For the Love of Torturous Footwear

Ihave a confession. I will gladly forego the future use of my feet, for the pleasure of wearing beautiful shoes now.

And unfortunately, on my budget, beautiful shoes are not necessarily well made or foot friendly shoes. Sometimes they are fifteen dollars and glued together with no hope of lasting long enough to get broken in. Sometimes they have lots of pretty straps that eventually become the equivalent to 'foot bondage' after the feet have swollen considerably over the course of a long car show stroll. And more often than not, they are available in a size that doesn't quite fit, which means that they flop around and leave enormous blisters or my toes are uncomfortably scrunched into submission over the duration of said 'hike'.

A few times a year, I brave the above aches and pains for the sake of beauty...and I do it for several days at a stretch. One of those times is the upcoming Viva Las Vegas ROckabilly Weekender, which is starting on April 1. So I thought I'd share some of my personal 'tools' and tricks that I use to get me as much comfort as possible throughout the acres of casino walking, feigned jiving, and car show posing.

1.First and foremost, I pack a BUNCH of shoes. The reason for this is not only for vanity's sake (as in, the perfect pair of shoes for the perfect outfit), but also I find that if I take alot of pairs of shoes, I seldom have a blister in the same place. Sick, I know. But if you have worn those glorious strappy sandals for what the pedometer claims is six miles, and have developed a nasty blister on the piggy that went to market, then won't it be nice to have a nice 'comfy' pair of plain old pumps that will give him some added room? Sure, the other toes may scream at you for your inconsideration but at least that one aching appendage has some 'breathing space'.

2. I also make sure to spray down my feet w/ spray deodorant before any significant amount of walking. The lack of sweat equals a significantly reduced amount of chafe. For 'hot spots', carry a pad of moleskin in your purse and a small pair of scissors. Cut the moleskin to fit the patch and you'll have a much better protection from that inevitable blister than a plain ol' bandaid.


3. Ball of Foot cushions are made by a number of companies, including Dr Scholls. They're excellent for that impact that gets more severe as the miles progress. Make sure to get the ones that have a gripping surface but not an adhesive, so you can switch then from shoe to shoe. The adhesive ones also leave a nasty residue behind that is difficult to remove. Heel Liners are handy for shoes that are slightly too big. There are 'gel' varieties that are also very comfortable. And then of course,there are plain ol' insoles which I find work better for flat shoes than heels.

4. Once the blister develops, clean it up as best you can and apply one of Bandaid Brand's Blister Ampoules to the sore. They're the best of their kind and they stay on through showering and swimming, for the most part.

5. Included in that vast plethora of shoes that I bring, are several pairs of flats. If all else fails, you can slip on a little pair of chinamans or ballet flats to save your dogs from any more barkin'. I usually plan a few outfits that look good with flat shoes just to switch up between the ones that 'require' heels.

6. Lastly, drink a beer...or two. And remember that in spite of any discomfort you may feel...your feet have beautiful coffins in which to meet their end. :)


(shoes by pin up girl clothing)

*'Devil Shoe' Graphic by Alex Pearson of Familytree:Design +Illustration