One Small Green Change: Buy Shoes that Fit

Hi name is Lisa and I am a shoe gal, shoeaholic, shoe crazy, avid shoe shopper or whatever you want to call it. It’s genetic.

 These are two of few pairs of shoes that I kept that  fit.

Vowing to only buy shoes that fit my small and wide feet may seem like I’m reaching for a March One Small Green Change.

Not if you saw the large number of shoes on my shoe rack. 

Or saw the blisters on my feet from a day of heavy walking in shoes I bought that are the perfect width for the ball of my foot but technically too big in the foot bed or for my narrow heel.

There are many wasted resources in my closet. I have ill fitting shoes I settled for because I needed a dress shoe or whatever and was fed up shopping two malls and half a dozen shoes stores in between. I also have a big box of insoles and doodads to try to make those shoes fit my wonky feet with varying results. High end, low end, green materials, and not I have ‘em and I’m not wearing a bunch of them. Or I regret it when I do. This starts the shoe search all over again.

Blissdom with the tipping point. The lovely people of Famous Footwear gave everyone person who visited a pair of Dr. Scholl’s Jamie tennis shoes. How generous! I noticed many people immediately changed into the shoes and said they were so comfortable it was like walking on clouds.

Oh how I want to wear you!

The smallest size Dr. Scholl’s comes in is a six. I wear a size four to a five depending upon the style. Sometimes I can wear a size six for width but sometimes the length is slightly too big. I accepted a size six hoping the shoes would fit. It not, my mom wears a six so nothing is wasted.

The following day, I tried on the shoes.  I had sore feet and wanted to walk on clouds too!

An hour later – blister city. My shoe shopping nemesis slapped me again – correct width, too long in length.

For March (and beyond) my One Small Green Change is to only buy shoes that fit my hard to fit feet. I’d like to vow that I’m only buying eco friendly shoes but that’s not realistic. I doubt I can find many or any that fit me.

Part Two of March’s One Small Green Change is to Take Care and Repair The Shoes I Have That Actually Fit.

• I need to find a cobbler. That way I can have shoes that fit resoled and repaired as needed to extend their life.
• I will be better about cleaning and polishing my leather shoes to make them last.
• I will remember to but heel taps on new shoes to make them last before taking them to the cobblers for new heels
• I will suck it up and shop for shoes in the children’s department as needed. 

If you see me at BlogHer this summer wearing light up Dora the Explorer shoes it is because in order to keep this One Small Green Change I ended up shoe shopping at Stride Rite and Gymboree.

*sigh*

PS: Hey Famous Footwear my Mom says thank you for the comfy Dr. Scholl’s Jamie shoes I passed on to her. Will you consider making the Jamie in a size five for me, pretty please? I want to walk on clouds like all of my friends.

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