All winter I struggled to find a pair of slippers that would fit and last through the season. The first pair I bought were warm and cozy and cute. Unfortunately, they fell apart rather quickly. By early winter I had lost the lining and had to keep the sole on with bright green duct tape.
Next, I found a discounted pair of slipper-booties. They, too, were perfect, or seemed to be. But they disintegrated in record time, and eventually they had to be tossed. They were comfortable and trendy but certainly not durable.
For the last couple of months I've essentially been slipper-less, and it has thrown me, as odd as that sounds. I need something besides my socks between my feet and the cold, cold floor. I need to feel firmly planted, not sliding and unbalanced. I need the comfort and stability that slippers give my feet during these hard, cold Western New York winters.
Recently, I've been shuffling around in multiple socks or old tennis shoes. When my husband isn't home I slip into his too-big slippers that are warm with a firm rubber sole. But they make me trip over my own feet.
On Sunday I found a pair of Croc-like shoes at Ikea, and I snapped them up. We're coming into spring now, so I thought I could wear them for a bit with socks then wear them sock-less when the weather warmed up.
They don't fit.
By the end of the day yesterday my feet hurt, and my toes pinched, and I felt unmoored again. How can a simple thing like HOUSE SLIPPERS, for God's sake, make me insane all winter and spring? How can finding the right fit be so damn hard? Why did my slipper conundrum throw me into near tears? I felt so much like Cinderella's step sisters: desperate to make those stupid shoes work and willing to cut off a heel to make it happen.
Today I went to the big box store that everyone loves to hate and found a pair of house shoes that, I hope, will last at least longer than a few weeks. They are goofy and large and not very trendy at all, but they fit like glass slippers--perfectly.
This post isn't all about shoes, of course. But sometimes the things in life that are only held together by duct tape and hope are too complicated to write about while slippers, well, they are easy. They can be fixed with a few bucks and a little determination.
If only everything were that simple.
