Over in Scotland Disgruntled has been having issues with Heeled Shoes.
I can testify that it isn’t a gender issue: I’m having footwear issues as well*. One problem with walking and cycling for transport is that most shoes are apparently only designed for short distances, I suspect the distance between the front door and the car. Walking more than about half a mile made my feet ache, even on nice flat tarmac. I’ve noticed this with several pairs of ‘normal’ shoes (‘normal’ being defined as ‘possible to wear in public without coming over all mountain man’). Walk more than a few minutes and you start to feel every cobble, flagstone, tree stump or clump of grass.
The only shoes that seem to work are proper ‘walking shoes’: the ones with ankle supports and thick soles you see ‘serious’ walkers putting on prior to dissapearing into the wilderness, but these apparently aren’t ‘proper’ shoes for situations where you are supposed to look vaguely smart.
On the other hand, cycling doesn’t hurt whatever shoes I wear, so maybe this is the universe telling me to ride my bike more.
What do you wear?
*Not with heels, before one of you comments…
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September 24, 2011 at 4:03 pm
Oldfool
I’ve never met a shoe I liked after a few miles.
September 27, 2011 at 10:59 am
Andy in Germany
Thanks for the comment…
I find good walking boots with solid ankle support helps, but most things hurt sooner or later. I just wish I could find something that could look smart (ish) and still be comfortable after walking to/from the station to wherever I need to go.
September 26, 2011 at 3:38 pm
Monica
There is a growing body of research that shows the worst thing you can put on your feet are shoes and that going barefoot is the best thing for your feet. Obviously this gets tricky at certain times of the year when you live in a cold country (I’m in Canada) and you need something to prevent frostbite. There are solutions out there but they requre a little research to find. A couple of companies I’ve found good footwear at are Russell Moccains and Soft Star Shoes, both US companies. Warning: transition to barefoot walking slowly!!
September 27, 2011 at 11:01 am
Andy in Germany
Hi Monica, and thanks for your thoughts.
I’m already known for wandering about barefoot indoors, and my feet are pretty tough as a result, but as you say outdoors in winter is tricky and people may comment if I wander into a meeting sans footwear. Strange how we ‘civilised’ people have so many unwritten rules…
September 28, 2011 at 3:48 pm
Monica
It sometimes seems that shoes are as much a status symbol as cars……
So far no one at my work has ever noticed that I wear “moccasins” not “shoes” around the office. Mind you, I don’t go out of my way to advertise either.
Good luck in your footwear quest!
October 2, 2011 at 9:47 pm
Andy in Germany
@monica: I keep searching. I have a set of old fat bicycle tyres which I keep dreaming about cutting up to make shoe soles, but I haven’t had the time (or courage) to do it yet. If people’s response to me being barefoot are anything to go by, I’d be banned from public events for life…