I’ve always had issues with shoes.
When I was young, my mother and I would, for some reason or another, always argue in the shoe store. It was always an upsetting experience and I have avoided shopping for them since.
And there is the cost. I am a cheapskate, I admit, and have a hard time justifying spending good money on shoes, even though they are something I use practically every waking moment. And I also must admit I haven’t been very responsible when it comes to wearing work boots when working, and then changing into casual shoes when not - and vice versa. I’ve typically worn one pair of shoes to do everything, whether it was going out to dinner or working in the garden.
One time, both pairs of my shoes wore out to the point that I couldn’t wear them anymore, so I wore just my flip-flops for a month before I got around to going to Big 5 for the cheapest shoes I could find. And though I hated buying shoes for practical reasons, I had no trouble one time at a Renaissance Fair buying the most ridiculously expensive pair of hand-made leather lace-up, knee-high boots to go with my character’s outfit that I would only wear once or twice a year. Go figure.
Over time I would force myself to buy some cheap tennis shoes to wear as “nice” shoes, while trying to remember to change to my equally cheap work boots for the dirtier jobs. That seemed to work well, and I could go out for nicer occasions without tracking mud from the previous day’s work with me everywhere I went.
On one rare successful shoe shopping trip in Aptos, my mom bought me a pair of really nice Rockport shoes for a birthday gift and I have to admit that they were really nice, worth the money, and lasted a long time. I still have them although they’re worn out and now live in the garden planted with succulents.
Things really started to change for me shoe-wise, when one of my guitar students brought me three pairs of really nice Nike Huaraches that were given to her to pass on to someone who could use them. They were essentially brand new and a perfect fit. Suddenly I had nice shoes in addition to the work boots I had finally managed to upgrade to decent quality.
Then, as if having a collection of name brand shoes wasn’t enough, some houseguests had left a pair of Skecher slip on shoes behind when they went home. The shoes sat around for awhile while I decided what to do with them. They looked too big but one day, for the heck of it, I tried them on and they fit; and they slid on and off with ease. No lacing, no pulling… All those times at the airport dreading the inspection line when I would have to unlace my boots and then lace them back on… these shoes were so easy to deal with. Who would have thought that a simple pair of shoes would make such a difference in my daily routine?
Finally, to top it all off - I was at a thrift store recently and saw another pair of Skechers for only $15. To my amazement, they were also my size.
I now have more wearable shoes than I have ever had in my life; shoes for work, shoes for casual outings, and shoes I can put on without having to bend over to lace.
I have also become quite fastidious about changing my shoes, depending on the activity I am involved in.
And I just bought a good pair of steel toed work boots - all by myself. Like a big boy.