Greg Freeman: Sensible Shoes Can Change a Person's Outlook on Life. PD 7/1/1999

Headline: SENSIBLE SHOES CAN CHANGE A PERSON'S OUTLOOK ON LIFE
Reporter: By Greg Freeman

Publication: ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Last Printed: Thur., Jul. 1, 1999
Section: METRO, Page: B1, Edition: FIVE STAR LIFT

Comfort over fashion

I write today in praise of comfortable shoes. It may seem like a topic of little importance, particularly in comparison to some of the major issues facing the world. Yet shoes can make a difference between whether a person is easygoing or ill-mannered.

I was inspired to write this column after purchasing a pair of shoes from a local shoe store last weekend. My old pair of tennis shoes were worn, dirty, a bit uncomfortable and had seen their better days. I decided to pop in and buy a new pair.
   What I found was a pair of walking shoes. The salesman measured both my feet and brought out a pair of shoes that I fell in love with. I bought them without hesitation.
   The shoes aren't much to look at. My son teased me about them, and called them "Dad shoes." But I love them. When I'm wearing them, it feels almost as if I'm walking barefoot.
   Since I've bought them, I've found myself with more bounce to the ounce, with more pep in my step, with more glide in my stride. My mood has improved, and I'm feeling great.

There was a time in my life when I was a slave to fashion, as far as shoes were concerned.
Back in the '70s, I had a pair of platform shoes with one-inch soles and four-inch heels. I loved them until one of my heels got caught and I fell down a flight of stairs in high school. That was the end of my high-heeled experiences.
For many years, I wore only leather dress shoes for work, without variation. It didn't matter if they weren't that comfortable; it was what you wore to work.

But something's changed in recent years. Maybe it's wisdom that's come with middle age. I've traded in my old master of fashion and picked up a new master: comfort.
I no longer care much about fashion when it comes to shoes. I want them to be comfortable. If the shoes are comfortable, that's all I need.
There's little in the world that's better than a comfortable pair of shoes.

Daniel Schesch - Webweaver

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