Footwear

It's truth-time for my shoes. I have just far enough to walk on a daily basis that if my shoes even sort of give me blisters, I can't wear them. I purged a bunch before moving, but the majority of my shoes still aren't appropriate for city-wear. I'm not talking about the fun heels, but the boots, flats and sneakers that are for everyday wear.

My sneakers are worn out. I know this. I tried running for a bit after my hip surgery and they're left over from that. The soles are probably pretty squashed flat, but the main problem is that there are chunks missing from the padding on the backs of the shoes. My sneakers always do that. It's something about the shape of my heels (I have extra bone growths on the outside edges, which makes the inside edges rub against shoes and wear them out quickly). Actually, my last pair of sneakers had the same problem and it eventually led to my hip surgery. Side story.

I have another pair of sneakers that are fabulous and have been to Europe multiple times with me, but they're definitely going to wear out quickly if I start wearing them regularly again. I also have four pairs of slightly more dressy flats, only one of which is wearable. I purged a bunch of boots that were no longer foot-friendly before moving, and the pair I bought myself at Marshalls are, unfortunately, as cheap as the price I paid for them. One quarter-size blister later, and I'm getting pretty desperate for quality footwear.

So I've come to the realization that I just can't deal with shitty quality shoes anymore. And that means that I have to start spending some real money on shoes and stop shopping at discount stores. No more Payless and no more TJMaxx and Marshalls, though I will admit that they do occasionally have really nice stuff.

I was talking with a girl from my yoga class and she was saying that there's an old-school shoe store called Alamo not too far from where I live. I checked out their website and reviews and it looks like they have all kinds of stuff and sales associates who can actually help you find shoes that work with your feet. I just have to expect to spend real money to get real shoes.