If the Shoe Fits...

...Buy all the colors!

I have to confess I'm a binge shoe shopper. I'll wear the same pair of shoes every day until they're absolutely so worn out they just can't go on, then I agonize over finding their perfect replacement. Will the new shoes hard to break in? Will they give me blisters? Can the new shoes be trusted to get me through all day teaching or running errands, or will they disappoint me and make me wish I was dead halfway through the day? Will they give my feet a hug like mine do now, or will they squeeze me so I will want to secretly take them off behind my desk? Will I ever grow to love the new shoes as much as I love my worn out shoes?

Unlike many women (well, most women) I do not like shoe shopping because I have always had trouble finding new shoes. My feet are a whole size different, which is a deformity I hope I'm not alone in! I also have a large shoe size that many stores don't even carry. My left foot is a size 11 and my right foot is a size 10. This means I have to buy size 11 shoes and my right foot just has to hang on for dear life.

I find that high heels are just a nightmare. They seem to fit alright when I get ready, but as soon as I'm too far away from my house to change shoes, they stretch out and I constantly step out of my right shoe. Ugh. Since I have to consciously grip my pumps with my toes just to try to stay in them (and consequently don't wear them very often) I have trouble walking pretty in them. I feel like a newborn giraffe wobbling around on my heels. So sexy!

This summer I discovered a pair of beige plaid canvas shoes that I don't wear very often in the back of my closet. (Due to my unfortunate shoe issues I have many pairs of shoes that I have worn only a couple times and chucked to the back of my closet because they just seem to rub me the wrong way.) This pair had been chucked because a seam on the inside rubbed my feet until they bled! I investigated the problem and discovered that it was just a little corner of fabric that could easily be removed. I took some fingernail clippers to it and they became my new favorite shoes!

I loved the versatility of a neutral shoe and the casual look that could be worn with capris or a skirt. Being canvas made them the perfect weight and breathable material to give my feet a hug without feeling too hot for the summer. We became instant friends. However, after a summer of running errands, going to the pool, and playing at the park in wet grass, they're looking pretty shabby.

I looked on Amazon and Google to find another pair from the same family, but my search was fruitless. Apparently Amazon doesn't know what to do with the search "Big Buddha Best Shoes Ever."

I ordered several pairs of canvas shoes from Target and Amazon, but I had to return them all because my poor right foot would just step right out of them. Now that school's almost here and I need to go through the trust-building phase of new shoe ownership before I can wear them to teach all day, it was time to go shopping. I went to Payless because I love the fact that they carry my size and the organization of just being able to see all my options at once (rather than be disappointed time and time again when the department store salesman comes back to report that they do not carry the shoe I want in my size).

I found a great pair of neutral canvas shoes that would do an excellent job of replacing my beloved shoes. I had to go a size down in order to not step out of them, which was surprising, but I just knew we would become great friends.

Then I spotted some gray shoes that would also work well as a neutral, so I had to have them!

They had them in navy, which would be just perfect for a few skirts that I love to wear, but have thought recently that I wish I had navy shoes to go with them.

Then I saw them in red! Who doesn't need a red shoe? They're just fun and go with just about everything! I needed those too!

By the time I finished trying on all the shoes in my section, I looked at my four pairs of new friends and reality hit me that I probably shouldn't spend so much money in one shopping trip. I quickly rationalized that away with the argument that I don't often have time to make a trip to Payless, and school is around the corner and I needed new shoes. I tried to choose just two pairs and leave the other two at the store, but it felt like choosing among my children. So I bit the bullet and brought them all home. I just hope they treat me as well as my dear plaid friends have all summer.

Welcome to the family, my dear new friends!

Does anyone else have anxiety about replacing a favorite pair of shoes?

What is (was) your favorite pair of shoes?