Foot Notes

Cutter's Log - Stardate 1102.21.80
Current Song - Mr. Vain (Culture Beat)

It's hard to find a pair of shoes that fit me.

I've always feared that one day I'd have to get clothing at a special store. I haven't done that, and as long as this moving around thing is as good as it is, I don't think that day will come.

Then I had to buy another pair of shoes.

About two years ago I had a bit of difficulty finding a pair of shoes that fit me. I got lucky, because at the first store I checked out (Shoe Sensation at the local Mall) they had a shoe that fit. Just a regular 9 was too small and cramped. The 9-wide that was suggested was also snug. Then, after going to the back (somehow a sad sign), a pair of 10-extra-wide was brought out and fit well.

These shoes have been through muddy football fields, wet infield grass, snow, squatting down to pick up dropped change, and other things to tear the soles off. When I wear them now, you can see the sock on my foot. I'm not going to go onto a football field wearing these shoes - it's an autistic thing that I can't stand getting my feet wet, cold and dirty.

So when it came time to look for shoes, I tried to find a 10-extra-wide. After exhausting the local thrift stores (I'm kind of on a budget) I went to Payless, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and even back to Shoe Sensation once more. Nothing fit. Then I went to JCPenny. This pair of black 9-4E shoes were on sale for just over $30.

Most people can recall the sizes of the things they wear in an instant. I just can't do that. At the time I was at Penney's I didn't remember why I was wearing a size 10. The toes didn't come close to hitting the top of the inside of the shoe.

I tried on the left shoe and it fit well. So naturally I figured the right shoe would fit just the same. I didn't try the right shoe. I paid for the pair and brought it home. It was only before planning on riding my bike to work did I find out that the right shoe was horribly tight. I figured it was normal and it would wear itself in after a few days. So I wore them to work and my feet became incredibly cramped. I worked most of the shift with my socks on.

The problem with these shoes is that they are not WIDE enough. Toe-to-ankle they fit perfectly. The width is the hardest part of shoe buying.

My feet are unusual. Think of Fred Flintstone. He has the same kind of feet I do. I think you get that from driving a Flintstone-mobile. Apparently this comes through the family (mom's side). What's more difficult about it is that these feet have been powering pedals on so many bicycle rides over the years. They've become sort of muscular.

So I'm going to return this "new" pair of shoes today, and stick with the old ratty ones until a trip to Rockford on Monday. I'm covering a golf meet up there - first prep event of the 11-12 school year - and will be sporting the formal shoes for the occasion. If Rockford doesn't have my shoes, perhaps Jupiter does?