julesjones | Middle-aged spread

In the course of tidying up I pulled down the box with my favourite pair of boots; the ones I haven't worn for a few years for various reasons. Those reasons include being somewhat thicker of calf than when I first bought them. I thought I'd try them on to see if there was any prospect of getting the zip done up all the way if I lost a bit of weight, which is something I really need to tackle for medical reasons.

Damn things won't even fit on my feet now. This isn't from being overweight. This is just a change in the shape, as far as I can tell. Being realistic, there's not much chance of me wearing these boots again.

I mourn for these boots. These boots were that rarity, high heels I could wear in reasonable comfort. I only wore them three or four times a year (mostly at cons, where I was sure of being indoors on flat surfaces all day), but I liked having at least the theoretical option of wearing shiny black high-heeled boots. I suspect the best option for disposal will be donation to the Redemption jumble sale, where they are likely to find a good home with someone else who likes shiny black high-heeled boots you can actually walk in.

ETA: in the comments,

miladyinsanity points at Duo Boots, a shoe and boot maker which makes ladies' boots in a wide range of calf sizes as well as foot sizes. I work in that area of the city centre, and I've probably walked past their bricks-n-mortar shop on my way to work without realising what they were. I shall be calling in there after payday... Yo,

siri_eerin, want to go shoe-shopping next time you're in town?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I have a pair of Duo boots, ordered from that very shop. Can't remember the name of the design - Penna or Messina or some such... I'm very fond of them, but unfortunately they're not very practical if I have to stand or walk for more than twenty minutes; I'm not used to heels, and the weight on the balls of my feet gets more and more painful (I tried gel insoles, but they made no difference). So they're good for dinners, where I spend most of the evening sitting, but I have to think carefully about occasions where I'm going to be more active, and sometimes change in and out of them to give my feet a rest. It's a shame, because I was delighted when I discovered Duo (my calves are enormous), and I keep studying their lists pondering whether I could risk spending that sort of money again on a style with heels of less than 2.5 inches...

Wanna go shopping some Saturday?

If I ever get a free Saturday again! But the trouble is I'd be uncertain whether to buy without spending half an hour stamping up and down in the shop pair*, which the assistants might not like.

* You don't get to take a pair home on the spot. You try on pairs in your foot and calf size, place your order, and they deliver it a day or so later. Presumably they couldn't store all the possible combinations of foot and calf in significant numbers.

I'd rather assumed that it must work that way, simply from the sheer number of pairs they'd otherwise have to stock. But it might be worth asking if you can keep them on for a bit.

If you do fancy a visit, weekdays are also feasible, as it's about five minutes from the office and thus easy for me to visit either in lunch hour or after work. I may use some of my flexi excess to skive off early and go to the shop.

Actually, now you can take them home right away, depending on the pair.

Okay, I'm very used to heels. I have friends at university with me who claim to never have seen me in flats -- my bunch and I have been together for a varying period up to a year and a half. But the highest pair I have is probably 3.5 inches, tops.

But I'm very fussy about shoes, and Duo boots are some of the most comfy I've ever bought.

Don't get a kitten heel. If you got the Penna, it is a kitten heel -- I have a pair myself. Square heels are better if you have foot issues.

I found the box, and it's Messina. I think Penna was one of the ones I fancied and regretfully ruled out on account of the heels. But neither of them seems to be on the site any more.

I think they may been older models which have been moved out to make room for the new collection -- there are still some older models in the clearance section, although very bitty in which sizes are still available.

There are some low square heel models which sorely tempt me, but I definitely want to try at least one of them on before buying, rather than order online. The King Street shop is open until 6, so it should be easy for me to pop in after work.

Some of the older models are still available in the shop at King Street.

I was awfully disappointed when the shiny pair I wanted was no longer available on the site, but it was there when I popped into the shop!

Really, the only thing you can do is square/squarish heels.

Seriously though, where are you at? Are you near one of the shops at all? I've never bought a pair without trying them on first.

Oh yes, I went to the King Strret branch. And I probably walked round in the two pairs I was trying to decide between for about five minutes each; but as I said above, it's twenty minutes before they get painful.

Normally, if my feet hurt at the balls of my feet, it's because they don't fit right?

If you normally wear flats, wearing high heels can be horribly painful after a while because most or all of the weight that would be spread across the heels is shifted to the balls of your feet, plus you're in a different posture and thus having muscles stretched and compressed in odd ways. Even with shoes that fit perfectly, it has much the same effect as changing to a job that requires standing for hours at a time -- you get used to it after a while, but initially that extra pressure on your feet leaves them very sore.

Ah, that makes sense then.

My shoes, flat or otherwise, generally get equal attention.

Middle-aged spread

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