Shoe woe

So I went shoe shopping the other day.

Ladies, do not attempt to whine to me about the problems you have shopping for shoes. In every store about 85% of shoes displayed and stocked were women’s shoes. They came in flats, heels of varying heights, wedges, platforms. They came in colours from yellow and red to beige, taupe and fuchsia. (Yes, I do know what fuschsia is).

Men’s shoes? In casuals you had a choice of the same Sperry Topsiders I’ve been seeing for about 20 years mixed with assorted Clarks and the odd Timberlands and now, new (for the last 5 years) Polo by Ralph Lauren and Skechers. Formals are restricted to Florsheims, Stacy Adams and a mix of deadly dull Hush Puppies. I finally broke down and bought a pair of maroon/brown Clarks slip ons.

IMG_0714
Here they are! Sorry the summer crept up on me and I did not get the chance to do my legs. But hey!

I also bought a pair of Adidas running shoes. What? No, I do not plan to start running. I hated it when I had to – a couple of laps around the field were mandatory before cricket nets. My old red and black Nike runners have been usurped by the younger one of my heirs. The new ones are in navy blue with lime accents, very soft, supple and very lightweight. I’m very happy for them. (no – you figure it out).

Hours were spent and miles spent, for just two pairs. I could wear out one pair with the sheer effort of finding the other pair. The fact that they have to accommodate the old people’s custom orthotic insoles I wear means not just that I’m old people but that sizing is all over the place.

Thankfully, I won’t have to do this again for a while.

Or will I? Will my shoe fetish get the better of me? Tune in next time on the same frequency (seldom) and same channel (SloWord) for an update.

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  1. ashokbhatia

    You are right that men’s shoes have not changed in character that much over the decades.

    Allow me to say that the best time to buy shoes is in the evening. The day’s huffing and puffing ensures the feet are normally enlarged in the late hours. A pair that fits one well in the morning hours could become tight and uncomfortable in the evenings!

    1. peevedpunjabi

      Yes, I agree with you on both counts. Thanks – you’re becoming a regular!

  2. ladyofthecakes

    I have zillions of pairs of shoes. I don’t WANT my wardrobes crammed up to the rafters by zillions of pairs of shoes. I don’t go ga-ga over shoes. It’s a trap. Shoes need to go with outfits and with what you’ll be doing on the day. Dinner Party? Hiking? Grocery shopping? But the worst thing is that one third of women’s shoes (and I’m not talking about high heeled contraptions here) turn out to be unwearable over the course of a day, even if you thought, at the time of purchase, that you made a “sensible” choice.

    Anyway, congrats on your shoe shopping success 🙂

    1. peevedpunjabi

      How do you have a zillion pairs if you don’t go ga-gag? Hmm? I would like a zillion pairs. I have this thing about shoes, oh yes and SOCKS! OMG! I can buy socks anytime, anywhere…. I love buying socks!

      1. ladyofthecakes

        Good point. I never seem to have enough socks. Or underwear. Despite having mountains of it. The laws of physics do not apply to wardrobes. Especially not quantity theory.

  3. peevedpunjabi

    I think the underwear thing is a feature of poor laundry planning. But socks? Socks are different. They are desirable in their own right.

  4. pixie

    I like shoes 😛
    And the husband bought a pair of tan Clarks slip-ons as well. He shrugged and said “oh well” and bought them! heh!

    Your running shoes are nice!

    and yes, I never seem to have enough shoes!! Or socks for that matter.. I blame it on the dryer – the socks I mean and well, my greedy shoe soul for never being satisfied!

    1. peevedpunjabi

      No No, socks are a gift! They are given and they are taken away by divine providence (with some help from adult heirlings and dryers).

      Thanks for the lovely compliment on the running shoes. I have excellent taste in shoes, not matched anymore by body type. 🙂

      My Clarks are dark maroonish brown with a couple of seams running longitudinally. Very modern (for 1980).

  5. mindfulmagpie

    I do feel sorry for the paucity of fashion choices men must endure. Maybe you could look online for shoes?

    1. peevedpunjabi

      Oh that’s all right, we’re used to enduring many things, especially if we’re married. 🙂 Stoic – that’s the word!

    2. peevedpunjabi

      Oh – and this and new custom orthotic fitting were done well before le trip to Paree…. Unlike someone I’ve read, I planned ahead. 🙂 🙂 Heh heh!

  6. chsuresh63

    Ahem! My MCR slippers do quite fine everywhere as I discovered on my recent trip to Coorg 🙂 AND you bemoan a lack of choice?:) How true that it takes all kinds to make a world! After writing CAT to get into IIM, I have a hatred of multiple-choice questions – of ANY sort 🙂

    1. peevedpunjabi

      Well – – MCR slippers don’t cut it up in these latitudes.

      And I like shoes, I’d love to have a collection. I just don’t like the shopping experience.

      1. chsuresh63

        They cut it rather fine for me up to 15k feet high in the Himalayas, though I admit that I cannot trek in them. Can use them only in the campsites. But then, my body handles cold far better than most. It is heat that melts me 🙂

  7. Umashankar Pandey

    I remember how my feet were this indeterminate size in my childhood, this nowhere in the middle of two numbers and I always hated the larger edition. My father exhorted the benefits of choosing the larger size as ‘children will only keep growing’. Fortunately for me, I and the assistant at the shop had become secret allies and together we would shoehorn into the smaller number of the prescribed Oxfords. The scars of those early childhood skirmishes are imprinted so deeply on my conscience that I still pick up the smaller size of an Oxford till date. So I have this collection of Oxfords spanning a few years in age.

    My wife’s collection is a study in stark contrast on the other hand. But this post does enlighten me at last!

    1. peevedpunjabi

      Ah! You poor thing! Exclusively Oxfords? All lace-ups? No SlipOns? No sneakers? Hmm – a wee bit one-dimensional, don’cha think?

  8. vishalbheeroo

    You’ve nailed it and yeah, shopping for male shoes can be a royal pain…Nothing beats my woodlands in terms of durability. Love this post full of humor. I have fun reading it and it’s so relatable for shoe lovers like us. The ladies have an easy way, I guess.

    1. peevedpunjabi

      I think if you ask them, they’ll tell you how much effort goes into their shoes. I suppose it must take a lot to biuy one of every colour, shape, heel type and colour, especially when apparently these are essential goods.

      Thanks for reading. You did hop on… nice!

      1. vishalbheeroo

        Ya and the ladies have the patience and effort. Hope they share their closely guarded secrets with us:)

        1. peevedpunjabi

          The secret is simple – find an idiotically devoted husband, or boyfriend with infinite patience.