Tug of Waaaarrrrs…
This is an accidental photooo. I think it’s kind of cool, don’t you? (You don’t have to answer that.) Me in my new blue (tick-less) skirt and my new purple Keen sandals. It was the only Keen form-factor at our local REI that fit me because apparently I have high arches. Who knew? (Did I blahg about this before? Probably.)
I was pretty darn perfect when I was born except for a bit of a crooked foot. I wore a “brace” for a while. I don’t really remember wearing the “brace”. A kid I went to kindergarten with had these big metal braces on his legs from a case of polio (my age group teetered on the edge of the vaccine). When The Comm would tell me that I used to wear a brace on my foot, I envisioned those. Turns out, it was (I think) more like a special sock-type thingy that I wore as an infant. I never had any problem at all with walking or running or jumping or whatever, so I guess it corrected the issue. Alas, The Comm was nervous enough about my feet that we always had to buy just about the ugliest shoes in the store. Buster Browns, anyone? Trips to the shoe store were not fun for me.
So. High arches(?) And bunions… Yes. Pretty darn good ones but not like The Comm’s, who I surely inherited them from. Guess what? My bunions scare the heck out of 20-somethings in outfitter stores but they *never* bother me. Really. I can walk 20 miles and my feet may feel like they need to be soaked for a good long time but they don’t *hurt*. Ever. Unless I get a blister or something. (And if I don’t wear The Commander’s ancient boots, I don’t get blisters (whole ‘nother story).) In full disclosure, I am going to guess that is because a few years after I had the beach urchins, I totally gave up on high-heeled, uncomfortable shoes. As a teenager and 20-something, I rocked rickety high heels, rebelling against those old buster browns, in part. I switched to flats (pretty ones, thank you very much!) at maybe 40 (and didn’t look back) and eventually to hiking sandals. Nowadays, in this wonderful 21st century, I can even buy *beautiful* bizcazable shoes with hiking-type soles. I strive to be the Imelda Marcos of hiking sandals. For every occasion!
July 15th, 2013 at 6:08 pm
Love your Keens! (from a long-time Keens fan…) BTW, back in your high-heel days, I lusted after a pair of leather boots you wore…. They would have looked clunky-nasty in my size, and thankfully, I realized it.
July 15th, 2013 at 6:11 pm
Boots looked cool but they were always so damn uncomfortable! Encase your calves in leather… Yiiy! I would never do that now.
July 15th, 2013 at 6:37 pm
Alison wears sandals like that, only brown. I gave up on high heels 15 years ago or so when I started having some arthritis in my right foot. Now I wear running shoes or Clarks clogs for the most part. Love the colors of the skirt and sandals!! You have REI back there? How did I not know that? I would love for Alison to go to work for them. By the way, I had to wear orthopedic shoes for many years because I toed in. I HATED it, but now that I see people with horrible foot position, I am thankful for those ugly lace up shoes I had to wear. 🙂