My biggest indulgence: buying athletic shoes.
Some women hoard high heels. Some women have closets full of boots, heels, flats and pumps. Leona “Queen of Mean” Helmsley had 250 of the same Ferragamo shoes. I’m not that bad, but whenever UPS or FedEx brings a box to the door, the husband laughs and asks me, “More shoes?”
My indulgence is based on my biggest fear: that the athletic shoe that makes my feet happiest will be discontinued.
My feet hurt every day, mostly in the morning when I get out of bed, and especially if I’ve walked a lot the day before. Every step I take has a peckish little ouch. My cranky feet are flat as road kill, and I have metatarsalgia, and let’s add arthritis to the list, too. I can’t wear any other shoe except for athletic shoes or sneakers without hurting hours later. In every shoe, I use special insoles made by Lou the Shoe (although he goes by LTS Shoe Repair, which literally means Lou-the-Shoe Shoe Repair).
Making happy feet
Years ago, I swore by a particular Aetrex shoe. Fit well and felt good. Colors were limited (white and pink or white and blue), and they looked like clodhoppers, but my feet smiled up at me when I walked. Wouldn’t you know it, though, Aetrex eventually discontinued that line.
I found comfort in Brooks Ghost shoes, but the shoe doesn’t hold up well, and they aren’t as supportive as the Aetrex was. When the sole starts to wear down, which seems to happen quickly, my feet start complaining.
My son suggested I try Hoka One One (HO-ka OH-nay OH-nay). I bought the Clifton 8 that he liked, but they didn’t work for me. Based on Hoka’s website questionnaire, I exchanged them for the Arahi 5. What a great shoe. No pain, lots of cushy cushion, awesome support, well constructed, and they look good. I’ve bought three pairs so far –black, cantaloupe and white. I’m in love. My feet are in love. Together we sail around town.
Of course, Hoka now touts a new, improved Arahi 6, which I hesitate to try. Why do shoe manufacturers have to mess with a good thing? Luckily the Arahi 5 is now on sale, so I grabbed another black pair, just because. I’ll tuck it away for later. I’m waiting for the husband to be astonished at the arrival of yet another box of shoes.
Specialty sneakers for special occasions
I splurge on other brands of sneakers for special occasions. Recently the Adidas Marimekko sneakers caught my eye. Anything by the Finnish design company Marimekko makes me swoon. (Converse also carried Marimekko sneakers a few years ago; I bought two pairs of those. I still wear them.)
So far I like the fit of the Adidas, but they aren’t like the Hoka.
When you find a shoe that fits well, it’s heaven. Given the shoe manufacturers’ track record, I find it better to have a pair or two in reserve rather than unhappy feet!
Linda K. Sienkiewicz is a writer, poet, and artist.
Learn more about her multi-award winning novel, In the Context of Love.
Learn more about her picture book, Gordy and the Ghost Crab.
Learn more about her poetry chapbook, Security
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