#SOL22 #27
As my eyes dri
fted around the circle of women, I was flabbergasted to realize I was one of only two wearing cute footwear with a heel. The rest were adorned in lovely clothing paired with flats, many of them utilitarian as opposed to attractive. Now, I am a total fan of comfortable shoes, and am most often found in my sneakers or Birkenstocks. Nonetheless, I imagine that many of these women are wearing their sensible shoes because they feel wearing heels will lead to an embarrassing turned ankle or tumble.
As I observed this scene, it renewed my commitment to keeping physically fit. As we age, we tend to lose muscle mass, balance, and mobility. But, it’s not a foregone conclusion. With consistent effort, we can immensely slow down the process and retain a lot of our youthfulness.
I’m off to yoga followed by kettlebells. I plan to be dancing in my high heels at 99.
I had to wear stiletto heels and pointed toed shoes for a job I had. For some reason that put me off heels pretty much for ever. Give me comfort every time, not really thinking about twisted ankles…!!
I am sure many women feel the same! I certainly don’t wear heels all the time, and seldom stilettos anymore. I recently saw the following quote regarding Lily Collins, the actress who stars in Emily in Paris: “The actress, 33, added that if the show were to continue filming a spinoff in other cities, she would prefer that her character wear flats instead of heels, jokingly calling the show, “Emily in Flats.” She says she was seeing a podiatrist every week during filming.
This kind of focus (on heels) is a lovely Slice, a noticing of something that we might not otherwise take the time to write and think about beyond a casual thought.
Kevin
Thanks, Kevin. Definitely “slicing” has improved my focus on really small “scenes” in my life.
I’m parsing your slice’s last two sentences and verifying that the yoga and kettlebells will not be undertaken in high heels. Rather, those are vehicles to develop your balance and strength for high-heeled dancing for years to come. Have I got that right? 😉
Hahaha! Yes, your parsing is correct. My preferred footwear for both yoga and kettlebells is bare feet. Or socks, if you must. 🙂
No heels for me! I have all sorts of feet issues…. stem from my ballet years.
Yikes! I hope you have some great memories from those ballet years.
I’ve always had wonky feet that will not tolerate cute shoes, unfortunately. I try anyway though.
My feet are somewhat wonky, as well, as I have a wide forefoot and narrow heel. I refuse to wear uncomfortable shoes, so I buy only what fits well, and if I have to pay extra $$$, so be it. Thank goodness for Zappos!
I wonder though if “practical” shoes are a pandemic effect. I don’t just see older women in “sensible” shoes–seems like athletic shoes go with everything these days! Yoga, kettlebells, and dancing in high heels…you have the right idea!
Oh, absolutely all ages wear “sensible” shoes, and as a society we are ever more casual in our attire. Part of it for me (and I probably should have included this in my slice) is that heels (on occasion, on my terms) make me feel powerful. I’m not sure why… “these boots are made for walking…?”