Shoes

I don't like to spend a fortune on shoes.  It shows.  I probably have a hundred pairs and most of them I rarely wear because they hurt. And they hurt, I'm sure, because they were cheap.

I try to buy natural materials.  I always do better with leather shoes.  They breathe and stretch to give my foot a custom fit.  It's getting a little hard, however, to find all leather shoes at places like Payless.  How many locals remember the Bel Air C-Mart?  They were a goldmine for good brands sold on the cheap.  I used to be able to find great shoes for under $40 at Nordstrom's basement.  Two of the best pairs of shoes that I've ever owned came from Nordstrom's.  Sadly, in the past few years, the selection in my size (6.5 - 7 W) has been pitiful.

Too many uncomfortable shoes was not a problem growing up.  I owned four pairs at the most: dress shoes, school shoes, sneakers, and a pair of sandals.  Every August, Mom would take us to Buster Brown to be measured and fitted for school shoes that lasted all year.  We polished them at least once a week, usually on Sunday night.   And when the soles and/or heels wore down, it was a cheap fix at the cobbler's.  The cobbler was a stocky cigar smoking man who made little conversation, but who was a Gepetto at turning a rundown pair of shoes into brand new footwear.

Are there no more shoe cobblers?  Have cheap disposable shoes driven them out of business?  Or, is the dying art of shoe repair actually dead and buried?

My absolute favorite black shoes need heels.  They could also stand to have the inside padding restored, but I'll settle for finding someone who fixes heels. I treasure these shoes,  taking special care to hide them from my footwear shredding dog. For the past year, I have tried to replace them, but no black shoe I've found in any way compares to the fit and classic beauty of those shoes. Tonight I went on the web to find the manufacturer and see if they carry anything similar.  I found Monro American shoes, and they started at $150.  Ha!  No wonder I never saw anything like them at Payless.  Thus, my need for a cobbler.  I'm done searching for another pair of black shoes.  The search for the cobbler has begun!

I'm willing to face a few retail truths.  Most women's shoes have ankle-breaking heels that I will never wear again.  If they are comfortable, they are probably expensive and butt ugly.  If they look nice and feel good, they'll probably cost more than a couple months of tuition at my niece's private school.  And, no matter how cute they may or may not be, a woman cannot live in Crocs alone.  No matter how comfy they are.