QC Blog: Does the shoe fit?

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Does the shoe fit?

Shoes, you gotta love shoes. Isn't that what women are famous for - having tons of shoes? When I was young, I couldn't wait to wear high heels. Being old enough to wear stockings and heels was the mark of adulthood. I used to watch my mom put on her nylons with a garter belt and thought that was so cool. I missed out on that, because by the time I was old enough to wear stockings, there was pantyhose. And by that time, no one was wearing heels, we were wearing bell bottom jeans with platforms and shoes with fat heels. Later, in my job, I wasn't able to wear heels, so I always wore a flat practical shoe because now pantsuits were "in" and you didn't have to wear heels. After I married and became a mom, I wore jeans and shorts most of the time so tennis shoes became my regular shoe. I wore them for aerobics and for casual wear. I think the only time I actually wore a "high heeled shoe" was the day I got married in 1978. And my feet were killing me.

But here's my problem. I can't tell if a shoe fits in the store. Inevitably, when I'd visit a shoe store, I'd come home with the wrong size. No matter how many times I walked in front of those floor mirrors and looked at my feet, the next day I was exchanging those shoes because they didn't fit. Oh, wait I actually have two problems, because a couple years ago, I started having heel pain. Because of that, I can only wear a very supportive shoe. Have you seen what supportive shoes look like? I refused to go the orthopedic shoes route - I didn't want to end up with shoes that would squeak.

Then came the Internet. Once I learned to shop on the Internet, buying shoes became a dream. I could buy 2 pairs and try them for a week at home and then mail the other pair back (Inconvenient for sure, buy it took out that feeling stupid factor of returning them in person). After a few weeks, I'd decide that pair wasn't helping my feet and order another style of shoe. I finally found that Ryka tennis shoes seem to work for me.

And then I found Merrell Shoes. They were supportive, not a tennis shoe and they even have a shoe with a slight heel that looks semi-dressy sometimes. Then they made a clog in different colors and there was one in fuchsia, my favorite color! Somewhere along the line, in ordering shoes, I also found Zappos, an online shoe store with free shipping both ways, and Online Shoes, who carry Merrell's. Nirvana!

So now I order 2 or 3 different styles of Ryka's (all in the correct size), or Merrell's in different colors, figuring I'll eliminate the ones that I don't like or that aren't good for my feet. But I end up liking all of them, and they all feel great.

My closet will never have Manolo Blancs like Carrie Bradshaw's, but my feet are finally happy with my Merrill's and my Rykas.

mjs 9.27.08

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