Necessary Splurges

My current status as resident gimp has changed a few of my habits and has required some necessary changes. My primary mode of transportation has shifted from biking and walking to driving, which is hilarious to move from being anti-car and multi-modal transit advocate to being THAT girl that drives 6 blocks to work and circles the block twice to find a closer parking spot.

It's only slightly ironic that now that I'm not walking around so much I'm more concerned with my footwear choices. My crutches and new knee brace limit my ability to wear my stilettos, kitten heels, knee-high boots and even cowboy boots. I'm scared of how my shoes and crutches will perform together once the ice and snow really start to hit Madison, so I obviously need some decent flats. The low-heeled shoes that I do own look their age and are more obviously from the juniors section. They're comfortable and completely broken in, but their condition makes me feel a bit self-conscious.

Now is the time that I have to buy real grown-up shoes that have good traction, arch support and style. Yawn.

All of these requirements make the shoes a bit pricey as well. Boo.

In the past two weeks I have bought 5 pairs of shoes for about $162. After searching out shoes at multiple department stores, discount stores, vintage and specialized shoe stores I have finally settle on 3 pairs shoes that have the aforementioned qualities without breaking the bank, and two pairs of "incentive" shoes that I will be able to tear into as soon as the crutches are gone and the docs give the go-ahead.

This whole experience has been less fun than previous shoe-shopping expeditions. For one thing, since I did not have a very diversified shoe stock I was forced to buy one style (flats) in brown and black that I could use for work or casual wear. As winter is coming I also had to splurge on a pair of boots that will survive the weather. As I am need of these shoes RIGHT AWAY. I've been stressing about this for two weeks, which has been 1) Stupid and 2) Obnoxious to my close personal friends, as every time we're out I HAVE to check out every shoe store we pass. Annoying to the world.

Lesson learned: diversify your stock in ALL situations. A well-maintained and well-stocked closet, shoe selection, pantry, investment plan and work-out plan pays off no matter the situation. Avoid being over-stocked in certain areas, such as too many sandals in a northern climate, and having to make up for your losses.