The Tao of Shoes- Shoes for Whatever Direction Life Takes Me

Before I could start writing this topic, I needed to do some research. Sometimes the titles come to me first and then I need to figure out what I mean to say. In this instance, I had no idea what Tao meant. Kind of important since it appears in the title. So, after a short trip to wikipedia, I know more than I need to know. I happened to come across the Winnie the Pooh version, which seems like a fun way to learn about it. I sense another book to add to my library. So, my working definition for Tao would be “A particular way of appreciating, learning from, and working with whatever happens in everyday life.” And if Winnie the Pooh can have a version of Tao, I don’t see why I can’t have one related to shoes.

Simple and Uncomplicated
So if the basic principle here is to find a way to deal with everyday life, then it stands to reason the something simple and uncomplicated would take you pretty far. In shoe terms I am thinking of something that is the right size, provides good arch support, and probably has a sensible heel. (How many of you have seen me in shoes fitting that description?) You run into complications when straying from these basic ideas. My closet contains its fair share of these “complications.” From sizes that are aren’t quite right to heels that are impossibly high and therefore impractical, I end up taking away the simple fun of wearing new shoes.

Shoes for the Sake of Owning Shoes
A good friend and I often talk about our “retail therapy” sessions. We end up doing a lot of unnecessary shopping to help fill time, fill the closet, fill something. Buying shoes for the sake of owning them doesn’t sound like a great reason. If you aren’t going to use them or enjoy them, why waste the money, right? Once again, I can point to a few offenders in my closet that I have yet to wear since I purchased them. Something pretty, something flashy, something unique that caught my eye and triggered the “must own” directive in my head. I try to balance the work shoe and the play shoe. There is a difference between shoes that are appropriate for an office, that you can wear all day, and run through the airport, and those that you put on, then walk to the car and sit, walk to the restaurant and sit, walk to the theater and sit….you get the idea. I love owning these shoes and I own a lot of them, but wearing them is another story.

Shoes for the Sake of Complaining About Something
This is not where I start blaming my shoe shopping on the idea that I wasn’t hugged enough as a child. I think it’s a bogus excuse. I may joke about my retail therapy sessions and buy too many pairs of shoes, but I also manage to pay my bills, save for retirement, and buy food that isn’t limited to Ramen noodles and Spam. I think my shoe complaining is limited to blisters or bad arch support. Apparently I need to read the first section again about simple and uncomplicated. Instead, I bought these shoe stretcher things to help break in the new shoes. Oh, ok I’ll tell you a secret. I also wear new shoes when I vacuum. Is that weird? It seems like a 50’s housewife thing to do, but there you have it. Clean floors and stilettos, maybe I should have included this in the multi-tasking blog. Ah well. Needless to say, my floors get vacuumed a lot.

Knowing Your Limitations
I should probably refer to this as knowing the limitations of my bank account. But my initial thought is more along the lines of the limitations of my closet space. There are shoes everywhere. Given my penchant for organization, my closet has gone through a number of “reorganizations” to try and accommodate them all. It isn’t working.

I have tried a number of different storage options. I can tell you that I am not a fan of the over-the-door shoe racks. I just don’t like them. I have also finally weaned myself off of the plastic shoe racks that snap together. Those things are a killer to take apart and put back together. I also had one tower that ended up buckling under the weight. So, I’ve graduated to wood and steel. No messing around any more. I kind of wish I had taken the approach of keeping the shoeboxes and taping a picture on the outside of the box. I get depressed when I think about the stacking and re-stacking opportunities I have missed. Talk about simple and uncomplicated! Once again, I strayed from the simple solution and went with an option that isn’t working for me in the long run. I wonder if you can buy shoeboxes?