A Very Small Problem
Thursday, October 25, 2007
This morning, for the first time in as long as I can remember, there was a hint of winter in the air. Gone, for good -- or, at least until next spring -- are the saturated walks to work in 80 degree temps and 90 percent humidity that have come to define Madison for me.
Out came the turtleneck, the jacket, and...the crocks.
My favorite thing about each and every spring is when the snowbanks start leaking into the streets in streams, when the air carries on it just the slightest hint of warmth, and when I can free my toes and feet from the constraints of socks and shoes. My least favorite thing about fall is putting away my sandals.
I love having bare feet -- I even bike without socks. And I love sandals.
Aside from the freedom they afford my feet, the next best thing about sandals is their versatility. They're comfortable. You can dress them up or down. And they're comfortable. Did I mention comfortable?
And now that they're packed away for yet another season, yet another winter, I've run into a problem.
Now, in the grand scheme of problems, I'll admit this is a really, really small one, but just hear me out.
I have discovered I have no comfortable, casual shoes to wear.
*gasp* I know.
Seriously, though. I have a gazillion pairs of runners (which, I should just state up-front, that I have an aversion to wearing with anything other than workout clothes), some runner-like-but-not-runners, and one well-worn pair of tan suede Steve Madden mules. And for when it gets appropriately cold out, I have Uggs (unlike the college girls parading up and down State Street these days, I refuse to wear my Uggs with a skirt and tank top. It's. Just.Wrong.)
But I also have really short legs. All of my jeans are hemmed to work with boots or heels. Which means they don't work with today's fashionable, comfortable flats.
This used to not be a problem. Back in the day when chunky, loafer-type kicks were in style, I could switch easily between heels, boots, or chunky shoes. Today? Not so much. It's a choice between maiming my feet from walking too many steps in heels or accepting the fact that each and every pair of jeans I own are going to succumb to terminal fraying.
This makes me sad. Very sad. But I'm not giving up hope. There are lots of unsolvable problems in the world. I'm guessing that this isn't one of them. So if anyone out there knows of a solution to this little dilemma -- comfy, yet not sloppy-looking, shoes with enough of a lift so that the hem of my jeans don't drag behind me like a toddlers -- let me know. I'll be forever indebted.
Until next winter at least.
Posted by Erin 9:33 AM
I know this problem -- I've gotten to the point where I have jeans I wear with flats/sneakers and jeans I wear with heels. I have lost many a pair to the dreaded fraying...
and I know my shoes!
However, while I'm not in peak IM training, I'm living it up in my 4" heels pretending that I am not 5'3"
And Steve, the feet are still in fine condition, even sans socks. I really think the extra roominess the no-socks-biking provided was the only way my feet got through my century rides this summer, and the IM. The shoes don't smell so great, though...