Lens Artist Photo Challenge #161 – Feet and Shoes

I love this topic because I grew up as a barefoot girl in south Florida, but have had to learn to wear many types of shoes since then. This past year I learned how important feet and shoes are because I suffered from an achilles tendon injury that took several months of therapy, and new shoes, to heal.

After growing up in Florida I lived in New Hampshire, USA for 25 years, raising my family there. It was hard to let go of the flip flop lifestyle, but freezing toes gave way to boots in the end.

Boots and I never got along very well, they were just a messy salt encrusted necessety for digging my car out of snow in winter. As soon as spring came they were hidden away.

The boots below are not mine but I snapped the shot at an antique show while traveling. I thought it was a fitting use for worn out boots.

I struggle with wearing closed shoes as my feet feel smothered and claustriphobic. So most of my shoes end up being sandals or open toe and sling-backs. Generally I struggle a lot to find comfortable shoes that I enjoy wearing so my shoes range from second hand finds to more money than I want to spend.

While dealing with my achilles tendon problem I had to wear high heels all day for 3 months, even at home. That was a real struggle since I never wear heels and I usually go barefoot at home. I bought very expensive orthopedic sandals with 1.5 inch heels which I wore for 4 months, and now they sit in my closet.

What a relief to walk barefoot again!

But I’ve also learned my lesson. Feet are important and so are supportive shoes, and weather and terrain appropriate shoes. I still love going barefoot around the house and at the beach, but the flip flops stay on the balcony (with the occasional hail or other random weather conditions here in AU).

No more cliff hiking in sandles, not even my Taos. I finally found a pair of closed shoes I can live with.

Thanks to Ann-Christine for hosting this week’s Lens-Artists challenge #161