I have freakishly small feet for an adult. My hands are also freakishly small but that’s a rant for another day.
It’s winter in Edmonton. Which means snow, ice and (in my case) often frozen toes. I have to shovel snow shortly after it falls and I need to walk to and from bus and train stations. I have been in search of boots since just before the weather turned cold.
I loathe shoe shopping. I’d rather poke my eyes out with hot irons than try to find a nice, comfortable, good looking pair of shoes.
I’ve lived in northern climes all my life. Winter boot buying is an annual tradition for most Canadians. You’d think I’d be used to it by now. Or that I’d just wear the same boots year after year.
Hey, that’s a fabulous idea. Why am I not doing that?
Perhaps because I’ve lost a tonne of weight over the past year. When you lose weight things get smaller. Oddly enough, feet shrink.
When I was fat my feet were so wide and chubby that I had to wear shoes a few sizes bigger (read: small adult sized) to accommodate them. Now that my feet have shrunk, I’m back to wearing children’s shoe sizes.
Children’s shoes suck if you’re an adult. Because children’s feet grow so fast they’re not really designed to last. They are often not built well. Try finding a proper pair of running shoes (stability, motion control, etc.) in a child’s size and you’ll see what I mean…
And they’re UGLY! What’s cute on a small child is not cute on a 30+ year old woman. I don’t need or want bows, ruffles, crystal designs, or bright colours on my shoes. I want classic dress shoes with a smallish heel or flats with decent cushioning.
I also want the winning lottery ticket. I figure I have about the same chance of finding either in my possession anytime soon.
But I need boots. It’s cold. There really isn’t a way to make it through winter without them. Shoe shopping has been on my agenda for days. I’ve spent far too many hours bouncing from store to store in search of boots this weekend.
I’ve learned that many of the boots that do fit my feet are far too short to be useful. Most don’t come above my ankles while I really need boots that come to mid-calf or my knees. I’ve learned that the Bay closest to me doesn’t sell children’s shoes. I’ve learned that the Soft Moc in the same mall doesn’t carry anything smaller than a size 6. I’ve learned that the Shoe Warehouse sold out of my size (3) long before I got there and that Zellers had no boots in my size that looked appropriate for an adult to wear. Not this adult anyway.
I’ve also learned that many higher end or specialty shoe stores are staffed with young employees more interested in socializing than in helping customers. Again, a rant for another day…
When I went to Sears on Friday night their winter boot section was almost empty. Empty space after empty space on the shelves. What was left wasn’t in my size. I wandered back through Sears today and lucky for me, they’d restocked between Friday evening and mid-afternoon on Sunday.
After days of searching, I’ve finally managed to score an awesome pair of just-below-the-knee Sorel boots. Big, giant, warm, clunky Sorels. They’re a different colour (black) than my winter coat (brown). There’s nothing fashionable about them but in the end they’ll do exactly what I need; they’ll keep my toes toasty warm.
I am victorious!
