You know life has changed when most of your shoes don’t really work anymore. Yes, styles change a bit. Yes, you get a little change in your arch, in the width of your foot, the length. But you can make those shoes still work. For instance, I have this great pair of pumps that I bought at least 10 years ago or more. They are a great color of violet lavender, comfortable for high heels, and not trendy in the toe shape or the heel. Just a great pair of pumps. They work with jeans, with pencil skirts, with dresses–just a great pair of pumps that work.
But over here, they don’t work. When I walk to the bus or even further to the train, they don’t work, I have to have a separate shoe-carrying tote. But once I get off the train or the bus, I’m still walking on cobblestones. It’s not worth carrying my pumps with me since I can’t really wear them to go shopping. Sure, if I worked in a beautiful building then I would carry them. But I work virtually. (My work feels just like it did when I was in the States. No different, except that I get more done, because of the time difference.) But back to the shoes.
I literally have hundreds of shoes. And most of them don’t work for my life in Europe. My boots, booties, and shooties work. My Converse All Stars work. My athletic shoes work. But those thin-soled flip flops and sandals? Those sky-high wedges? My barely there strappy stilettos? My kitten heels? Nope.
So, I went shopping for spring and summer shoes. It looks like spring over here and a few days, filled with the blossoms on the trees and ducks lazily paddling on the pond, made me believe it was time to get my wardrobe changed out from the early winter spring clothes to the late spring clothes, the pre-summer, the white jeans, the abandonment of the heavy winter coat wardrobe. I was so excited to zhjuze up my look, I actually tried on the dreaded-but-fashionable-in-the-moment Birkenstock’s. (Birks are made for Europe, not just hippies it turns out.) Unfortunately, Birks are not for my foot, the straps are made of some stiff, durable and gougy leather or patent leather, or plastic, very German and unworkable for my delicate, easily blistered foot. So, I purchased a sleek pair of white leather tennis shoes made in Denmark. But what will I wear for sandals?
100 Shoes Blog 