The Shy Shoe Shopper

Hi folks,

Here's a shout-out to teacher's and therapist's who are on their feet all day, every day!

The content of this post has a different "vibe" to my other posts - shopping for shoes. Some of you may squeal with delight when you hear this phrase. Others may dread the thought. I'm in the latter group. Ever since I was a little girl, I have always had long, skinny feet that have trouble fitting in shoes. My shoes would be filled with insoles, heel pads and slip guards. In addition, my feet "rolled in" badly so I had to find shoes that would fit my orthotics. My feet would often be in pain and blisters were frequent. I guess you could say I developed an aversion to shoes over time. If I could get away with wearing sneakers/joggers/runners all day, every day, I would. However, that is not realistic as sneakers are perceived to be too casual for some work environments, and of course, too casual for formal occasions like weddings. 😉

The other caveat is that I love wearing cute clothes! I find it fun to choose a different outfit each day for work that is cute yet comfortable. My outfits are on point, until it comes to adding shoes...

After 2 years working full-time in a preschool/outpatient facility, my poor feet are feeling the burden of walking, running, jumping, and playing hide-and-seek with toddlers and young children, all day, every day. I used to buy cheap $10 - $20 flats which soon wore out and became smelly. I did not want to be known as the "stinky Speechie". My mother believed in purchasing good quality running shoes when I was younger, as I was the "sporty type" all throughout school and wore running shoes almost daily. It has only just dawned on me that the shoes I wear to work everyday should be treated like those running shoes. For work. For travel. Even Dr. Seuss believed that feet are important:

"You have BRAINS in your HEAD.

You have FEET in your SHOES.

You can STEER yourself in 

any direction you CHOOSE."

~ Dr. Seuss

So, today, here I am at my computer Googling "comfortable shoes for work" and "recommended shoes for teachers". I am coming across many brand names I have never heard of before, but am slowly getting used to some of the lingo. So far, the best online site that someone told me about is 6pm.com, which I'm sure many of you have heard of. It looks like they stock a huge variety of brands that are selling at discounted prices, and shipping is FREE (yay!).

In the meantime, I am making a resolution to look after my feet and invest in a good quality pair of shoes for work and travel. I currently have a bunch of items in my cart, and am trying to narrow it down to two. Teacher's and therapist's, what shoes do you recommend? Are there any brands that you swear by?

Have a great week!

Maree