Like most women, my greatest passions in retail are shoes. My closet is home to shelves and shelves of footwear — heels, flats, boots, sandals, you name it. I could easily go a month without repeating. For me, shoe shopping isn’t really a planned event: most of my footwear purchases are spontaneous. I often find the cutest pair when I’m searching for makeup or something else that’s completely unrelated. I’ll just happen to wander over to the shoe section and there’ll be the prettiest little ballet flat peeking out at me over the display… But because most of my shoe purchases are impulse buys, I’m usually buying for the look, and not exactly for comfort or because they offer support for my feet.
Which is why I’m not surprised that at my appointment yesterday my podiatrist told me that I need to take it easy on my feet.
I always thought that if the shoe was cute, mildly comfortable, and the price was right, that I should own it — I’m young, so I should be able to wear whatever I want, right? But apparently wearing improper footwear can have lasting negative effects on our feet and back. So now I’ll have to be a bit more discriminating (and do without my favorite Nicole Miller stilettos for a while). I was a bit hesitant at this idea of buying shoes not for looks but for practical reasons. But it turns out, a lot of shoe designers — like Sofft, Born, and Aerosoles — offer stylish footwear that won’t jeopardize the glamour of our outfit. I’m pleased to discover that, from wedges to thongs to sandals to flip-flops, there are plenty of fashionable options for us at locations all over the Hudson Valley.
Though, I sure will miss those spontaneous shoe purchases…
