Apparently when I was a toddler my mum would tape my toes together in an attempt to straighten them out. Growing up people dared to presume that my parents bought me cheap, ill-fitting shoes. What they didn't know was that when my dad was a young man he was the Assistant Manager of Clarks and learnt the importance of a well fitting shoe! Throughout my childhood he insisted my sister and I get fitted properly at Clarks and wear 'proper shoes'. The measuring machine and Princes Key made it all worth it, I was so proud! Things turned sour when I became a Clarks wearing teenager surrounded by friends sporting the latest Kickers.
My sister, who has perfect feet (although she's a size 5 and at 5 ft 8 that clearly makes her a freak), loves to tease me for mine. Only last month when I stepped on my mum's Wii in bare feet she pointed and laughed! Sisters can be so mean.
This weekend the boyfriend and I spent some time at my friend's house and we got onto the subject of shoes. Clearly not believing me when I moaned that because of my feet I struggle to buy shoes that fit I decided to do something most unheard of: I showed them! My friend soon understood but her husband wasn't convinced. He proceeded to get on his hands and knees for a closer look! The shame!
Not only are my toes freaky, shoes never fit me properly and to top it off, a lot of shoes I do buy are ruined within weeks.
Recently I bought a pair of black, patent, lace up heels from Wallis. I wore them for one day, on the 10 minute walk to work, around the office, up and down the aisles in Tesco and then home again. After only one day and hardly over-use one heal had come loose and there was a hole in the toe of the right shoe! Ruined and beyond repair they went in the bin!
Maybe its the way I walk?
To replace the Wallis pair, keeping in mind I'd already spent money on work shoes once this month, I bought a cheap pair in New Look that seemed to fit at the time but after a day at work I walked home in pain upset that I'd wasted even more money! They'll no doubt live at the back of the wardrobe for the next 6 months until I admit they don't fit and throw them away.
Only a rich man buys cheap shoes. I am neither male nor rich. But here is my dilemma, do I buy cheap shoes knowing there's a chance they'll be ruined within a week or do I risk buying expensive shoes, in the hope they will last?
Over the last few days, since the painful walk home in the cheap New Look pair, I've been on a mission to find the perfect pair of shoes. I thought carefully and decided the shoes had to be...
- reasonably priced (£30-£40)
- 2-3 inches high - I'm 5ft 7 and giant secretaries are scary
- black - to match most outfits
- a material that cannot be damaged when being caught between paving slabs on the Manchester streets!
I have looked in 10 shops and tried on over 50 pairs of shoes. I never thought shoe shopping could depress me this much. They either didn't fit, were too expensive, pinched, rubbed, were uncomfortable or just plain ugly.
I've been thinking of jobs that don't require wearing nice shoes and now I'm seriously considering quitting my job to follow in my Dad's footsteps and become a plasterer. Do overalls come in pink?
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