Several years ago, when I first moved to Vancouver, I was riding on a city bus and I looked over at the woman sitting across from me. She was old. Very old. At least 50. And she was wearing sensible, old lady shoes. I remember looking at her feet thinking how sad it was that she had to wear those ghastly things, and could no longer wear sexy shoes. It occurred to me then that one day those feet and those shoes would be mine. I would no longer sashay down Granville Street wearing six inch heels. Sensible shoes with flat heels were in my future, and my blood ran cold at the thought of it.
How quickly time flies.
At last count -- this morning -- I have 27 pairs of shoes. None of them have high heels. And none of them are particularly comfortable. At one time I could spend the whole day at work and then go for a two-hour stroll around the seawall, wearing high heel shoes. No prob. Comfortable? Of course they were. In fact, I walked around London and Paris wearing high heel shoes. But I bought my very first pair of flat shoes in Paris. They were beautiful, made of leather as soft as butter, with a white laticework thread through them and a little white bow
just so. The moment I slipped them on, I felt like Audrey Hepburn. However, the first thing I did when I stepped outside the shoe store was to step into a little pile of dog poop, which litters the sidewalks of Paris. Just try to get that out of buttery leather latticework. I did love those shoes, though, and I bought a purse to match them.
Well, thank goodness for sneakers, is all I can say. Now I can be the little old lady in sensible shoes, and I look
really, really cool just like everyone else. There won't be a young lady sitting across from me thinking,
"Look at that little old lady in her sensible shoes ... how sad." Well, at least she won't be thinking that about my shoes. I have discovered that my sneakers are the most comfortable and the lightest shoes for walking. I can walk miles in them -- even around the sea wall. Every once in a while I look at my other shoes, the little red ones, the little black patent ones with the bow, the little suede ones with the zipper, and I think,
"One day I will wear these, just not today." So, if one day you see a little old lady strolling along Broadway in a pair of battered Adidas shoes, please stop and say hello. It's me.
11 comments:
and I'll be right there walking alongside in my own clunky "walking shoes." lol
I have never worn high heels. I doubt I could walk in them. I have worn pumps, though. Mostly it is flat shoes for me and I wear running shoes as much as possible - the only time I refuse is when wearing a skirt or dress, but then I have sensible sandals. I look for solid black running shoes and that doesn't look too jarring.
I wore high heels when I was young. My bunions remind me that I once did that, but no longer. 27 pairs of shoes? That's a LOT of tennies, Jo! :-)
I've never been a high heel person, I'm too clumsy, I'd fall over in them, but I had loads of small heels (about an inch) and tone of flats. Now I'm lazy and either wear walking shoes or boots.
I loved heels! That's all I wore considering I'm 5'1". Then sciatica hit me and now I wear ugly, black, flat men shoes. Well they really aren't men shoes, it's just they may as well be as they aren't feminine! I miss my high heel shoes days :(
I rarely wear heels anymore,although like you, I used to work in them all day long and go out for an evening of dancing without a care. Today most of my shoes are sneakers, sandals and flat boots. The others are just there to pretty up my closet, which no one sees.
I had to wear some very low heels as a bridesmaid recently and it nearly killed me. I was back in my wellies an hour after the ceremony.
I'll be sure to say hello if I see you!
When I was a teenager and enamored with high heels, my father used to urge me to pamper my feet "with sensible oxfords." I thought he was crazy. Oh, if he could see me now! I live in sneakers and other substantial flat shoes.
When I was in my early 20's high heels were my favorite. I loved to wear them, but they were never comfortable. Once I became a mom, comfortable tennis shoes took over and I have never looked back. Now I watch my daughter-in-law sporting her newest heels and I smile, remembering when I felt like her.
I love my heels! I recently bought a pair just as you described, they felt like butter when I slipped them on! I felt like Cinderella! I have to wear sneakers to work six days a week, so on my day off I always wear heels. Recently my son asked me why I was wearing hooker heels with shorts. Phhfftt! Whatever. And 27 pair of shoes is not that many!
I do love heels, but unfortunately cannot wear them anymore - my weather bunion dictates fashion.
One of my favorite memories of my grandmother (at age 80-plus) was her red sneakers! She loved anything in the color red and she looked adorable. :) I don't wear red sneakers now, but have fallen into the comfort zone of plain running shoes.
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