Shoes! Sort of.

[cjsmith]

A square dancer who was kind enough to listen to me whine about shoes this weekend -- let's call her Pat -- came by my office a few minutes ago and offered me some of her old shoes that she doesn't wear any more. Her feet are just about as wide as mine and, it appears, a little over two inches longer.

I have a pair of Pat's old Tevas strapped to my feet right now. They don't fit well, they're not comfortable (why oh WHY does everything have to have contours all over the bottom?), but I can walk in them. Some. I am determined to continue to walk in them until I find something better. My post-op shoes may be more comfortable but by golly I want to be able to drive a car. It will feel very good to do my own errands for the first time in nearly a month.

Given that Pat doesn't want these back, maybe they could even be improved. Tevas look like the kind of shoe you could slice up with a band saw. Too long? Cut on the dotted line! Just place your foot so the arch is right, and poof! a shoe that fits! :-)

Comments

[lesliepear.livejournal.com]

You may want to try to find them in a smaller size - maybe that would help?

I actually have a pair of Teva's I no longer use, but I doubt you are a size 6.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Smaller in length would be great, and I'll shop this evening to see if I can find that. They just better not get any more narrow.

Size 6 is pretty close in one dimension, surprisingly enough! I'm a size 5 1/2 in length and pre-op I was about a 7W in width. Now I can't get into my old size seven wide shoes. These Tevas are size 8.

[lesliepear.livejournal.com]

I wish I could get you here to the Globe Shoes, I bet they'd be able to get you a pair that fits (that's where I got my Teva's actually).

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yes indeed - Globe Shoes sounds WONderful.

"Nordstrom's Rack" about an hour's drive from me might work too... now that I might be able to drive again soon.

[lesliepear.livejournal.com]

If you could fly cross country to Teterboro airport, it would be a 10 minute ride from there :)

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

I've always wanted a pair of Tevas for hiking. My feet get extremely hot in my New Balance hikers.

And if they look alterable, why not try it? :-)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

People who wear them swear they are wonderful. I've never had Tevas before. Are you a men's 6 to 7? If so maybe I shouldn't slice these up. :-)

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

Are you a men's 6 to 7?

*cackle* Unfortunately, I'm a 9-EEEE. Buying shoes is always fun. :-)

[datagoddess.livejournal.com]

EEEE is right, when looking for shoes for you!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yowza! That sounds difficult.

Who makes EEEE widths? Do they make EEEE widths for women? I want some. I think EEEE is just about where I'm at now. :-)

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

I wear New Balance black sneakers and New Balance hikers, both in EEEE. My contra dance shoes and dress shoes aren't that wide, but they are longer sizes (I think either 9 1/2 or even 10) to deal with my high instep, hence my toes come up way too short in those (they're still a little short in the New Balances. I'm not sure if NB makes women's shoes that wide, but I love mine for comfort. With added Triads of course. :-)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

NB is the running shoe I used to wear. I don't know what width it was -- their women's shoes are on "this last shape" or "that last shape" and I have a wideish one, but I don't know that they put letters on 'em.

Goodwill is going to get a lot of shoes from me pretty soon. Two or three pairs from Pat, depending on whether I can make these Tevas work, and everything currently in my closet. Heh!

[just-cyd.livejournal.com]

how very cool! YAY for kind and generous people!

my guess is the contours in shoes are to make them "comfortable" for people with "normal" feet. should i ever meet such an anomalie, i'll be sure to find out if it really works.

if my feet were closer to your size, i'd offer up this pair of mary jane-esque flats i've got. i think they're 11 "wide", but they're too long for me -- i walk out of them. if you want to do some shoe-mod, you're welcome to them.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

YAY indeed! And yeah, the contours are a minor help to people with average feet ("minor" because arch support can be added with aftermarket stuff) at the expense of making the shoes nearly unusable for people with weird feet. Ah well.

I doubt I have the skills to modify Mary Janes. But thanks!

[johno.livejournal.com]

Some say po-tate-toe some say pa-tat-to...


The reason I love my tivas is because they have the contours and arch support. {grin}

If you want sandels, you may want to check out Birkenstock brand, not as curvy and the cork insole eventually forms to your foot.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

You probably have feet that fit the contours and arch support. Congratulations! You're the first person I've met with average feet. :-)

These Tevas are size 8 and in length I am a 5 1/2. You can imagine how I feel about contours. Too bad they can't be removed as easily as they can be added.

I have two pairs of Pat's Birks as well. They're much more awkward as the sharp ridge behind the toes doesn't go where my foot would want it. They're also longer than the Tevas. I suppose a Dremel tool might work for that sharp pointy bit. Heh heh, a geek meets one-shape-fits all shoe design! :-)

[davidlevine]

Tevas look like the kind of shoe you could slice up with a band saw. Too long? Cut on the dotted line! Just place your foot so the arch is right, and poof! a shoe that fits!

WARNING: REMOVE FOOT BEFORE INSERTING SHOE IN BAND SAW

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Aww, no fun! :-)

[davidlevine]

Okay, but if you cut your foot off with a bandsaw, don't come running to me! :-)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

don't come running

Heh heh :-)

At least it won't make a mess. I have photographic proof that my feet don't bleed!