Shoe Snob

I admit it.  I’m a shoe snob.  I have a very hard time paying $20 for a pair of shoes, but will usually pay $100 without thinking twice.  Why?  Several reasons.  The first being, I like nice shoes.  The second being that I am drawn to nice shoes… kind of like a magnet to a refrigerator.  Okay, but seriously, I am on my feet A LOT on any given day.  I like to be comfortable while I am on my feet.  Therefore, I am willing to spend money to be comfortable. 

I had a hard time with this at first.  At first, I did not want to spend $100 on a pair of shoes.  I thought it was a waste of money and would have preferred to spend the money at Lowe’s for something more “useful”.  But, I sucked it up and splurged one year as a birthday present to myself.  I have to admit, it was one of the best gifts I have ever given myself. 

Since then, I have been able to reason my shoe preference to myself in a fairly practical manner.  At least, it seems practical to me.  You see, I figure if I buy a pair of $20 no-name brand shoes, I usually end up wearing them 3 – 5 times before I decide I detest them and the way they make my feet feel.  They sit in my closet for about a year and finally make their way to Goodwill.  However, when I wear my Nine West, Kenneth Cole, Clarks, etc. “snob” shoes, my feet feel pretty darn good after a full day of wear.  I get home, kick them off, and don’t hesitate to put them back on again when it’s time to go out.  I wear them often throughout the year and end up keeping them (and continuing to wear them) for several years.  So, the practical mathemetic side of me determines as follows:

One pair of shoes at $20 worn a maximum of 5 times is around $4 per shoe wearing experience.
One pair of shoes at $100 worn often throughout the year for several years, is much LESS than $4 per shoe wearing experience. 

Basically, I can reason that in the long run, I SAVE myself money by spending more upfront.  However, aside from my convenient mathematical logic, I have found another reason as to why I am a shoe snob and why I buy and ENJOY my nice, snobby shoes.  You see, I bought a pair of cheap shoes that were very cute and seemed to be comfortable when I tried them on.  I spent approximately 8 hours in the shoes one day and when I removed them, found that my big toenails were EXTREMELY sensitive.  In fact, my toenails got increasingly sensitive over the next week and only 2 weeks after the shoe-wearing experience did I FINALLY start seeing relief.  During this time, I could only wear open-toed shoes (sandals, flip-flops, etc.) as anything that touched my toes hurt A LOT.  Now, 2 months later, I finally took off the 3 layers of toenail polish that had accumulated on my toenails and my jaw hit the floor!  My toenails , 2 months later, that were still mildly sensitive were pretty crazy to look at.  Don’t believe me?  See for yourself!

Needless to say, I now have another reason as to why I splurge on nice shoes.  And, I will NEVER feel guilty again for being a shoe snob.

Home – It really is where the heart is!

Growing up as a military child, “home” has been a variety of places.  People would ask me where I was from and I never really knew quite how to answer.  I would always have to ask, “Do you mean, where do I live now?  Where was I born?  Or where have I lived the longest?”  I was born in Chicago and technically, I have only lived in the Chicago area for 6 of my almost 34 years.  I’ve also lived in the Philippines, Bermuda, and several places in Maryland.  Technically, most of my life has been spent in Maryland.  But, having been back to Chicago twice now over the past 2 weeks, I have to admit that there is nowhere else that feels quite as much like home. 

When I get off the plane in Chicago, I feel like I’m home.  There’s a feeling that comes over me that just makes me feel like I’m back where I belong.  I like the fact that I see other people sporting Bears attire.  I like the way that people refer to Coke, Pepsi, etc as “pop”.  I like the fact that I easily revert back to calling it “pop” and that saying “soda” again when I get back to Maryland seems weird.  I like the hot dogs, the pizza, even the cold wintry weather.  But most of all, I like the people.  I like the fact that the people are “real”.  I like the fact that they have values and are genuinely warm and friendly.  I like knowing that when I talk to them, what I see/hear is what I get. 

After almost 34 years, I’ve realized that I am truly a midwest girl at heart.  I know where my home is.  My home is where my heart is – sweet home Chicago.  And someday, I hope to be back – for good!

My New Desk “Art”

It’s always nice to have something to make me laugh – especially when I’m at work!  While I was shopping in Naperville, IL before my Grandmother’s birthday party, I found a card that made me bust out laughing and I knew I just had to buy it and hang it up at my desk. 

 

I don’t ever think I’ll be able to read a Chinese food menu again with a straight face!