April Awakening: Day Eleven ☔️🌧️☁️
I had to toss one of my favorite pairs of shoes today. They are black and white tweed flats that I’ve had for a number of years. One of the soles came half off, and despite my effort to superglue it back down, it still came apart. So it’s time to retire them, and possibly get a replacement. But I’ve been holding off on buying new shoes because I don’t have the best luck with them in the first place, and my style of fancy footwear is sorely lacking these days.
My friend from Chicago came over the day before I reunited with my childhood friend for the first time. “What are you going to wear?” she asked me, and I had no answer. I was too nervous to think about it, so call it good fortune she happened to be in Manhattan at the time. She helped me choose an outfit that was casual yet collected, but when it came to my shoes, all my options got trampled on. “Why do you keep bringing me the same shoe?” she asked, and we both laughed, amazed at how similar all my footwear is. Just simple flats in different colors, very little variation when going for comfort over style. Eventually I showed her a pair of white sneakers with little black bees on them, to which she asked why I didn’t show her these first. But while my look was completed, I felt bad for the rest of my closet that remains full of shoes with no plans to walk in them.
Like I said, I go for comfort over style. I have plenty of heels, but they’re such a pain to wear these days. I don’t want to wear them to work because it’s just too much of an effort to ambulate. I’ve got slightly flat feet anyway, and spending all day arched up is just more trouble than it’s worth. Still, I want to make the effort to look nicer, and sometimes the right pair of shoes is what completes the look. But do I want to be a heel lady? Do I have the capacity to try something new? Why do I believe elevating my wardrobe also means elevating my footwear too?
There is one pair of boots which I absolutely adore that I touched on briefly here. I still get my compliments every time I wear them. But they are the only ones that give me all I need in the heel department. I could walk in them for days if I needed and never feel like I need to sit down, like all the other pairs I own. I have yet to be so lucky to find another pair like this one, and although they may look a little worn, I want to keep them as long as possible. It feels like they were made just for me, and I’ve yet to have such luck with another pair.
Perhaps I’m putting too much stock in the stilettos. Maybe I’m a boot girl after all. I’ll never know until I actually work on preserving the custom fit. Quality over quantity. Stylish over schlub-chic. I’ll let you know when it’s finally comfortable to walk a mile in my shoes.