work. I remember going home crying one day after a particularly painful day of trekking all over the city looking for a job. I called my mom begging for money so I could get some appropriate walking shoes.
And somewhere in there I met Jake, the absolute King of Comfort. And he taught me a valuable lesson about shoes: you have to spend a lot and shop in the right places to get shoes that fit. We went to The Tannery and got some Birkenstocks. And they cost $150, but it was like a whole new world. I could think about something other than my feet. It was like I had more space in my brain to think about other things, because that constant crying in my head had stopped.
My entire life was improved.
And I wore those shoes every single fucking day for a really long time. They're pretty battered and about to fall apart but I still wear them 3 out of 5 days.
Not long ago we decided it was time for new shoes, and we discovered Earth Shoes. FABULOUS shoes, designed by a yoga instructor, intended to set you back on your heel (negative heel) and thus put you in the correct posture that's better for your legs and back and just everything. And now I don't even like the Birkenstocks as much.
Today, however, I am wearing this stupid dress. And my black Birks just don't quite work with it. So I have these other shoes, remnants of my Wear-Whatever-You-Can-Find shoe-buying life. And they hurt like a motherfucker, and I'm wearing them today. I had a bleeding blister by the time I walked to the fucking CAR this morning. This is not a great distance. And my pantyhose are all stuck in the dried blood and every step rubs it in and....ugh.
When I went to lunch just now I gave up. I took the damn things off and carried them. So there I am all dressed up, black pantyhose, carrying my shoes. It was pure bliss. I got a lot of looks, some amused, some sympathetic, and one lady who gave me the Get-Out-Of-My-World-you-Freak look that I know too well.
Jake has always said this and I think it really is true: when you're comfortable you're more attractive. Everything seems easier and more natural. Your entire mind is not focused on that one horrible pain or discomfort. The pea is removed from under your mattress.
I didn't get one single compliment all day until I took my shoes off, and I was SO MUCH more comfortable. And this guy who hangs out regularly at this coffee shop where i went at lunchtime stopped me to tell me i look really nice today. I put my shoes back on to go inside, of course.
I am probably going to burn these shoes. I have no use for them other than with this dress. And they hurt my feet SO MUCH that they are kicked off under my desk right now. I'm thinking these will be my next ones.
And dress shoes were the worst. They were all too narrow, too pointy, too high of heels, etc. And because I didn't think there was any hope, I subjected my poor feet to conforming around these poorly-made shoes that had no noticeable correlation to actual human feet.
So I suffered for several years because of this, paying too much for shoes that were somewhat cute but horrendous to wear. I would come home everyday limping, with blisters, aching arches and areas rubbed totally raw. Every. Day. Of course, it helped that I had two jobs for a lot of this time, no car, a lot of walking, and being on my feet for sometimes ten hours a day doing the retail thing. My feet fucking hated me.
And then I moved to Boston. The walking capital of the fucking planet. And I learned very soon that this was just not going to work. I remember going home crying one day after a particularly painful day of trekking all over the city looking for a job. I called my mom begging for money so I could get some appropriate walking shoes.
And somewhere in there I met Jake, the absolute King of Comfort. And he taught me a valuable lesson about shoes: you have to spend a lot and shop in the right places to get shoes that fit. We went to The Tannery and got some Birkenstocks. And they cost $150, but it was like a whole new world. I could think about something other than my feet. It was like I had more space in my brain to think about other things, because that constant crying in my head had stopped.
My entire life was improved.
And I wore those shoes every single fucking day for a really long time. They're pretty battered and about to fall apart but I still wear them 3 out of 5 days.
Not long ago we decided it was time for new shoes, and we discovered Earth Shoes. FABULOUS shoes, designed by a yoga instructor, intended to set you back on your heel (negative heel) and thus put you in the correct posture that's better for your legs and back and just everything. And now I don't even like the Birkenstocks as much.
Today, however, I am wearing this stupid dress. And my black Birks just don't quite work with it. So I have these other shoes, remnants of my Wear-Whatever-You-Can-Find shoe-buying life. And they hurt like a motherfucker, and I'm wearing them today. I had a bleeding blister by the time I walked to the fucking CAR this morning. This is not a great distance. And my pantyhose are all stuck in the dried blood and every step rubs it in and....ugh.
When I went to lunch just now I gave up. I took the damn things off and carried them. So there I am all dressed up, black pantyhose, carrying my shoes. It was pure bliss. I got a lot of looks, some amused, some sympathetic, and one lady who gave me the Get-Out-Of-My-World-you-Freak look that I know too well.
Jake has always said this and I think it really is true: when you're comfortable you're more attractive. Everything seems easier and more natural. Your entire mind is not focused on that one horrible pain or discomfort. The pea is removed from under your mattress.
I didn't get one single compliment all day until I took my shoes off, and I was SO MUCH more comfortable. And this guy who hangs out regularly at this coffee shop where i went at lunchtime stopped me to tell me i look really nice today. I put my shoes back on to go inside, of course.
I am probably going to burn these shoes. I have no use for them other than with this dress. And they hurt my feet SO MUCH that they are kicked off under my desk right now. I'm thinking these will be my next ones.
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no subject
Date: 2004-10-29 12:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-29 12:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-29 12:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-29 06:10 pm (UTC)of course, i usually just wear my ratty dolli shoes or my stompy boots of goodness, but i have an eye for shoes that will Work should i need to dress up, and some secrets for making them more wearable.
no subject
Date: 2004-10-29 06:27 pm (UTC)