Short Essay Draft

There and Back Again

            First week of college.  Have to look cute.  Don’t you?  My white graphic tee and blue jeans went well together but were just Plain Jane.  I stood in front of the mirror with two different shoes on and alternately lifted one foot to view the affect of the outfit.  A white tennis shoe flat with a  bow or  brand new gray flats with ruffles on the toe? 

The white shoes would be more comfortable to walk in all day, but the gray ones topped the outfit off perfectly.  After asking for a few opinions, the gray shoes got to take their first adventure out into the world. 

            I knew my feet weren’t going to hold up after the first twenty minutes of walking on the college campus.  During each class those shoes came off, sat on the floor, and were grudgingly put back on to shuffle to the next destination. The poor shoes had to have the back flattened because my achilles were suffering too much.  By the end of the day there were shiny blisters and cherry red sores decorating my trotters.

            Flats are so fun and can be worn with almost anything.  I love pairing them with the perfect skinny jeans.  Printed or embellished flats are my favorite; they just make the outfit pop.  If they are too tight it’s extremely bad news and I become the Grouch from Sesame Street.

My absolute favorite kind of shoes are high heels.  For one they make me look taller, but they also force my legs into a permanently flexed position so they look nice and firm.  Heels can be flirty, all business, or positively fierce.  Even though they can make you look sexy, they can be downright dangerous.  In high school one day I was wearing one of my favorite pair of  heels.  Black and shiny with a pointed toe and pencil thin heel, they made me look good.  The bell rang, and trying not to be late, I quickened my pace while retaining my strut.  I started down a short flight of stairs and the heel of my shoes caught the very first step.  Yes, it really happened.  I hit the floor at the bottom and my books flew from my bag, every last one of them.  It’s one of those scenes that you think only happens on television.  False.

            I found out the hard way that heels aren’t made for speed walking.  You can try in flip flops but those get flat-tired way too easily and don’t always stay on your feet.  You might as well give up on the too fancy shoes or too casual shoes because in the end tennis shoes will win over in this category.

            When you’re planning long walking days tennis shoes are certainly the way to go.  I had to wear the same pair of flip flops for a few days in Spain this year because the rest of my shoes were a few hundred miles away.  It was the worst.  My feet were exceedingly achy and swollen.  Every night at the hotel I had to stick my pregnant-woman-ish feet into a cold bath.  It was the only way to soothe them after a long day of trekking through Madrid.  I broke down and got a pair of  sneakers.  They were soft and the soles were thin enough to feel the textured streets.  My little tenny runners were the best purchase I made that trip.

            Shoes are one of my fashion passions because they don’t make me feel bad about myself.  I could try on shoes all day and be incandescently happy.  I love them because they don’t mess up your hair when you pull them on and off.  Shoes don’t make you look fat or make you jump and wiggle to get them on.  Shoes can make you feel and look amazing if you know when and where to wear them.