The last time I wore proper, grown-up shoes was for
one day only, at the wedding we went to in December. I generally go
straight from boots to flip-flops, and very comfortable it is too.
However, despite my dislike of wearing normal shoes, I do in fact have... yep,
you guessed it... many pairs. I believe this is a reaction to my
childhood, when I only ever had one pair of shoes at a time - sturdy brown
lace-ups for winter, and crepe-soled sandals {also brown} for summer.
My best friend at the time had the same style, but
hers were red. I wasn't allowed red shoes because, "They won't go
with anything". This was clearly rubbish but I had no choice in the
matter until, aged ten, I saved up my pocket money and bought my own sandals {purple}.
This week, I attended a formal occasion when
neither boots nor flip-flops would have been acceptable, so I had to bring down
the dusty box from the top of the wardrobe and seek out a pair of
stilettos. They were fine in the morning - walking was a bit of a
challenge, particularly on grass, but I held on tight to my beloved, adopted a
Marilyn Monroe wiggle, and just about managed to get around safely {if a little
inappropriately, considering we were at a funeral}. By the time we got to
the wake I couldn't wait to remove them. This would not have been
dignified, so I was forced to hide in the toilet, sitting with my aching, hot,
nylon-clad feet firmly planted on the cool floor tiles, wondering how long I
could stay there before people became concerned for my digestion.
What I should have done, of course, was have a pair
of flat shoes in my bag, to change into. You can get some very pretty
flat shoes that look like ballet slippers, but I don't possess any. I have
nothing against ballet shoes; as a teenager I often wore my actual ballet shoes {black} to go out in. But that's the point - I'm not a teenager any more,
and I think they'd look silly on a woman of mature years with short legs.
I mentioned this to a friend a few months ago, and she admitted to having worn
her tap shoes in public. I am seriously considering this idea; tap shoes
are comfortable, and you can get them in red. I suppose I'd have
to remove the metal tap bits though, if I wanted anyone I know to come out with
me.
