Ms. Bluebird talks about one of the most important issues for female teachers:
Shoes
I am a mini-expert on this aspect of teaching. I have box-shaped feet, size 9-1/2, and REALLY suffer when my shoes aren't comfortable
I found a new shoe manufacturer that makes shoes that feel like walking on clouds. I also found them at the
Walking Company. They're
MBT brand. I bought the black sandal style, and I wear them nearly every day at work. As the sandals are suitable for dress pants and skirts, it's a no-brainer to dress in the morning.
Would SJP of SATC wear them?
Don't be ridiculous! But, she doesn't teach.
BTW, plan on spending about $250 or so for these or similar shoes. These come with an 18-month guarantee.
That sounds outrageous - however, how much do you spend on inserts? creams? podiatrists? pain meds? chiropractors (for the back that went out of alignment, in part due to aching feet and an altered stance)?
I also keep several spare pairs of shoes in a drawer at school:
- A dress pair (black) for those times when you have to talk to adults.
- A lab pair (full shoe, tie, dorky) - when you forgot you have to work in the lab.
- An old pair - for those days when I'm breaking in a new pair, but, by late in the day, my feet are killing me.
I'm also working on losing weight - that takes a tremendous load off the feet. I'm doing a high-protein diet; I've been recently scoring in the pre-diabetic range. The plus side: you get to eat a lot, and you lose fast. The minus side: sometimes I just CRAVE carbs, and I'm spending a huge amount of time racing back and forth to the bathroom (it makes you lose water weight, amoung other things).