If your shoes hurt, don't wear them to the mall

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Here's a story about a different form of shoeless customer. Also proof that money does not buy common sense or an exemption from the rules.

Last week I went to the mall to buy some work pants because I ruined two pairs in about two weeks.(don't like the pants my store has and I don't like clothing from Goodwill). I was in Target perusing the men's pants when I hear "Moooooooom! My feet hurt! Really bad!"

I turned to see a woman in a serious-looking business suit, clutching shopping bags from Macy's, Express, Abercrombie & Fitch and a couple other expensive stores. In tow is her daughter, wearing a Columbia fleece, rolled-up sweatpants with an ass caption, and a pair of those Adidas sandals with the masaage bumps on them. Now I have a pair of sandals like that, and they hurt when you're first wearing them. Badly. It's like walking barefoot on gravel.

Daughter keeps complaining about her aching feet, and mother says "If your shoes hurt so bad, then take them off!"

And so she did. So now daughter is walking around the clothing department in her bare feet. I'm thinking "Let's see how long before somebody tells daughter to put her shoes back on."

It wasn't too long. I was looking at some other things when I heard "Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask your daughter to put her shoes back on." And sure enough, here's mother and barefoot girl (the daughter, not the CS member). Surprisingly, neither mother or daughter raised any objections.

But later on, as I was leaving Waldenbooks, where I had gone in a futile attempt to feed my Dilbert, The Onion and Dave Barry addictions, I ran into the same woman and her daughter who'd once again removed her shoes and was enjoying limitless opportunities to step on sharp or disgusting things.

Moral of the story: If your shoes hurt your feet so back, don't wear them someplace where you will be doing a lot of walking.

[Bloodsoul]

Tsk, wuss. I've been wearing an old pair of combat boots for years now and have never had any problems with them!

...thanks to cushiony insoles. ^_^

[GolfCart34]

That's why I hate buying new shoes myself. I get blisters on my ankles and toes really easily, which is why 99.9% of the time I buy either really comfy sneakers or dress shoes that are a 1/2 size or so bigger than what I normally wear. I buy dress shoes big since I never wear them and I have large feet for a woman (11 wide or 12 depending on the brand and fit). I especially like to wear mens shoes since they tend to be the most comfy and least trendy.

I had a pair of those Addidas sandals with the massage things in them once. Yeah, they were somewhat comfortable once my feet got used to them, but they sure didn't beat a pair of Teva-style sandals. The Addidas style sandals also took my feet 2+ months to get used to them.

Dang it, now I want to go out and buy another pair of comfy shoes. But I can't since I have way too many pairs of shoes as it is and I need to get rid of half of them.

[Killer Bees]

If new shoes hurt your feet, you've bought the wrong ones. Shoes should be comfy from the very first wear.

I've never understood that thing where people say once they "worn in" their shoes, they'll be okay.

[Bluenomi]

I saw a tendy dresses teenager and her mother on the weekend while I was in the carpark. The girl had some trendy ballet type flats on and was barely walking. You could see the backs of her heels were red and bleeding from where they had been rubbing the whole time she was out. She barely made it back to their car. Why go out in those shoes if that's what they do to your feet? You may have cool shoes but you don't look cool wearing them like that!

[Seshat]

If new shoes hurt your feet, you've bought the wrong ones. Shoes should be comfy from the very first wear.

I've never found any shoes to be comfortable until they've shaped themselves more to my feet. I can go through every pair of shoes in a shop and they're all uncomfortable at first.

I think it has to depend on how similar your foot is to the 'standard' last. Presumably if I had my shoes specially made for me, they'd be comfy from the start.

[Geek King]

That's why I hate buying new shoes myself. I get blisters on my ankles and toes really easily, which is why 99.9% of the time I buy either really comfy sneakers or dress shoes that are a 1/2 size or so bigger than what I normally wear. I buy dress shoes big since I never wear them and I have large feet for a woman (11 wide or 12 depending on the brand and fit). I especially like to wear mens shoes since they tend to be the most comfy and least trendy.

:OT:

A tip from my hiking days:
Next time you're wearing new shoes, go get some moleskin (it is sold with medical supplies like bandaids and bandages). You can cut the moleskin up into properly shaped peices and put them over any areas that are starting to rub or develop blisters. This should let those areas toughen up as they get used to the shoes without developing blisters. You might have to do it for several days, depending on how long it takes to toughen.

[Jewels]

Painful shoes are worth it if they are cute.

[GingerBiscuit]

I saw a tendy dresses teenager and her mother on the weekend while I was in the carpark. The girl had some trendy ballet type flats on and was barely walking. You could see the backs of her heels were red and bleeding from where they had been rubbing the whole time she was out. She barely made it back to their car. Why go out in those shoes if that's what they do to your feet? You may have cool shoes but you don't look cool wearing them like that!

I had a pair of shoes that did that. They eventually stopped (three weeks of wearing them constantly with army socks on).
I've also only ever had ONE pair of shoes that were comfy from the start, and they're my work shoes. Breaking in refers to stiff boots and things where the material needs to be softened by walking. But if your feet are close to standard sizing shoes will be comfy. If you don't, like me, they won't.

[Sliceanddice]

yeah i have wide feed most of the time it takes about a week for them to wear nice.

[LizaMarie]

Painful shoes are worth it if they are cute.

I really am with you there. Even if they hurt though, you gotta act like they don't. Stilettos only look good when you make them look effortless. When you're clomping down the street like a bow-legged cow because your feet hurt you just look like an ass.

Also, this is going to be a little gross, but the cute ballet flats that make you look all dainty and pretty make your feet smell apalling when you dont wear them with socks!

[XCashier]

If new shoes hurt your feet, you've bought the wrong ones. Shoes should be comfy from the very first wear.

I've never found any shoes to be comfortable until they've shaped themselves more to my feet. I can go through every pair of shoes in a shop and they're all uncomfortable at first.

I can see both sides of this. You shouldn't buy shoes that kill you when you first try them on, but most shoes will be a little tight and stiff until you've broken them in. The only shoes I've bought that were comfortable from the start were a pair of Minnetonka moccassin boots.

However, "a little tight and stiff" is one thing, causing limping, pain and bleeding is something else entirely. And wearing horrible painful shoes just because they're "cute" is just plain silly IMO, and asking for foot and back problems later.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Painful shoes are worth it if they are cute.

I concur. I have 2 pairs of great boots that needed wearing in; a pair of cowprint platform boots and a pair of black and silver New Rock Boots. Both had to be worn in and gave me lots of blisters doing so. But, I never complained or moaned; for one thing, I tend to shop alone and didn't want to be labeled a crazy person going around moaning to the air.

[digilight]

My Doc Martins had to have a break in period on them (both the 9 hole boots and the low top shoes) while the shoes never made it for me (damn things always freaken hurt) the boots were great after a couple of days.

Now I tend to wear RockPort boots and they kick ass from the get go. Same thing with UGGs, I love their 6 hole lined boots. I just can't handle normal shoes, it's gotta be boots for me.

[Shabo]

Talk to anyone who rides horses in any English style that's broken in a pair of tall boots, and they'll show you the scars...And they'll also tell you they'll cry if they have to break in another pair of boots.
(speaking from personal experience here)

Yes, cute shoes *are* worth the pain. Plus, it's an excuse to get a piggyback from a cute guy The problem that I have with heels is that the arch starts in the wrong place. This is usually helped or fixed by getting the gel insoles for heels, but it still doesn't stop me from asking for piggybacks.