The Unexpected Lessons Learned from My Shoes
Shoes have always been a source of frustration for me, from sneakers to heels. I never quite understood the allure of the Louboutins portrayed in “Sex and the City”; for me a new pair of shoes meant blisters, toe pain and an impending sense of doom. Believing I was a solid 9.5 wide since 2006, I wore less-than-flattering footwear, convinced that my “big feet” would never look good in a cute pair of shoes or that I’d ever be comfortable. Don’t get me wrong, I loved a beautiful shoe, I just couldn’t get excited for something I knew would bring me no joy.
Cut to 2023. My coworker, “K” has a shoe collection I couldn’t help but envy. She, unintentionally sparked my newfound interest in heels. Encouraged by her, I traded in my sneakers for a few new pairs of heels. I really liked how I looked, but I still battled blisters and pain. My feet would jam to the front as I walked, leaving me at the end of the day with tender and numb feet.
The turning point came during a Christmas Party shopping trip last December. K encouraged me to try on a stunning pair of champagne heels-despite them being an 8.5, a full size smaller than what I was wearing that day. I protested but gave in. Colour me shocked- they fit like a glove and I bought them on the spot.
I couldn’t help but wonder – had I been wearing the wrong shoe size all these years? (cue my Carrie Bradshaw moment)
I sat with this all night. “Surely I’m not an 8.5”, I thought to myself. I haven’t worn that size since I was 19!
I wore those 8.5 champagne shoes (see below!) to our Christmas party and to my total surprise-I didn’t get a single blister.
I went back to the mall and tried on all sorts of sizes and styles. It turns out I’ve been getting my shoe size wrong for almost twenty years! I’m an easy 8-8.5, and certainly not wide. I’ve been consistently choosing shoes that are a full size too big. It was pretty eye-opening. How did I overlook such a basic detail for so long?
It felt like a revelation – if I had been blind to something as my shoe size, what else was I overlooking? The blisters, toe and foot problems, even hip issues – all pointed to the shoes, yet I fully believed that the problem lay with me and my “big weird feet.”
At 40 years old, I’m stepping into a new chapter of style and self-awareness, armed with properly fitting shoes and a newfound appreciation for the importance of paying attention to the signs, no matter how subtle they may seem. After all, if a simple shoe revelation can prompt such a shift in perspective, what other revelations might be waiting to be uncovered?
