How many pairs of shoes do I own? Way not enough I say. Way too much my husband says.
A friend who is a therapist once told me that at a certain turning point in therapy, clients will typically inexplicably buy shoes. Often more than one pair. She explained shoes are huge symbols for grounding oneself, for living in / facing reality.
I say shoes are a necessity, point blank. I live in a 4 seasons place. I walk everywhere. I own :
2 pairs of sneakers, one for inside (white), other for outside (charcoal);
1 pair of comfy walking sandals (Xsensible, the most comfortable walking shoe I have ever owned)
1 pair of low chunky heels dark brown sandals
1 pair of Gentle Soles flat Mary-Janes which I use inside houses/offices
1 pair of casual lace-up flat shoes
2 pairs of ballerina: one neutral the other pointy and lilac.
2 pairs of chunky heeled Mary-Janes: one gray, one burgundy
1 pair of chunky heel black loafers, surprisingly useful
1 pair of pointy heels, blue/gray, Italian, very expensive and comfortable though.
1 pair of electric violet killer Mini mouse style high heels, which I never wear and for which I have yet to find the appropriate padding
2 pairs of comfortable stylish high heeled sandals: one neutral and the other navy
1 pair of wedge heeled Geox sandals, which have let me down because they somewhat stretched, wedge too heavy, straps digging in (bringing them to the cobbler)
1 pair of canvas flat wedge summer shoe, on sale, never been worn.
1 pair of red pointy shoes almost never been worn, got on sale from Naturalizer,
1 pair flat knee high black glove boots for summer
1 pair of flat military style ankle rain boots.
3 pairs of winter boots: one black with chunky heels, one black flat half calf, one flat camel lace up with faux fur inside.
4 pairs of high heel boots: one knee high French navy blue, one knee high brown leather (extremely sexy most expensive I have ever paid for footwear -still-feel-the-sting-after-five-years but also 2 hrs standing in them tops. Presently resting in a plastic bin); one heeled black patent glove boots; one wine calf high square toe
1 pair of flat over-the-knee black leather boots
1 pair of heeled pointy ankle boots
1 pair of low heel camel color cowboy inspired slouchy calf high boots.
OT: about comfy shoes I am discovering the power of padding and how much of a difference it can make in terms standing/walking hours potential in a shoe. When I got my ecco ballerina lately, the salesman put a half foam insole under the existing insole to protect the ball of the feet and I was amazed at the comfort level difference. I asked him to give me a couple pairs more. I have fussy feet and I am a sucker for all these insoles and gel soles etc. but sadly find they sometimes they create more problem by making the shoe too tight. As a there is an oversized plastic Ziploc of lost soles sitting in my closet.
Well I sat on my bedroom floor with various older pairs of underused boots and shoes (wardrobe footwear orphans) and my lost (in)soles, and played around with various combinations of half insoles + leather insole / gel insoles, ball-of-foot pad, heel pad, etc. under or over the insole.
I tried my footwear with hose or thin socks, as I intend to wear them. Sometimes I tried one combination of padding in one foot, another on the other and compared. Very useful!
I discovered where my feet specifically hurt (in my case, the pressure on the ball of the foot when there is a heel = more padding needed there, as opposed to full insole padding which tend to push your foot up against the shoe and create new rubbing). I also discovered that padding placed under a thin leather insole increased the comfort even more.
Now I have more than doubled my collection of shoes! Which means more outfit possibilities! And for very little money. It is very exciting. Also I want to add that if you take a somewhat beaten shoe to a cobbler, and ask him to fix it and clean it, it will come back like new. You can also ask a cobbler to add to your boots a layer of shock absorbing sole, to either the front or the heel (or both) . It is very discreet and it's a huge difference when you walk. All these things will cost you a fraction of the cost of new shoes, for the feeling and the benefits you would get from a new pair.
