If the Shoe Fits....

If you're going to train for 28 weeks and cap it off by walking 60 miles you might as well get some new shoes out of the deal, right? We decided that our first purchase better be a good pair of shoes, so mom and I spent a decent portion of Saturday morning making best friends with the guys at the Georgetown RunTex. Many of you know that mom has NEVER met a stranger, and this was no exception!

We explained that we needed some running/walking shoes and that we would be putting a LOT of miles on those bad boys over the next 8 months. If only it were that easy! Mom proceeded to tell him that "This and this is where it hurts when I play tennis." Pointing to spots A and B. "And this is where I need lots of support," pointing to spots C and D. And, oh by the way, we need them to be CUTE! James and Donny (our new BFFs) chuckled only slightly and accepted the challenge of finding us the perfect pair of shoes.

After watching us walk and measuring every possible place to measure on our foot, the "trying on" began. Y'all, I have a weird foot. My foot is wide and I have a really high arch. Can SOMEBODY make a cute shoe for people with wide feet and high arches? Somebody?? Every shoe that came out for me was practically a space boot. A space boot with lots of orange. Mom, on the other hand, had every cute shoe in the world to choose from because she didn't need a wider width. Some girls have all the luck.

I did have one decent looking pair of shoes that I tried on, but James told me that I HAD to choose my final shoe based on comfort and not looks. I tried on about 6 pairs of shoes and found my perfect match. And they were the UGLY ones! I told James that I think I grew up a little bit during that process...you know, choosing the ugly shoes over the cuter shoes simply based on the extra padding in the heel.

James moved on to mom, and he had no idea his fun was only beginning. She tried on a lot of the same shoes I did, but had more to choose from because she doesn't have such a high maintenance foot! James told her the same thing he told me, "Choose based on comfort, not looks. If we get down to 2 shoes that are equally comfortable then and ONLY then, you can choose based on looks." OK, James. Simmer down! So mom started trying on....and trying on...and when James wasn't looking she opened the box of admittedly the ugliest shoes EVER. I wouldn't have bought them if they had been made of clouds! She gently shut the box and pretended the whole thing never happened. James came back over and mom had selected what she deemed to be the perfect shoe for her! Victory!

As James was packing up all the boxes, he opened the box with the hideous shoes still neatly in their place. He said, "Oh, did you try these? I didn't see them on you." Mom hesitated for a moment as I was deeply curious of what excuse she would use, and then she sighed and said, "James, I'm going to be honest with you because we're friends now. I didn't try those on because I can tell you right now I wouldn't wear shoes that ugly."

She did always tell me that honestly is the best policy. Love it. And we LOVE RunTex! Our new shoes are SO comfy and I know they will serve us well. So when you see me walking around Austin with my Oklahoma State Cowboys orange and black shoes please don't point and laugh. Know that I made that fashion decision based on comfort and not the opinions of others!

She swears these weren't all her boxes. That some were left from the woman before her. I swear they are all hers!

Mom trying on the cute shoe that I turned down for the comfortable shoe....

James. Our super friendly, "shoe-law abiding", shoe fitter extraordinaire! (Who bears a striking resemblance to Woody Harrelson!)

"Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes" ~ Jack Handey