YAY SHOES!!!!! I love shoes and I am so happy to announce that after 4 months, I was finally able to start wearing some shoes with a back. Last week, I was able to wear my New Balance trail runners and two different pairs of Brooks joggers. I also tried my white platform Pumas...but I could only wear them with socks and I prefer sock free for those. I actually got in a few walks last week. Nothing over 2 miles, but it's a start.
So, shoe gratitude!
Timberland Boots - These were the snow boots of choice when I was in college. They kept me dry and they had enough traction to keep me from slipping around. I went for a men's model that had a higher shaft, so I could go out into slightly deeper snow. I was in Syracuse for the city's snowiest year on record (officially 207.9" for the city, but the campus almost always receives more).
Brooks Glycerin - This is my running/walking shoe of choice. I have tried other Brooks models (I did like the Levitate for shorter distances- but it was discontinued) and nothing else works for me like the Glycerin. I've been fitted a few times by run shops and tried many brands/models on my own, but this one is the winner...even though a few model years have been duds. Granted, good socks are part of the equation with distance work, but the shoes are key.
Open Back Shoes - You don't realize how few comfortable options there are until you can't wear a shoe with a back. I came really close to dropping more money than I'd like on some shoes from The Walking Company, but held off. Glad I did. Mind you, I never found anything that would have been good (for me) for all of that walking we did at
Disneyland. Still, here's a shout out to my Birkenstocks (Arizona, Boston, and Arizona EVA), Oofos recovery flip flops,
Crocs clogs, and UGG coquettes.