Walkin’ in my red shoes and I get so worn out
It’s the age-old question: function or fashion?
Yesterday, I chose fashion. And my feet are not pleased with me. I try to dress slightly more professionally when my book group meets, and yesterday that meant my suit and heels. I bought these heels (they aren’t red, by the way . . . I just wanted to use that lyric for the title) specifically to go with the suit, and I made a mistake, because they are a little big. When I have worn them before, I suffered through them slipping off my feet all day and almost falling down the stairs and dying. Yesterday, my genius plan was to stuff the toes with tissue. One word: OW. Another two words: HUGE. MISTAKE. I’m not sure if I just put too much tissue in there or what, but my feet were dying by the end of the day, my toes were all crunched up, and it was painful to put any weight on them at all.
So. Today, in an effort to get my feet to forgive me, I’m wearing these shoes, because Birkenstocks are pretty much as kind as it is possible to be to your feet (and I can’t wear open-toed shoes to work).
I wonder sometimes why I do that - why I wear uncomfortable shoes just to pull off a certain style or outfit. Several people told me how nice I looked yesterday, and while that was very nice of them to say, it doesn’t change the fact that I killed my feet to look a certain way. I do this in other ways, too - always fixing my hair and doing my makeup and wearing “outfits” and just not being a casual person. I want people to think I look pulled-together and competent, because maybe that way they won’t realize how nervous and incompetent I feel inside. Not just about the book discussion, but about life. I told Mike yesterday that I often feel as if there are rules that everyone else knows and that I am out there making a fool of myself, floundering around. And so, I wear the high heels and the pantyhose, hoping that my appearance will make up for at least some of those other failures.
(I’ll take this as another opportunity to plug Glittering Images, because . . . yeah. Pretty much what the whole book was about.)
April 27th, 2005 at
That’s something I was actually taught in college… to always dress up when you have a speech or presentation or something, ’cause it makes you feel better about yourself. We were *required* to dress up for such occasions in most of my classes. (Not that I minded terribly.) I use that tactic all the time.
I might have to read that book, sounds interesting.
For the record, though, I don’t know what it is…. but I am just pretty successful at finding heels that are comfortable. I don’t know how or why… I just have VERY few pairs that bother my feet.
April 27th, 2005 at
Yeah, I like to dress up to make myself more confident, so I always do it for my book discussion. I was a business major, so we were required to dress up for presentations, and people always dressed to the nines. (Heck, people wore business suits to class, so you can imagine what presentation day was like.)
My brown boots used to hurt my feet, but I am used to them now. And platforms are generally fine (and what I usually prefer anyway), but I don’t have a lot of luck with ordinary heels. Probably because I don’t wear them often enough to break them in and because I don’t want to pay too much for them.
April 27th, 2005 at
you are doing well by wearing birks. your feet are quietly thanking you.
i’ve worn my birks and now they are literally falling apart. i should get some new ones or something.
April 27th, 2005 at
It’s sad that you can’t wear open-toed shoes at work. I do, mainly because I’m out back and no one sees us anyway. Of course, if I’m going to be on the floor much, I avoid them … nothing like hot metal shavings between the toes!
Next time, try some insoles in the heels …
April 27th, 2005 at
We can’t wear open-toed shoes at work either, which is sad, because I have some VERY cute open-toed shoes.
April 28th, 2005 at
So, does this mean frumpy people are confident with their insides?
April 28th, 2005 at
I always choose function over fashion. My wife is the other way around. We have the most incredible conversations…over…and over…and over…
April 28th, 2005 at
My rule is, always buy leather. Which makes the shoes more expensive, sure, but my other rule is, always buy off the clearance rack at DSW.