The case for comfortable shoes

As I mentioned a couple entries ago I went shoe shopping. Actually it was crazy shoe shopping. Here's the thing: I have metal in my spine from a scolosis surgery when I was 21 and for the past 16+ years it has been pretty good, very few major problems and a crazy scar to show off at parties after a few cocktails. But, a year + ago I started in on a new workout plan. I was going to yoga 2-3 times a week and going to the gym 2 times a week but I decided I was going to conquer my ass once and for all. Part of that new plan upped my elliptical machine time from 15 min to 45 and that's when it all went down hill.

I could go into the gorey details of my vicoden haze but I'll spare you the details. What I can tell you is that my back has never been the same. It's a tempermental asshole really, it thumbs it's nose at me just when I think i've beat it into submission. It's holding me hostage and these are it's demands:

• a heel but not too high
• a wedge heel as well
• preferably something with a rubber sole
• great arch support
• no standing for long periods of time
• and no sitting on hard wooden surfaces
and then to add insult to injury I have a crazy foot anyway, one that requires either a AAAA width or something with a slingback or no back for that matter if it can help it.

Taking those elements into consideration with footware choices and once I meet all of it's requirements there are 5 pairs of shoes left in the store and two of them are clogs. The chic woman in me cries.

I've given away all of my pretty kitten heels. I pressed my luck one too many times and it's just too expensive for me to do it any more. It takes a minimum of 3 chiropractic visits for me to repair myself after episodes of fashion [not covered by my insurance]. I know the term "suffering for fashion" physically and financially.

Back to the story at hand....
So I decided that I was going shoe shopping for great shoes that fit me, that I liked, and that wouldn't hurt my back. Easy enough it would seem. By the way did I mention I was willing to spend whatever it took to get them? If they were Chanel or Prada I didn't care. I was ready to spend the cash. 2+ hours into my mall walk and NOTHING. Things that I liked didn't have enough arch support [flat feet too], they didn't fit my narrow feet well or I just didn't like them. After going to every shoe store in South Coast Plaza I did buy 4 pairs. One pair of Via Spiga sling backs [very pretty not a wedge heel but figured I could deal for a meeting or two] but I ended up returning because they just didn't fit as well as I would have liked, 2 pair of Cole Haan [one of which is pictured above] and one pair of Clark's Artisan which have the most amazing arch support ever. I started at 1pm and left the mall at 6:30. It was like Vegas, I had no idea what time it was.

Fast forward again to my fashion show for the guy...and we get to the shoes pictured above. A hybrid sneaker/ballet slipper with a little retro Chanel wanna-be quilting. Not horrible - not my ideal shoe but decent. He loved the slingbacks, nice on the rest and he saw this pair and said. "Hummm" I said, "What does that mean?" He said, "what are those dresses that Grandma's wear with the flowers all over them?" "You mean a house coat?" "Yah!" he said, "it looks like they should go with a house coat."

No, No, No... I tried to reason with him with thoughts of Audrey Hepburn and ballet slippers and he just couldn't see it. This is a man who also owned more plaid than I've ever seen when we first met [notice past tense]. Anyway, he hates them but doesn't say it that directly [smart man], and I kept them and don't care. We did have a good laugh the other day when he came over to take me out to dinner and I was wearing them just walking around the house. He said with a little laugh in his voice. "Honey, why don't you change into those pretty heels you just bought". Nice one smoothy!...I will, I will.