A Girl and Her Shoes

From the very first moment the idea to walk across the country germinated in my beanie little brain, I knew footwear would be of utmost importance. As the years have ticked by, hip, knee, ankle and foot discomfort have become constant residents within my body temple. The natural aging process, years of abusing my body as a dancer and then later as a house renovator, and, of course, carrying extra amounts of Linda around planet Earth, have all contributed to cause some ouchies here and there.

So began the search for shoes. I tried several different brands, finally settling on Keen. They fit my feet well and allow extra room in the toe box for swelling and for a bunion I have become close friends with on my right foot. I have three pairs of hiking shoes, one supposedly waterproof, (we'll see, I'll let you know) and one pair of hiking sandals.

Another brand of athletic shoe was suggested to me by the guy who worked on the tires of my stroller at a local bicycle shop. They are called Hoka. These puppies are expensive and I couldn't find them at any stores in Orlando so I ordered a pair online and loved them so much I ordered a second. I'm just afraid that these won't hold up as long as my Keen's. We'll see. I'll probably  change shoes throughout the day, I've found more comfort in doing that. So, let's see, that makes six pairs of shoes. And a pair of slippers for the end of the day.

My daughter would die!! She's been telling me, repeatedly, that I'm taking way TOO MUCH STUFF. I'd have to agree with her as I attempt to load my stroller.

Still, I'd rather have all this stuff and not need it rather that the other way around.

One last item that cannot go unmentioned for it factors in HUGE is my socks. Luckily for me, I found these at the beginning of my hunt. They are called FITS socks. Oh My Goodness, are they heaven...my feet sing arias when I put them on. The latest in "sock technology" (who knew, right) these are woven so that the thread loops rub against each other rather than the foot, reducing blister formation. I've worn them nearly non-stop since last summer and my feet are soft and supple rather than cracked or calloused, places where blisters are likely to form.

YAY FITS socks!

YAY Keen shoes!

Oh wait, one more thing, I'll be wearing compression stockings underneath all of that to try and keep blood flowing and reduce swelling.

Oh the joys of growing older...I mean BOLDER!

Guess we'll see how all this stuff works in - - -

7 DAYS