(no subject)

[melannen]

Just came back from a couple hours' shoe shopping. And oh my god.

I just want a pair of shoes that:
a) give ankle support
b) are waterproof
c) do not hurt when I put them on my feet.

Secondary, it would be nice if:
d) they had reasonably plain leather uppers
e) they were neither white nor black
f) they did not have "special moisture-wicking" aka "get soggy fast" powers
g) they do not involve Velcro
h) they have at least a little insulation
i) they cost less than a month's electric bill

These seem like perfectly reasonable things to expect from shoes, yeah? At this point I'd be willing to go for any shoes that give me at least a), one of b) or c), and at least one of the others. I've lucked out the last few times finding waterproof hiking boots that fit on clearance. Not so lucky this time, and I've been looking since June.

Tonight, the only pair of high-tops in womens' sizes in the whole store were Converse. So, what I have learned today is that the reason the Doctor wears Converse is that Converse are not designed for human feet.

Also, according to the little metal foot-measuring things, my feet are around a size six and a half, which explains why shoes that fit my feet are generally somewhere between a seven and a half and a nine and a half wide.

(I could also use some new sandals and some new work-or-interview type shoes, but neither me nor roomate found any of those in whole store that were even halfway to tolerable.

...Women are supposed to like shoe shopping. Huh.)

Comments

[stellar_dust [journalfen.net]]

... Converse: ur doin' it rong? Mine are very comfy. ): But they are also not high-top, so.

[melannen [journalfen.net]]

Or perhaps your feet are *alien* feet. (Sarah concurs with me that they are not made for Earth people.)

Actually, the dark-side (all-black) converse, for some reason, weren't too bad (not great, but wearable), but if I give up and get them I will probably try to find them cheaper, because they are just *canvas* on flat soles and I refuse to pay the same price as high-tech sneakers when they aren't even particularly comfy.

[stellar_dust [journalfen.net]]

I'm hoping mine will wear better and last longer than the cheap canvas-on-rubber brands! We'll see.

I tried on the largest girls' size, and they fit length-wise but the arch was ALL wrong. Maybe they would work for you though?

[quartz [journalfen.net]]

Ugh, shoe shopping is horrible and yet a necessary evil since nothing can ruin a good day faster than a pair of ill fitting shoes. Once I find a style that fits (I have a very tall foot) I buy that style until it becomes discontinued. Sadly this seems to be every 1 1/2 - 2 years. Thank goodness I live close to the land of yuppies so I can find European shoes that fit when I positively have to. Can't think of any high top European styles other than boots, but maybe REI might be able to point you to a style or brand that would meet at least the top three requirements?

[melannen [journalfen.net]]

My dad used to buy four or five pairs at once when he found some he liked. I wish. Alas, whenever I find a pair I like it seems like they're the only pair in the store and about to be discontinued, or I'd try that.

I actually prefer ankle/hiking/work boots like my mom calls clodhoppers (my current pair are camo-pattern hunting boots, which I adore in every way except the camo pattern, and I've slowly grown fond of that) but the kind you get from outdoor outfitters tend to be expensive enough that I'd want to make sure they were *just right* - and I've had no more luck finding ones that fit okay at Outdoor World than anywhere else. Haunting the outdoor stores is probably what I'll end up doing, though, especially if my current pair completely fail before spring.

I will keep European brands in mind - that might indeed help.

ibowieh3

[(Anonymous)]

The EMS in Harbor Place or the Huston Trail Outfits and the Sears in the Annapolis Mall might have what you are looking for. Going around to a lot of different places on the off chance they might have what you are looking for sounds a lot like that shoe shopping stuff you talked about not liking earlier. If you do find something thats perfect see if you can find more of them on line.

[aristaea [journalfen.net]]

I love shoes, but I hate the shopping aspect. I have tiny feet and nothing ever fits right. My secret weapon is flip-flops. They fit, the ones I have are comfy, they can be worn for most of the year, and they're cheap. Plus they last until they literally fall apart.

Have you looked at men's shoes? My BFF swears up and down that they're more comfortable and better quality than women's shoes, since the industry doesn't expect guys to buy shoes for every new season.

[melannen [journalfen.net]]

My last few pairs of good ankle boots have actually been men's, but a lot of stores seem to only have men's sizes down to about an eight, and I wear a six or seven men's. (When I do find them, they're always closer to what I want and wear better - and on sale, since they're too small for actual men. :D )

The way I walk means that flip-flops and clogs don't work real well for me (I really do *need* the ankle support for walking shoes) and I tend to walk quite a lot, so I need ones that work. Arg.

I actually don't mind the shopping too much as long as I'm not actually trying to *find* anything - you get to walk around a store in your stocking feet and try on hooker boots for fun! - but if I really need shoes it is *horrors*.