Footwear Philosophies

“Don’t your feet hurt?!” a small, slightly shriveled 80-year-old asked me, referring to my stilettos as she was heading out the door. I wanted to respond by yelling in her face, “of course they hurt but beauty is pain, women, I am 22, single, and my legs and butt will only start to look worse. “ Instead I laugh and say, “not tonight”

The other night, Ashley, the “jill” of all trades at the bistro, came in dressed to the 9’s for a night of hostess-ing. When asked about her shoes, she claimed she only buys comfortable shoes. Is that possible? Can you tell if shoes are comfortable before you walk a mile in them? Am I just an uneducated shoe shopper?! If you ask me almost all shoes at some point become uncomfortable.

In a restaurant, proper footwear is essential. If you are waiting on tables you need a shoe which you can run a marathon in, but makes it look like you are in control. One day, I heard someone saying that running sneakers could decrease your tip considerably. Kim, server, artist, and professor, is infamous for her teal cowgirl boots or flaming skull converses and Tavon’s combat boots can’t compete with Adam’s Gucci shoes.

This is all well and good but here is the million dollar question: somehow the shoe conversation took a turn for the worst. Are men, like shoes? The longer you wear them the more comfortable they feel? Some people like comfortable shoes, love comfortable shoes, refuse to wear fancier or less damaged shoes! Worn in shoes? Does that make them bad? Should you discard them? Is being comfortable healthy and sane?

I think comfortableness is often the struggle with relationships. When is it too comfortable, when do you have to buy new shoes, find new partners? Tara, server, and teacher doesn’t like to be too comfortable with her men, when it gets to that point she itches to get out. Michelle chimed in, that no matter what in the end, wear shoes for long enough they are going to hurt! Just like men, the longer you’re with them the more of a pain they are. But alas just like shoes you can’t live without them.

Clearly this is highly debated issue in relationships and in shoes. What is normal sacrifice for beauty and pizazz? Am I insane for wearing stilettos to work or does it just reflect the absence of my comfortable relationship?!