The Blessings of a Woman with an Entire Collection of Comfortable Shoes
The height of the COVID-19 pandemic, like so many difficult parts of life, is probably not something many of us would want to re-live. But Americans used it to improve parts of our everyday, and several of those changes have been adopted long term. We now know that remote work can be beneficial for employees and employers, we can depend on mRNA vaccines to prevent serious illnesses, and—a lesson near and dear to my heart—many women in America will never go back to daily teetering in high heeled shoes.
Our younger colleagues and friends are leading the way, pairing stylish and comfortable sneakers with workwear, and my personal favorite, prom dresses! Women of mid-age are happily sticking to flats, seeing a resurgence of Mary Janes and embracing the classic Oxford. Our mothers have paired “tennies” with all outfits, from traditional athletic shoes to sleek name brand sneakers in multiple colorways. Go, Mom/Grandma!
This is a practice I have personally been building for quite some time. When I was in my toughest and most time-consuming assignments as a national security professional, I declared that I would preserve my sanity, time, and physical body by “dressing like a man.” I was constantly proclaiming to everyone who would listen that I was less frigid in the office and my feet never hurt. Plus, I acquired a fun sock collection that genuinely gave me joy every morning at a time when every little bit counted. My tag line even proved to be factually accurate when I once wore the same Oxford/sneaker hybrid as an extremely senior official in an extremely senior meeting, eliciting a fist bump from him when I stuck my foot out to demonstrate.
More than a year of being inside our own homes, barefoot or in slippers, and traveling or working in masks that were restrictive and uncomfortable, paired with a world ready to move away from the formalities and uniforms of the past, has freed us from the tyranny of the teeter. It even spurred one of the most prolific inventors of our time to bring a new, more standable (literally) product to market that has been embraced by many a famous lady. Now, don’t get me wrong, if short queens and pop queens (you do you, Taylor!) have cultivated the ankle strength and toe comfort to be able to continue their heeled journeys, they should live their lives. But for me, and surely so many others, the freedom and fun that an entire collection of comfortable shoes brings is an unexpected gift from some of the darkest times of this decade.
I sometimes worry that it took a highly disruptive global event that even cancelled the Olympics (!) to help me make a change that I’ve enjoyed so much. But, sometimes we need spotlights shone on things that are widely accepted to understand they aren’t good for some of us individually and a whole system to be turned upside down to find the permission within ourselves and the world we live in to be free to do the thing. At Exhausted Girl, we want to offer that permission to women who need it. You are free to choose you and take time for your own relaxation, discernment, or simply disconnection with us. We’ve been there, and we’ve got you.
