When I started teaching, I discovered something very important – cheap-ass shoes just don’t cut it for standing on your feet for 7+ hours. Within a week, my folks and I were at a shoe store buying shoes that cost *gasp* more than $60! I bought 2 pair – one brown nubuck and one black – and was able to alternate them for my first year of teaching. So shoes that are comfy and look nice became a yearly priority for me. And now I’m not afraid to spend a bit extra to get lasting comfort for the day.

Another foot discovery that I made came when I started traveling a lot. When I travel, I end up walking a lot. I love walking. I can walk all day if my feet are happy. And that’s when I found out that socks can be just as important (if not moreso) than shoes. I need wick-away socks to help prevent blister formation and my favorite are Fox River’s wick-dry cross-training socks. They’re expensive too, alas. REI has them for $7.50. And that’s one of the better prices out there for those socks.

So today was my Fairborn Shopping Day. I go every couple of months or so to pick up my Doctor Who Magazine and Dreamwatch from the Bookery. I then headed for the Mall at Fairfield Commons and decided to look for Chaco sandals. Amy (who now works for REI) had suggested that I get Chacos when I asked her for the best sandals for my feet. I love my Birkenstocks, but they aren’t the best for standing around all day.

Most of the shoe stores that I went into either didn’t have Chacos or know what I was talking about when I asked. But The Walking Place had ’em. And I got a knowledgeable salesperson to help me. We talked of Birks and Chacos and Fox River socks (ah, it’s nice to find someone who speaks your own language). Turns out they had some Fox River socks ($9 and $10 a pair – gah!) there as well. I tried on women’s size 11 (that’s 42 in European, 8 in UK mens) which had a toe thong and men’s size 9 which didn’t. The men’s shoe was a little wider so I went with it. $95 for the pair! (And since I got home, I found out that’s the same price as the online places. And it’s cheaper than Mephisto shoes, which I hope someday to get up the nerve to buy.)

I checked out their Fox River selection while I was there and they had my favorite socks. Those were the $9 ones. But they also had Fox River socks in other colors! I’d never seen such a thing! So I got a pair of reddish socks ($10) and a pair of my favorites too. Now I need to send Amy some money and have her buy me some more Fox River socks at REI and use her store discount. 😉

When I got home, I tried on the new sandals and walked to Granny’s (where she had an opportunity to vent for awhile) and then home again. I like ’em! Now if only the ones with the cool purple straps were available in size 11 wide (the color’s only available in women’s). The ones I got, BTW, are the basic black.

Apart from lunch at the Olive Garden and the purchase of a Flash MX book at Narn’s Ignoble, the rest of the day was pretty uneventful. I like a nice relaxing Saturday. Especially one where I get to treat my feet to some luxury. 🙂