For almost six months now, I've been wearing a pair of Nike sandals. They are my outside shoes and my inside shoes, my dress shoes and my casual shoes, my work shoes and my walking shoes. They are my shoes. Period.As cold and wet weather approaches, I have adopted the classic North-western style, wearing socks with my sandals. Wool socks keep my feet warm even when they get wet, which occurs with predictable frequency now.
If you're wondering why these sandals have earned the status of exclusive footwear, it is because of an injury to my right foot on May 16th, a Sunday when I decided to be a good neighbor and clean up the yard at the abandoned house next door. As I mowed the lawn, I stepped hard on an unexpected incline and pulled up lame. At first my doctors suspected a stress fracture. In time, x-rays ruled out that diagnosis. Eventually a neuroma developed in the tender area, and the diagnosis changed to a soft tissue injury. It is supposed to heal. In time. Evidently that time hasn't yet come.
I've looked for a closed shoe to replace my sandals, thinking that surely some manufacturer makes a winter shoe with a similar sole. So far, I've had no luck. On a visit to the most exclusive specialty shoe store in town, I found nothing that coddles my foot like my $40 Nike sandals, on sale at Freddie's for $15 minus a 20% coupon on the day of purchase ($12 for those of you who are math challenged).
As I've rummaged through my amazingly extensive collection of shoes hoping to find a comfortable fit, I have been struck by how having just one pair of shoes has simplified my life. Yes, these sandals do nothing for a dressy outfit and detract noticeably from some color combinations. But, they work. I have not been denied access to any place I've gone in the past 22 weeks because of my choice of footwear. They have, in fact, almost become my fashion statement.
I'm thinking of checking the rest of my closets to see how I might simplify my life.
