I've been curious about the phenomenon of minimalist footwear for a while. When I was younger, the bottoms of my feet leatherized during the summer months from all the running around on hot pavement, gravel trails, etc. (It snowed in the winter and I had to wear shoes...although there was that one memorable time when I tried to walk back from a dance at French camp to my cabin and froze the tootsies so badly that I couldn't get my boots on even when I tried: it was too dark to see and they were too numb to feel. The defrosting process, however, can be exquisitely felt.) I broke down a couple of weeks ago and ordered a pair of shoes with toes, i.e., they're cut to fit each toe individually -- like a glove as opposed to a mitten -- and have a flexible heel that allegedly uses the foot's own anatomy to absorb shocks. Supporters say it creates a more natural gait, promotes good posture, and reduces injuries. I don't have any injuries, per se, but I have a pissy ACL in one knee and, moreover, I thought I might enjoy "barefoot" shoes. Return to childhood and whatnot.
They arrived yesterday and I eventually figured out how to finagle each little piggy into its respective tunnel. It's reminiscent of wearing toe socks, except with less flexibility. Also, I have freakishly long toes -- no, really, FREAKISHLY long toes! -- and a Morton's foot, so my tootsies doesn't precisely conform to the model. I have the sensation of...webbing?...and an empty space at the end of the "big toe" slot. That said, they're surprisingly comfortable -- so far, at least. I read that I need to train my muscles to walk in them and that I should break them in gradually to avoid pain/injury. Really? From walking? Oh, right, this is America. We're out of practice here. (Since this is my second Americans-are-lazy-asses statement in a week or so, I'll take the opportunity to declare that I LOVE living here for so many reasons, and I love the privilege of driving, and eating what I want when I want, and not being expected to obey my husband or conceal myself behind swaths of figure- and feature-disguising fabric. But I wouldn't be very American at all if I didn't feel compelled to exercise that whole first amendment thingy.) In short, the initial phase of the minimalist shoe experiment is going auspiciously.
This weekend is Labor Day, and I get to visit my grandma. Actually, I get to visit 20-odd family members -- or maybe it's 20 odd-family members -- but right now I'm focused on Gma. She's well into her late 80s and still going, going, going. She and my gpa still live in and maintain their own house, and remain active in their church, community, and family. Gma is maybe my favorite person in the world. I spent A GREAT DEAL of time with her growing up, and learned many valuable things about gardening, (sustainably) picking flowers, NOT picking on siblings, enjoying afternoon snacks and dessert, accepting people just as they are, forgiving people for their mistakes (even when those involve killing your child), making lefse, making popcorn (it is an ART in her kitchen), baking cookies and cinnamon rolls, the importance of teamwork, picking battles, how to know when to "cool your jets!" that sneaking candy into the movie theater is delightfully naughty, that cuddling can't fix everything but it sure can make it a whole lot better, that family is perhaps the most valuable resource in my life, and that the threat of the wooden spoon is often more powerful than actually being whacked with it. She's been an overwhelmingly positive influence on my life and it does not escape me that I'm beyond lucky to have her still in my life as an adult (sort of). So...the cost of a weekend trip to visit is negligible. I'll have to remember that when I'm paying off my credit card at the end of the month. :)
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