Shoes with a frostbite feature

One of the purchases I made on the car show shopping trip was a new pair of shoes.  Black, buckle on the toe, stacked wedge heel – perfection.  I couldn’t wait to wear them and figured last Wednesday’s book study would be a perfect place for their premier appearance.  Only problem: I forgot I live in Michigan.

Y’all, I have an issue with what shoes to wear here in the winter.  I mounted my own silent protest the first five winters and stubbornly insisted on wearing clogs and mules and all my other completely impractical-for-the-snow shoes. And for the first five winters I consistently complained about my frozen toes.  But this winter I’ve turned a corner. Seems it finally dawned on me that I can control how cold my feet are.  For the most part I’ve finally quit wearing backless shoes in the snow because I am sick of my socks getting wet.  Two weeks ago I actually got a storage tub and loaded it with what I’m now calling my summer shoes – sandals, clogs, espadrilles, slingbacks – anything that won’t look good with thermal socks had to go.  

But these new shoes were just begging to be worn!  And they looked best without a sock.  And yes, it was cold, but the snow wasn’t fresh and I was sure the church parking lot would be plowed and besides, I’d only be outside for a quick minute as I walked to and from the church.  Before long I’d convinced myself they were the only logical footwear option I had.  (I can rationalize anything when it comes to wearing new shoes.)  So I put them on and headed out the door.

Big mistake.  Big.  For two reasons:  First, the room my group meets in is, apparently, the only room in the church that’s not heated.  Second, it started snowing, and kept snowing, during the entire morning.  As I watched the snow fall, all I could think about was how dadgum cold my feet already were and how much colder they were going to be when I had to stand by my car and scrape the snow from the windows.  And I didn’t have Michael with me so I knew I’d be de-snowing my car all by myself. 

And that’s when I started looking around the room, noticing the footwear of my fellow group members:

Everyone – and I mean everyone – had on boots or some other shoe with a good sole and warm socks.  And all these ladies are either from Michigan or have been here lots longer than I. 

I would like to say I learned my lesson.  But I really, really like those new shoes.  So I wore them again on Friday, but this time with a trouser sock.  No dice – still chilly toes. 

I can’t bring myself to put the new shoes in the storage bin, but I am putting them way back in the closet and moving my boots to the front. 

Sweet, new shoes, please know you will get your day in the sun.  But you’ll have to wait until the sun is actually out.  And warm.