As you may know, if you’ve breathlessly followed my medical issues detailed here, I have recently been admonished to wear only supportive shoes because I have completely fucked up my entire left leg with my bad, bad habit of wearing flat and unsupportive shoes. I’d heard this before, of course, but until I started undergoing Very Painful Therapy, I didn’t take it as seriously as I should.
Well, spend an hour or so twice a week having someone poke and prod at your scar tissue and adhesions (that run from hip to knee), and you’ll straighten up right quick.
The good news with regard to the Very Painful Therapy is that it’s almost done. After only, what, four weeks? I can kneel, squat and sit cross-legged without pain, I have a fully functional knee, my hip no longer hurts, and the limp I didn’t even realize I had has disappeared. My left foot’s even facing all the way forward when I walk. It’s odd not to kick my right ankle when I walk, or drag my left leg.
But I had to rethink my shoe choices, and that meant buying some supportive yet closed shoes (and thank you all for your ideas). I despaired of ever finding the midsummer sandals I wanted in this gawdawful heat. And then I found these. I even got them cheaper than the Zappos price at Harry’s Shoes. And, my word, they are comfortable. Not just along the arch, but the thong strap doesn’t dig whatsoever.
Heaven!
It was a comfort kind of shopping trip — I started off at Harry’s, then got my new bras at the Town Shop (which is really about the only place in Manhattan I can find bras to cover my gargantuan breasts), then actually set foot in a Talbot’s for the first time in 10 years (the clothes seemed so awful to me back then) and got a very cute skirt and linen shirt.
My god. I shopped at Talbot’s. What does that say about me?
My friend Stella from the uber-cool GLASS EYE just went on a big shopping spree at Talbot’s, and the clothes she got are Very Happening. I think Talbot’s has changed, honestly. Very good quality clothes.
The Town Shop link is currently broken, I’m afraid.
Fixed!
Flashback time: When I was in college I went through a year of physical therapy after a dance injury. Very painful, getting poked like that, but I just had to mention here that the most valuable thing coming out of the experience was LEARNING HOW TO WALK.
Most people don’t even know how to walk properly. We hobble about on our pegs like they’re stilts, roll on the outsides of our feet, and waddle around like ducks. I was a DANCER and wasn’t even doing it right!
My physical therapist would spend hours on the floor of her office helping people to walk correctly: Weight evenly balanced on three points on the feet (middle of the heel, and either side of the balls) and pushing off with the balls of the feet, legs extended FULLY to the back with each step. It should feel powerful.
I have had five knee surgeries, and feel like I’m stuck in glorified sneakers known as walking shoes. Which of course means always wearing pants. If you’ve got some ideas on non sneaker supportive shoes, I’d love to find out where you found them, especially if they are non clunky/ugly