Shoes, inspired by Elizabeth

My niece Elizabeth put up a post about shoes as a reflection of their owners. Aside from the fact that it was an extremely interesting and well written piece, it struck a chord with me thanks to my own experiences with shoes lately.

Last summer was my fashion summer, and while I did get some incredible $3 items from the clearance racks, one of my favorite things that I got was a pair of shiny, open toe, platform heels for full price. Normally I'm a flats kind of gal, but for some reason I just fell in love with those shoes. I added another pair or two of shoes to my wardrobe that summer, too, all with the goal of being able to achieve a certain look. Why? Because I was tired of what I perceived to be my existing "tired mom" look.

Well, fast forward a year, and I cannot deny that I am a tired mom. My cute shoes are still around, but most of the time I wear the pair of SAS shoes my folks got for me as an early birthday present while baby 2 was on the way. They are, or were, the most practical, comfortable shoes I've ever owned, and every time my folks mention an outing to SAS it's all I can do to stop from begging them to get me another pair. Why? Simply because the shoes are looking a bit worn. It's been a while, after all; baby 4 is 3 months old.

Today I made it to Target for the first time in well over a month. I love Target, especially around seasonal changes because that's when I find my clothing bargains. Target is where my beloved shiny black shoes came from. And my cute brown wedges, which no longer fit my post partum mom feet. And the clunky boots for winter, chosen because they actually have tread on them for our frosty days with slippery sidewalks. But what caught my eye today? The pink platform/wedge sandals with jeweled turtles on them, on clearance for $17 odd dollars and available in a size that fit my sock covered mom foot. I looked, I drooled, I even put them in the basket for a second before I considered our starving student situation and the effect of witnessing impulse buying on my watching children. So, I left them.

Why did I want them? Because they scream "cute person who cares about having her feet noticed" instead of "busy mom who needs serviceable shoes." The more I think about those shoes and about my outings in my similarly-constructed brown wedges, the more I know that my mom shoes are really much better suited for the life I've been choosing, the life of a mom. Yes, I love the cute shoes, but face it, if it makes me trip when I need to dash, it's just not a good idea. I threw away a couple of shoes last winter simply because they didn't have enough traction left even for smooth, unfrosted asphalt. I need shoes that serve me, not shoes that demand service.

I decided to look up my mom shoes and see how much they cost, since maybe they might be worth saving for. The manufacturer wants me to shop in stores rather than online, but they did provide a catalog showing a picture of my shoe. My style is called Viva. "Live." Which is exactly what I want to do, come to think of it. Live, not just survive, live. And, that's exactly what they let me do.

At the end of her post, Elizabeth concluded that maybe it was time to revive her tired shoes a bit. You know, I think my husband has some black shoe polish somewhere. And I'm pretty sure at least some of the spots on my shoes could be washable. Maybe I don't need different shoes. Maybe I just need to take better care of the ones I have. And hey, that $17 I didn't spend on the pink shoes today is almost 10% of what I remember my current shoes costing; maybe I can round up the other 90% before they truly fall apart. For now, they still protect my feet from stray toys; time to do some polishing.