Shoe Blues

On my quest towards better health, I think it's a good idea to inform other rather portly people of some of the issues you will encounter that no one warns you about.  We've already discussed pain (summery: It happens and it's bad).  Now it's time to talk about a matter than is mundane, yet fundamental at the same time. I'm talking about shoes.

Shoes are a difficult thing for fat people.  Okay, most things are difficult for us, but shoes are pretty high up there. Because shoes come in standard sizes, with only slight variations in width, about 99% of all shoes out there won't fit me. The problem is that my feet are wider than the wide width. They're also frequently swollen. Because of this, it becomes not just a matter of width of the foot, but also depth of the foot.

I foot measures about an 8. However, because of the width/depth issues, no size 8 will fit me, even in their assumed 'WW' sizes. Because of this, I have to get shoes longer than my foot just to compensate for the width/depth. Most often, I have to go several sizes larger, which means my foot slides around in my shoes, usually resulting in the smashing of my toes. Shoes at this size are usually ugly, clunky, and sad. They are never comfortable.

Because I'm poor, the shoes are also cheap. Actually, this isn't just a matter of being poor. More expensive shoes tend to be even more Nazi about sizing than the cheap ones do. This is unfortunate, because more expensive shoes offer far better construction and last longer.

Of course, construction hasn't really been that much of an issue.  I knew my shoes were cheap, but I never had them on my feet for very long (see: ugly, clunky, and sad), I usually don't walk that far, and only put them on when absolutely necessary. My cheap shoes still usually lasted me a while.

I'm walking more now, in fact, walking daily for exercise. The walk is intense.  It doesn't last very long . . . not yet, anyway, but it's still way more walking than I've done in years.   And so now, my cheap shoes are becoming a problem. The cheap shoes were designed with the sedentary large person in mind.  Yes, they can take some pressure, but not that often and not for very long. They really weren't designed to be walked in daily by some fat girl. Because of this, they're falling apart.

So . . . if you are a heavy person who decides to start a routine of walking, keep in mind that moving a lot of weight around in shoes is very hard on said shoes. Walk for a month to let the routine become habit.  Once you know you're going to stick with it, invest in the best shoes you can afford. Now, you may not be able to afford much.  If you can't, just keep in mind that your shoes are going to experience a lot of wear on them. Keep an eye on them and note any damages. You don't want to be in the middle of a walk and almost trip because the back part of your shoe decides to break free (totally did not happen to me today).

HOWEVER . . . please take my advice and wait a month before you make any investments.  Do not be one of these people who decides they will now work out and spends hundreds on gear . . . only to lose interest within a few days. Make sure the work out is really something you are going to stick with before you turn this into a big financial investment. Otherwise, you just may end up still as fat, but with less money. No one wants that.