Penny For Your Thoughts By: Nancy Whitaker
The shoe just does not fit.
I wrote quite a long time ago about liking to wear shoes mainly for the style. When I was younger, I could wear those high heel stilettos and prance around all day. Why is it that when you age, your feet age also? Would it be because we walk a lot in our lifetime? Would it be that our feet are just plain tired of being squeezed into too tight and too high of a shoe?
I know as soon as the first nice day arrives in the spring, the first thing I do is bring out my flip flops. I used to be able to run in them, but anymore I am finding out that I walk slower in them, I tend to drop heavy items on my toes and they just are not as sturdy around my ankles.
I love wearing cute boots, especially cowboy boots. I bought a pair in Texas one year and they hurt my feet so bad that I can hardly wear them. However, they are so cute and after all they are “Texas ” boots. So I breathe deeply and squeeze my feet into them, wincing at each step.
Through the years, we all know the styles in shoes have come a long way. I remember my old grandpa had a pair of button shoes that he had to use a button hook to fasten them. Grandma always wore some type of black pumps and my Mama loved the comfort of plain white tennis shoes.
I know when I was little, I had a pair of high top walking shoes. At that time it was the given that when a child began walking, they had to have high top shoes. My Mama put bells on my shoes, because I had the habit of running off and she could hear the bells jingling as I ran away. I wonder if anyone else ever wore bells on their shoes? You know, I just may try it again.
Of course, we all recall white bucks and saddle shoes. The white bucks were avidly polished every night and those saddle shoes were the coolest footwear there ever was.
They say there is a trend that styles tend to repeat themselves every 30 years. This is also apparently true with footwear.
The other day I was looking at the different styles of shoes and I tried on several. Some were too high, too tight, too big, or just not really stylish. It seems as if you buy a shoe for comfort, they are made very plain with no sequins, straps or a nice heel. However, I am now thinking that perhaps I should wear shoes that are more comfortable. After all I hate limping around as my feet are saying, “I hurt.”
Not too long ago I bought a pair of shoes I absolutely loved. They were sandals of course and had lots of sequins on the straps. They felt a little big on me, but I loved them and wound up purchasing them. They look great on me, but I can’t hardly walk in them. They flop around on my feet and I lost one trying to walk up a flight of steps. If you notice that I am walking slower, it is probably due to the fact I am wearing my enormous shoes.
It seems as if the expensive shoes are a lot more comfortable than the cheaper shoes. Then I have always worn a Size 5 and a lot of places do not carry too many shoes that small.
The 90’s was a time when designers started turning back the hands of time and drawing inspiration in footwear from the past. The platform sole started becoming popular again for men as well as the stiletto. For men, inspiration was drawn from the classic oxford shoe as they removed the laces to give it a more updated appeal.
The boots were popular in the 60s and reappeared in the 90s. This time they came back with a vengeance, coming all the way up to the thighs! Hiking boots also became a trend worn daily and were more fashionable than for function.
Today, you can wear boots with dresses, jeans, and shorts. Overall, this is the time when we start to really see fashion repeating itself.
In this current decade, the wedge heel is increasingly popular for shows year round. Women wear them in the warm months with sandals and in the cold months as boots and shoes. Flats are also popular as well and highly acceptable for women.
Flats of all kinds are being worn from the classic ballet flats with a modern twist as well as with a pointed toe. So far, this is a decade of individuality where consumers are making more conscious decisions about what is working best for them in their lives instead of designers always setting the trends.
At one time I had approximately 20 pairs of shoes. Do you know how many were actually comfortable? None. My attitude is slowly changing. I am now leaning towards getting a pair of a thick soled, clunky, shoe with inserts just to rest my tired feet.
My grandma was from the hills of Kentucky and she went bare foot until age 16 when she got her first pair of shoes and she always said,”By the way, it is nice to have a selection of shoes, but make sure they fit.”
The same is true in life. You do not know how another persons life is until you walk in their shoes. I guess we really don’t need to notice the shoes, but the feet of the person wearing them.
Do you wear shoes for comfort or style? Do you have a favorite type of shoe? Did you ever have bells on your shoes? Let me know and I’ll give you a Penny for Your Thoughts.
