Category: shoes

Pink textured glass half full, reflection showing on the table, clean blank background. Photo by Tracy Isaacs Tracy’s reflections on her life-changing 2023 “no-buy” year
challenge · fitness · shoes

Tracy’s reflections on her life-changing 2023 “no-buy” year

Tracy I6 Comments

In 2023 I decided not to buy any clothing, accessories, footwear, or photography equipment for the year. I integrated my word-of-the-year for 2023 “thrift,” into that project as a way of increasing my focus and resolve. Now, more than midway through February 2024, I have incorporated no-buy in these categories so throughly into my life that I didn’t even think about giving a report about how it went until a friend asked me the other day if I planned to write one. Julie, this is for you.

I’m not the first person from the Fit Is a Feminist Issue bloggers to do this. We all took our inspiration from Mina, who did it back in 2018 and then blogged about buying new running gear early into 2019. Sam, Catherine, Martha, and Diane have all embarked on the Buy-Nothing Challenge and blogged about it at various junctures.

Overall, I got more out of this year than I expected to, and not just the obvious thing of saving money. It’s almost embarrassing now to think back on a time when shopping was something that had such a presence in my life that I felt the need explicitly to put the brakes on it for a year. Who was that person? I neither miss her nor aspire ever to be like her again. The casual expression of privilege through mindless shopping for things in excess of what I need to support the life I intentionally choose to live actually now makes me cringe.

As noted in our word-of-the-year update post back in May 2023, I chose my no-buy categories for a reason: “These things all made the list because they are things I tend to spend way beyond my needs on them. There is simply no need to browse the clothing every time I go to Costco, to buy earrings every time I travel, or to keep adding to my camera kit when I already have more equipment — and it’s good equipment — than I regularly use.”

My deliberate no-buy initiative has been over for almost two months and so far I have made two purchases in the restricted categories: a five-pack of underwear and a new pair of pajamas.

The year was seriously beneficial to my overall sense of well-being and contentment. Here are some reflections on how it changed me:

  • It got me into a “glass half full” mindset really quickly. As soon as actual shopping was no longer an option, I turned to “shopping in my closet” to see what had been languishing in its dark corners, squeezed between other things, for years without being worn. It may sound cliché, but instead of dwelling on what I couldn’t have (new things!), I began to appreciate the things I do have. There is not one single occasion in 2024 where I couldn’t find sufficient choice among what I already had in my closet. This attitude has extended into other areas of my life, making me see the things I have differently.
  • It fuelled my motivation to get rid of things. Not only did I have sufficient choice in the clothing department, I soon came to see that I had very many things that I would never wear again. I made a first pass through the closet pretty early on and put the obvious contenders aside for donation. I gathered up a bunch of shoes and offered first choice to a friend who takes the same size. She went home with ten pairs of shoes and boots. I still have too many. If 2023’s no-buy project was about awareness, 2024 is about action. Right now I am doing Project 333 and it’s another step in gaining a sense of what I truly need. I am also working my way through Joshua Becker’s The Minimalist Home, room by room (to me, it’s way more approachable than Maria Kondo’s method). I expect that by the end of the closets chapter about 60% of what’s still hanging in mine will be gone.
  • It freed me up to do other things. I don’t know how much time I spent browsing (physically and online) for things I didn’t need, but between the literal time saved and the mental energy of knowing that “I’m not shopping so why browse?” I have felt much more available to other things. I started a new blog on veganism, I am writing most mornings, and I have lately rediscovered my love of weight training.
  • When I do buy something, I am more deliberate about my purchase. This is not just with the things that were on the restricted list, but with everything I buy now. I think carefully about whether I need it. I consider realistically how much use I will get out of it and whether there is anything I already have that would serve me just as well. Last week the purse I’d been using all year was looking pretty ratty. Instead of buying a new one I remembered I have a like-new purse in my closet. I swapped the like-new in for the ready-to-be-retired bag and I’m all set now for probably another year. The questions about need are sincere questions, and a possible outcome is that I will in fact get something new. But it will be a well-considered purchase.
  • I learned something from my lapses. I had three departures from my no-buy commitment in 2023.
    • First: In the late summer I decided I needed a smaller camera bag for day-trips. Since I take photography seriously, I wanted a decent bag. I went with the 21-litre version of my excellent 31-litre WANDRD PRVKE bag. It turned out not to be a great purchase. It’s a fine bag, but it’s still quite large — larger than what you want for a day trip. And it was a huge splurge. And for it to function well as a bag for photo gear, you need the camera cube that fits inside. The one for my 31-litre bag didn’t fit. So I ended up buying a new cube. I have used the backpack with cube exactly NEVER. Regrets? Yes, but I’m hoping to give it an honest try on a short trip I’m taking to Newfoundland in June.
    • Second: Also related to photography, I have long been wanting a 70-200mm lens. But I was holding off because I have also been going back and forth on whether to switch from a DSLR to a mirrorless camera. Mirrorless is really the future of digital photography. But the switch is expensive. Partly as a result of my no-buy year, I came to appreciate my DSLR system and made a decision to stick with it for at least the next few years. That decision made me think, “so I should get that 70-200mm f/2.8 I’ve been thinking about.” With my birthday coming up in September, I went for it. Regrets? Not really. It’s an incredible lens and takes outstanding photos. I used it to take the photo illustrating this post. And in the overall scheme of things, the larger decision about sticking with the DSLR for the next few years justifies the purchase.
    • Third: New running shoes. But that’s something that was going to be inevitable from the get-go. When the practitioner I consulted about some ongoing foot problems recommended a different style of running shoe, it felt wise to follow the advice. Regrets: No.
  • I’m not as attached to “things” as I used to be. Not only am I not as attached, I have actually developed an aversion to things that I don’t need or appreciate for their aesthetic qualities. Maybe there are other categories of things, like those to which I have a sentimental attachment, but mostly if I don’t need it or like the look or feel of it, I don’t want it around. It took the whole year to solidify this idea in my head, and as I said I’m not yet acting on it all the time with respect to the things I already have. But my desire to acquire new things that I can’t use is pretty much non-existent at this point. I have more than enough art for my available wall-space, some of it not hanging. I am also aware that there are some artworks and decorative things in my place that I don’t really like. Some came to me as gifts that I have felt obligated to keep, even display, for fear of affronting someone. I like Joshua Becker’s observation that we tend to attribute extra value to things simply because we own them, irrespective of how they actually fit into our life.
  • It’s helped me a lot with FOMO in all areas. I used to be as susceptible as anyone to FOMO — fear of missing out. I think this prompted some of my shopping, where I would think that not purchasing something that I like would be a missed opportunity never to return. This feeling was especially acute when travelling because it might often literally be the case that I will never come across those particular earrings or whatever again. I had FOMO too about experiences others were having or events others were attending. Like this week, for example, a lot of the philosophers are in New Orleans for the APA. Months back I was invited to be part of a panel that would have had me attend as well. I thought ahead to what it might feel like to have to travel in February, with variables like the weather and my workload undetermined. At the time it felt like possible stress I don’t need. As it turns out, the weather is fine. But I’m glad I didn’t commit to having to write something that isn’t what I want to write and that would have taken me away from the writing projects I actually care about, just so I could go to New Orleans. Even though the gathering of friends from all over the place in a fun city tugs at me a bit, I’m happy I didn’t let FOMO motivate a commitment that doesn’t align well with my current goals.
  • Not buying things has become a habit and I plan to keep it. As you can tell from what I’ve said already, I’m really feeling energized and lighter as a result of my year of not buying things in my three “problem categories.” I think of the year more as a reset than as a deprivation. I honestly didn’t feel as if I was fighting against any urges or anything through the year. Instead, I experienced it as a kind of freedom because, once it was decided that those things were off the table, for the most part I just followed the guidance. Now maybe that says that I chose just the right time to embark on this challenge, such that it hardly presented itself as a challenge at all. It did redirect my attention in a positive way though. And having done it deliberately for a year, I’ve established it as a habit that suits me well.

Upshot: it was a good year. It helped me gain a foothold on who I am and what makes me happy. I’m not working my way down to one bowl and one spoon or anything like that. But 2023 has positioned me well for 2024, which is going to take it one step further, into actively shedding, discarding, and letting go of things.

Stacked empty shopping carts, by Marcus Spiske for Unsplash. Five Lessons Catherine learned from a Buy-Nothing year
clothing · fitness · self care · shoes

Five Lessons Catherine learned from a Buy-Nothing year

catherine w

Starting July 1, 2022, I began a half-year commitment to buy-nothing*. What that meant for me was no buying clothing or shoes or accessories, with the following exceptions: 1) I could replace worn out sports clothing items or underwear; 2) I could buy from my favorite consignment shop Wearovers, provided that I brought items to consign at the same time. I then re-upped January 1, 2023, for another half year, until July 1, 2023.

First of all, before the lessons learned, here’s how it went:

July–December 2022 went very well. I accidentally ordered a pair of cute but contraband pajama bottoms to go with the needed replacement underwear, but that was about it. I enjoyed feeling liberated from asking myself time and time again, “do I need that? Do I want that?” It was a relief to have buying clothing off the table as an option.

But as I rang in the New Year, my resolve weakened. I ordered a pair of teal-blue Chaco’s sandals. Why? Because my sister and niece had pairs (purple and tan, respectively) and I really liked them. Sigh. And then I ordered a pair of work shoes– blue suede Dansko patti shoes. In my (feeble) defense, I wanted a more comfortable supportive shoe for teaching, and these fit the bill. But there are still those sandals, purchased in January.

Teal blue cute Chaco slides.
Teal blue cute Chaco slides.
Blue suede Dansko Patti shoes.
Blue suede Dansko Patti shoes.

Then as my birthday approached in April, I decided I just wanted some new things. I bought two long-sleeved colorful shirts and a chocolate brown jacket. Then in June I bought a(nother) black jacket for work.

Forgive me, readers, for I have purchased. Not a lot– certainly less than I would have if not for that pesky buy-nothing plan I made ages ago. But I didn’t follow the plan completely.

Still, doing this for a year wasn’t for nothing. I’ve learned some things.

First: I now know I have a more-than-ample supply of clothing for a bunch of occasions; I’ll do Rent the Runway if I have a gala to attend, but otherwise I’m all set. Even after a bit of Marie Kondo’ing, I’ve still got lots of sources of sartorial joy.

Second: I like wearing a smaller number of favorite mix-and-match tops, bottoms, jackets, scarves, etc. Wearing my current favorites slightly more often has not drawn gasps from colleagues or students. Focusing on what I have and how I feel like accessorizing has been kind of fun. I’ve even brought some older favorites back into rotation, which always makes me feel virtuous.

Third: I thought that browsing online would be harmless– an idle pleasure or brief downtime activity that wouldn’t tempt me overmuch. WRONG. This may seem absolutely obvious to all of you, but I thought that the fact of my resolution would shield me from too much exposure to fashion commerce. Browsing is NOT a good idea when one is on a buy-nothing plan.

Fourth: the Internet never forgets you and what clothing or shoes or accessories you once liked or even looked at. You will keep seeing these same items, over and over, while engaging on other online work. For instance, after briefly browsing summer sandals a week ago, I have been besieged with cute summer sandal ads, that keep getting bigger and bigger, even as I was reading a Smithsonian magazine article.

Here are some ads that kept popping up.

Shoe ads: top left includes a pair I bought in person, top right are others I might like, and bottom is a bigger view of the original ad. All obscured my view of the article I was trying to read.

I silently acknowledged the cute sandals, and returned to my reading. But the sandal ad people were having none of it. Their second salvo came across my laptop window:

Three more ads, with as-yet-unseen-by-me cute sandals, throwing in a cream-colored boot and brown suede shoe just for fun.

When I steadfastly refused to click, the advertising bots switched tactics and showed me some sneakers. They are relentless. Moral of the story: when you browse, be prepared to be followed around by those selfsame items, entreating you to buy them.

Five: a buy-nothing plan about anything (clothes, books, home goods, etc.) will likely have some fine print attached, because life is complicated. I’m going to resume my buy-nothing plan for the rest of 2023. What I like best about it is that it provides an occasion– namely the end of the six-month period, which is what I’m doing– to consider if I need or want to replace anything, or if there’s something special I really want to buy. Slowing down the process of purchasing has been great for me and my bank account. For me, it’s not really buy-nothing, but rather buy-slowly. That’s fine with me.

Readers, are any of you doing buy-nothing plans? How are they going? What have you taken away from them? I’d love to hear from you.

clothing · fashion · fitness · shoes

Sam checks in after four months without shopping

Sam B2 Comments

Four months ago I announced on the blog that I was taking a year long hiatus from shopping for shoes, clothes, purses, and jewelry. You can read that post for the full back story of why, and you can also see some of my pandemic purchases! Online shopping was a stress reliever during the pandemic but I have way more than enough stuff and it was taking up a lot of mental space as well as physical.

A few people have asked how it’s going.

First, in the interests of full disclosure, I did make some exceptions so it’s not been no shopping. I think I even announced those in the that original post. They were non underwire bras (after I decided not to go back to them once the pandemic was over), a dress for a friend’s wedding that worked with my new knee, and new running shoes which I’d planned to buy after surgery. At the time of the no shopping pledge I didn’t know when that would be.

Second, I’ve had fun watching the clothing ads slowly disappear from my social media newsfeeds. But there are some fun exceptions there too. Facebook is honing in on my personal style. My son Gavin says that with my cane I look like a Muppet pirate. Lately the ads are getting more and more specific. Lots of pink and purple and red. Lots of furry, shiny fabrics. So I’ve resisted but maybe I’ll ask for one for Christmas.

Third, it’s certainly made me realize how much clothing I have. Instead of shopping online, I’m shopping in my closet. It’s led to some discoveries and it’s also led to some clearing out of things I don’t wear. It’ll be a good opportunity to take stock, organize, and prune my existing clothes collection. I’m glad to have that as a focus for the year instead of buying new things.

Fourth, shoes are easiest to resist. I own a lot of very nice shoes and boots. I’m tempted a lot by jewelry since I lose a lot of it. I hardly ever buy purses so there’s not much challenge there at all. And clothes are really the focus of this whole thing.

Fifth, I do need things to distract me on my phone still. And I’ve found a thing that’s not shopping. Instead when I wake up in the middle of the night and can’t sleep or when I’m waiting in the car for people, I’ve been working on my Spanish using Duolingo.

Check out my progress!

Sam’s Spanish progress

Sixth, it’s also not been no shopping. Regular blog readers might recall shortly after knee surgery, while taking strong pain medication at night, I went on a pillow shopping bender. I guess I Google searched for best pillows for getting comfortable after knee surgery and bought them all. They just kept arriving, for days. More pillows!

Here’s Cheddar with one of the new pillows!

Yay for tonight body pillow and Cheddar the dog

And I am keeping a digital scrapbook of things I’ve been tempted to buy so I can check in at year’s end and see if I’m still tempted.

dogs · fitness · injury · running · shoes

New shoes and poor Cheddar

Sam B2 Comments

I’m trying on the running shoes I ordered and deciding which ones to keep.

The only problem is that each time I put shoes on Cheddar thinks he’s getting a walk.

I might need to wait until Susan’s adult kid Emily comes to get him for a walk before I try on any more!

Such a sad dog face.

Cheddar and a Hoka Kawana
fitness · shoes

Recovery shoes? Really?

Sam B2 Comments

So as regular blog readers know, I’m on a year of not buying clothes, shoes and jewelry that began July 1.

All is going well so far except for the exceptions. They were bras, a dress to wear to a friend’s wedding, and running shoes.

The bras were bought in July. I now have non under wire options for work. The dress I bought in August. (I bought one with a slit up the left side so I could ice my knee during the event, cute and practical.)

Now I’m looking for running shoes. My exception was new shoes after knee replacement because when I started the year of no shopping I had no idea when that would be.

I say running shoes but there’s no actual running in my life these days. Lots of walking with crutches and likely I’ll still have crutches when I’m back at work.

I laughed because a few manufacturers of running shoes have a new name for shoes that aren’t actually for running. They’re “recovery shoes.” On your non running days, you’re recovering.

Here’s what’s being replaced:

Sam’s orange shoes

And to be clear I bought the orange running shoes back when I was actually running. That’s seven years ago. Yikes.

What am I looking for?

They need to be comfortable and sturdy and good for walking with crutches. No flip flopping around, reasonable foot support.

They need to be suitable for work, but that does not preclude sporty-looking. Paired with crutches I think people will understand.

Some of the time I can wear my short leather boots that also fit my orthotics so they won’t be the only shoes that I wear.

Reasonably easy on and off. While I was thinking slip-ons, they could have laces if they don’t make a whole production getting them on and off.

I’m Googling “best shoes to wear after total knee replacement” and they’re pretty much all running/athletic shoes.

Here’s one person’s explanation, “Now that my knee requires more support, I find that using a walking or running shoe gives me a little extra padding to take the pressure off my joint. Think of your shoe as the shock absorbers on your car. Remember, you can also add shoe inserts that help even more with cushion.  Also read my article about the best shoe inserts after TKR. It’s not fun riding in a car with bad shock absorbers because it makes for a rough ride. Our bodies are the same way. However, because it’s so subtle we may not realize the extra “shock absorbing” we get from our shoes. Even if I’m not a runner, I usually gravitate toward running shoes for comfort and daily use. Why, you ask? Because running shoes are made to reduce the repetitive impact caused by running and they are made with more cushion technology in the heel (air, gel etc.). They also have good arch support to enhance the position on the foot.”

Also remember I have two knees, both of which were in need of replacement so my right knee will still require lots of extra attention until its also been replaced.

So far people have suggested All Birds

All Bird slip ons

Also Hokas

Hoka
No Bulls

My son thinks Ons might be good shoes for me.

On, Cloud go

Sarah suggests these New Balance shoes.

Black new balance shoes with rainbow sole

I also like the sound of the Canadian brand Vessi

Vessi slip on

And finally, there’s Danskos. I wear their clogs a lot but haven’t tried their walking shoes.

Danskos

Probably I need to go out shoe shopping and try things on. But the whole idea is off putting. I’m still very tired. If I only have so much energy during the day I don’t want to use it shopping.

I’m tempted to order my favorite 3 and return 2.

All of the above are available in bright colours as well as black. I haven’t decided which way to go yet. They are also all in the $100-200 price range as are the pair they’re replacing.

Welcome your suggestions!

Pam with her snazzy pants, impatient dog and new sturdy shoes. These shoes were made for walking (no, really!)
fitness · shoes

These shoes were made for walking (no, really!)

catherine w2 Comments

Guest post by Pamela Hayes-Bohanan

My exercise regimen is pretty low key: walk the dog every day and on nice days ride my bike a bit too. New England winters keep me off my bike for about five months of the year, but it takes some incredibly severe weather to keep me from my daily walks.

These constitutionals on the sidewalks and streets of my neighborhood have been taking their toll on my almost 57-year-old-feet. The soles of my feet, especially the heels, just really hurt – a lot – which in turn occasionally causes pain in my knees and hips.

I determined that I needed some really good shoes, with good support and shock absorbtion – and I wasn’t afraid to pay for them. The pandemic and ensuing lockdown have meant that I’ve hardly had to buy anything new for the past year. Neither have I eaten out (or even gotten take-out) more than half a dozen times. I was flush with discretionary spending money.

A FB Messenger exchange with Catherine W. (who I refer to as the “guru of all things athletic for the non-athlete”) convinced me to check out REI for possibilities. She also recommended a couple of specific brands. I went to the REI website, where I was overwhelmed by all the choices. I noticed an option to set up an appointment via Teams with an REI rep who would help me to select some shoes. I filled out the request form and picked a time and date a few days in the future.

At the appointed time I left a Zoom work meeting with some campus muckety-mucks in order to meet the REI rep online in the hopes that I would soon have happy feet. I felt totally justified in leaving the work meeting because

 a) the meeting with the REI rep had been scheduled first;

 b) the work meeting was scheduled at the last minute and for a time when my workday was normally over; and

c) I simply did not want to be in a meeting with muckety-mucks any longer.

After exchanging the usual pleasantries with the REI rep (Adam) I was given instruction on how to measure my feet using a set up involving a tape measure, masking tape, a big book, and a chair.

As I said: a tape measure, masking tape, a big book, and a chair (nice green patterned rug optional).
As I said: a tape measure, masking tape, a big book, and a chair (nice green patterned rug optional).

I measured both feet standing and sitting, length and width. I also put on my current pair of inferior walking shoes and determined that I could indeed put my index finger into the heel of the shoe when it was on my foot. Once my shoe size was determined Adam asked me some questions about where and how my feet hurt, how much I walked, and if I ever walked on surfaces other than pavement. Once all pertinent questions were asked and answered we started to explore the options online together.

We immediately dismissed the shoes in the “Casual” category. I suggested they would be good if I just needed something to slip on to run outside for an errand, but were clearly not going to be the heavy duty performers that I sought for my daily excursions, so we moved on to the shoes in the “Hiking” category. Adam explained about differences in shoe weight, as well as other features that I should consider for cushioning my feet and providing support.

After looking at three different types of shoes I settled on the Salomon X Ultra 3 Low Aero Hiking Shoes.

This is so not like me. I really dislike shopping, online or IRL. If I want or need to buy something I generally find something that’s “good enough” at a decent price and am done with it. In this case, though, I realized that “good enough” really meant superb. I’m glad I spent the time and now am as well shod as I’ve ever been.

An impatient dog, some snazzy pants, and good shoes.
An impatient dog, some snazzy pants, and good shoes.

Readers: have you had recent experiences with online shoe fittings or other fittings? Have you been satisfied? Is it not working? We’d love to hear from you.

Pam’s bio: In addition to being a librarian Pam is a book-loving, dog-walking, Spanish-speaking feminist. She is unapologetic about the fact that she rides her second-hand, three-speed bike only on horizontal surfaces.

Two images: on left, a man jumping in the air against a blue sky, wearing ice traction systems. On the right, a woman sitting down in the snow, putting on ice traction systems. Do ice grippers/traction systems really have to have genders?
equality · fitness · gadgets · hiking · shoes · stereotypes

Do ice grippers/traction systems really have to have genders?

catherine w1 Comment

Cue scene: It’s a Thursday afternoon and I’ve finished teaching for the day. I’m looking online for ice-gripper/traction thingamies for my boots. I go to the site of my favorite national outdoorsy merchant– let’s call them REYIYI– and look up popular brands. Quickly settling on two different models, I begin the consumer cogitation process. To give you a picture of this, here are some pictures.

  • Base model ice traction thingamy. $29 USD. Rubber straps with metal coils.
    Base model ice traction thingamy. $29 USD. Rubber straps with metal coils.
  • Upgraded model ice traction thingamy. $59 USD. Rubber straps with metal bits and chain.

Next step: look at reviews. Both score decently, with more expensive ones rated more highly. To be expected. But how to choose? Which one is better for ME?

Enter the promotional/instructional videos. First, the $29 model.

Please watch this. But if you don’t want to, here are the highlights:

Opening shot: intrepid little yellow-and-white flowers in early spring, off a slushy nature trail. Very subtle music playing in background. A woman is hiking, then one foot slides a little on slush. She puts on her ice traction thingamies. There’s lots of ad copy, pointing out they are packable, lightweight, with a removable strap, blah blah blah. Then, she moves confidently through ice and snow, beginning her trail run. She stops to admire nature. Yay woman! Yay $29 ice traction thingamies!

And then there’s the video for the $59 model.

Here are the highlights for this one:

Right away we hear loud music, like you might hear in this Ford F-150 truck ad. There is ad copy, featuring the words “steel”,”bite” and “aircraft grade steel”. Steel seems to be an important part of the messaging here. We see a man walking in the snow, ice traction thingamies already on. He also shovels snow while wearing them. Then he takes them off to a resounding guitar riff, his large truck in the background. Rock on, man! Rock on, $59 ice traction thingamies!

Here’s what I think.

Angry orangy-yellow face saying Grrr.

Really? All I wanted was to figure out if I wanted the base or upgraded model of the ice traction thingamies. Instead I got treated to throwback SuperBowl truck and beer ad stereotypes.

For the record, I want stability while shoveling snow, walking around my neighborhood and also hiking. It looks like both models do that, but the more expensive model has fancier and sturdier components. That was useful information. Oh, also FYI: both come in sizes that reflect the entire range that men and women wear.

But it’s not useful or nice or even accurate to gender the crap out of otherwise-unsuspecting ice traction systems through dopey and stereotyping ads.

Can advertisers and merchandisers and stores and vendors just stop?

I’d really appreciate it.

Penguin says "STAHP!"
Penguin says “STAHP!”

Readers, have you run into any seriously-gendered advertising of items lately? Care to share? Penguin and I will give them the stink eye on your behalf.

Shoe love is true love. These shoes were made for walking
fitness · shoes

These shoes were made for walking

catherine w6 Comments

A couple of weeks ago, I was in NYC for the weekend, visiting dear friends and going out for some cultural fun. I even blogged about the burlesque body positivity fest here. But those shows don’t get started until late, so one has to fill the hours until the doors open with something.

So we went shopping. Shoe shopping! This is, in one way, my favorite kind of shopping; I am lucky to happen to have feet in a standard size (8.5–9, depending on brand) and a medium-to-narrow width. This means almost all shoes in my size fit me. It’s just a matter of chance, and not everyone has this experience. I have friends with wider feet, longer feet or narrower feet, all of whom find shoe shopping a pain.

There’s another way, though, in which I find shoe shopping challenging. I’m always, always, searching for that elusive, perfect, unicorn shoe: the super-comfortable-but-snappy-looking work shoe. It has to be pretty flat (and I mean hardly any heel at all), but supportive. And I have fussy princess feet that get blisters just being in the same room with tough shoes.

Lately, I’ve added another item to my already-burdened shoe wish list: I have to be able to walk for a decent amount of time/distance in above-mentioned dream shoe. Why? Convenience and comfort. I want to be able to take advantage of opportunities for more everyday movement (say, a walk during lunch or striding across campus/around town comfortably for meetings, etc). For me, work shoes don’t tend to feel good enough to stand up to longer walks. So I have either suffered and then bitterly regretted wearing them, or turned to my low-rise hiking shoes/sneakers. The latter is fine– lots of people wear casual shoes on campus, which is a lucky thing for me. But I still yearn for a magical combo of fashion and multiple function.

Readers, I am here to tell you today: I’ve finally found it!

In the course of two weeks, I’ve found not one, not two, but THREE pairs of shoes that 1) fit me perfectly; 2) look snappy-to-me; and 3) are sturdy and supportive for a decent walk in everyday life. YAY! By the way, I’m not hawking brands or anything, but I did want to share my shoe solutions, also in hopes that you’ll share some of yours in the comments.

Now, to the shoes themselves.

In the 90s, I wore Doc Martens. I had two pairs: a regular lace up pair, and a 3-tone Mary Jane pair. They were soooo cute! However, because of the narrowish-feet thing, they never fit me properly. However, I decided to check them out again in New York, going to an actual store (which was filled with 20-somethings who have recently discovered Doc Martens for themselves). Herewith my new Docs!

Black patent-leather Doc Martens.
Black patent-leather Doc Martens.

I love love love them! They didn’t even need breaking in– they fit and were comfortable for conference wear immediately after purchasing. This model was a bit narrower than the usual DMs, so they fit really well.

For my second dream-2019 shoe, I went to the Camper store (also in NYC). They have a variety of fun color shoes that tend to be very functional (read comfortable). Yes, they sell shoes with heels, but there are no stilettos in sight. I love me some slingbacks, so I bought these for wearing out on the town.

Oxford slingbacks. One shoe with yellow side panel, and the other with blue.
Oxford slingbacks. One shoe with yellow side panel, and the other with blue.

These are super-comfortable, and also stylish-to-me. Many of the Camper shoes have complementary colors on left and right shoes, which is nothing but fun. I wore these to a dance concert in Brooklyn, taking the subway and walking at least an hour or so in them the same day I bought them. And my feet gave me no complaints.

Finally, I ordered some sneaker-ish shoes I saw online. I love sneakers, but like to look a little more formal in the feet sometimes. Here are my new orange nubuck walking shoes:

Orange nubuck sneakers, complete with toe cap.
Orange nubuck sneakers, complete with toe cap.

These are by Ecco, a brand of comfy walking shoes. They come in many colors. Orange for me as a no-brainer– I think it goes with everything. They’re not a totally perfect fit (they come in whole sizes only), but so far I’ve been very happy with the support and comfort and style.

Maybe it’s some kind of shoe-cebo effect, but I’ve been wearing my fake-o Fitbit and noticing my step counts going up. I’m taking the opportunity to get more steps in at work and while out at activities, in part because I can. MY FEET DON’T HURT! YAY!

What about you, dear readers? What cute-to-you shoes work for you in regular non-athletic contexts? I’m always on the lookout for new solutions to the elusive search for the perfect shoe, so don’t hold back if you have valuable information… 🙂