Shoe Snafu

I believe there is a saying that the thing you love most is your greatest weakness. Actually I’m probably making that up so that it fits my entry. I am sure I’ve mentioned that I like shoes. I wouldn’t say they are my greatest love but I do have a lot. 

Anyway, I had a quandary early this winter because a pair of snow boots that I’ve had for 12 years had finally decided to call it quits. I was walking through the streets and a big chunk of the area that kept the sole connected to the boot popped out of my shoes. I was discombobulated and ended up starting to limp. When I investigated further, the heel of the shoe was flapping mid-air as if someone had taken a bite out of my heel. I made my way back home. Upon further viewing, most of this area had become crumbly and was giving way. I got very sad because I remembered when I bought these boots and how they had become my trusty winter boots. 

I had a very hard time letting go of those boots. I decided to visit every shoe repair place in the vicinity of home and work to get an estimate/opinion on what it would take to fix them. 4 out of the 7 cobblers I visited said it wasn’t worth fixing them. They said it “would be very expensive and I should be happy they lasted that long in the first place.” I tried to contain my sadness…but odds weren’t looking very good. After 2 weeks of running around with flappy heeled boots in a bag, I gave up on them. Sniff, sniff!

I bought another pair of winter boots soon there after (and let’s not forget how much I needed them this winter!!). But they just aren’t the same. They aren’t as warm as my old boots and not as kick ass, which is very important in a good snow boot. We’ll see how I feel about them next winter. The thought of them right now just doesn’t even make me happy. 

Just when you thought I’d given up with all this silly talk about shoes, I have more to add. Yesterday I wore a pair of very classy boots that I often wear with suits. As I was walking to the subway, I felt a little breeze hitting my foot. Lo and Behold! When I looked down, the stitching of the shoe along the zipper had opened up. I couldn’t believe it. Yet another pair of shoes that I’d had for a while (not as long as my boots!!) that were calling it quits. How could this be??

My shoe snafus mean a number of things:

1)      Shoes aren’t quite made as well as they used to be

2)      I am particularly abusive to my shoes

3)      It’s time to find something else with which to get obsessed (Not like I really need any other things)