I love shoes. Anyone who knows me also knows this little tidbit about me. Even as I type this column, I am wearing a new pair. There isn’t a shoe store in the world I could go into and resist buying a pair — or three. Just ask my husband. I am sure he would tell you about the time I took my Girl Scout troop to sell cookies at Shoe Carnival. They spent the two hours ardently selling box after box to customers while I perused the store for a new pair of heels. I came home with three pairs, and none of them were for anyone else.
There are countless other stories of my shoe hijinks, too. It doesn’t matter what type of shoe I buy, I love all varieties just the same. The peep-toe heels, Adidas athletic shoes, loafers and my own personal favorite — sandals.
So, being a shoe-lover, shoes are never far from my mind. In fact, the other day, I was speaking with two DeKalb County women who have started the first Northeast Indiana Fitclub, when co-founder Melissa Smith joked that the so-called “fit-shoes,” the ones that supposedly slim a person down just by walking in them, are not the ideal shoes to wear while working out. I joked that I can usually be found wearing heels, also not an ideal pair of shoes to exercise in.
But, talking with Smith and her sister, co-founder Melanie Carnahan, they said losing weight and getting fit is more about making good healthy lifestyle choices, and less about being tied to what the scale says. So, as I sit here, wiggling my toes inside of my new pair, I know that being a shoe-lover takes some work, too, as does making healthy lifestyle choices. Shoes, especially heels, aren’t always comfortable to walk around in the first time I wear them. Often times I have a blister or two on my toes when I take them off after a long day at work, or my legs will ache if the heel is too high.
That relationship certainly mirrors working out. Often times those who are new to exercising, or returning after a long lapse, will get discouraged because their bodies may be sore the next day. They might scrap their workout routine all together, like some people would pitch that painful pair of shoes into the Goodwill pile. Not me. I would never let a pesky blister come between my feet and my half-inch black pumps, because those pumps match everything in my closet. I need those pumps — just like our bodies need exercise.
But, even I can admit not every pair of new shoes can be broken in within a day. There are too many pairs in my closet to count that have had to be extensively broken in, wearing them for a month or so, before they finally felt comfortable without hurting my feet. The same can be said for exercising. According to Smith, making healthy choices can become a habit by repeating the same action for seven days in a row. If we commit ourselves to working out on a routine basis, gradually our bodies will adjust. Then, every workout won’t hurt as deeply as the first.
But what about those shoes that never — ever — feel good on my feet. Those pairs are the ones that end up in the donation bin. Like those ill-fitting shoes, there may be an exercise that a person just hates to do. For me, that exercise is running. I am not a fan of running and have never been able to wrap my head around it. So, I don’t run. I might take a brisk walk instead, or ramp up the Denise Austin Power Abs DVD. I won’t wear extremely painful shoes, just as I don’t run because it doesn’t fit me. Sometimes it is smart to cut your losses.
For shoe-lovers, the search is always on for that elusive perfect pair — the shoes that fit like a glove from the first time I slide them on. Those are my absolute favorites, but finding them is rare. So, when I am able to snap up a good pair of shoes, I buy more — and more. If I know a pair of shoes will fit right, feel good while I’m wearing them and won’t leave blisters, I buy as many pairs as my husband will allow. The same goes for working out. Once a person has found the perfect exercise routine and it delivers results, it is easy to stick with it.
I am not sure where my obsession with shoes came from, I just love the way a new pair of shoes look on me the first time I wear them. I often have to stop myself from checking my feet out in mirrors or large windows. Yes, I love them that much. And like that awesome pair of new shoes — a fit, toned body looks great in the full-length mirror, too.
NICHOLE HACHA-THOMAS is a reporter and life page editor for The Star. Contact her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
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