Shoes are the topic of today!!! As polio survivors are aware, most have a residual of one leg/foot being smaller than the other. That brings about challenges of where to get shoes that meet all the criteria we need. It may vary from person to person, but it can revolve around shoe size/width, can you put a build up on it, can it be fitted with a brace, and I'm certain there are some things that I'm not even aware of. In sizes, I remember going through the phase of one foot being a childrens size and the other had moved on to an adult size!!! That really narrowed the field of choice. I can also remember it was really such a big deal that the black and white saddle shoes I wore (for what seemed like forever) came out with COLOR!!! Wow, I could choose from black, blue or brown saddle shoes......that was so exciting. I don't know what the cost was for my parents, but one thing I am certain of was that it was a lot of money for them, as an adult now, I can really appreciate what they were willing to do for me.
The older we have all gotten, we've most likely moved on in our own searches for shoes. I've had them custom made at times to accommodate the attachment of a brace. After I had my left ankle fused in 1989 at the age of 40, I no longer had to be concerned with the brace...I enjoyed 'playing around' with inexpensive shoes for a short time, in addition to wearing my built up ones. That was fun while it lasted. But, then I was back to the regular old hunt to find a place that had such shoes...they are out there, but they are few and far between.
Sometimes you have to buy two pair of shoes, sometimes the shoe store would give you 10 or 20% off for buying two pair of shoes (if you asked), some stores would sell them to you at the price of 1 1/2 pair of shoes. What does that mean??? Well, for those who are unaware, that means you end up spending anywhere from $150 to $200 (easily) for a pair of shoes. Now, keep in mind, this does not include any build up work that you have to have done!!! How much does that cost?? The last pair of shoes I got early this year, it cost me $100....and that was for a fairly basic build up.
Bottom line, ONE PAIR of split size shoes for a survivor can run anywhere from a minimum of $200 and up. My realistic budget has always been it was going to cost me between $300 and $400 dollars when I needed a new pair of shoes. I would guess that most polio survivors, if they are lucky, have two pair of shoes....one for every day and one for 'dressing up'. Keep in mind, dressing up does not mean 'heels' or anything 'real dressy'. They are likely a very boring, neutral colored pair that are just simply a littel different than every day.
As a child, I can remember wanting so bad a pair of cowgirl boots, so much so I would cry....yes, Dad felt bad that he couldn't do such a small thing for his daughter, but there was no way it was practical.
GOOD NEWS!!! No, I never did get the cowgirl boots...however, last fall I was reading on the Rotary International site, and some how got to an area that spoke of Nordstroms. Needless to say, I had to check it out. Nordstroms is the best. they will help you find a pair of shoes that fits both feet, and sell you the mis-mated shoes for the price of ONE PAIR.......yes, I did say One Pair. The simply send the ones you can't wear back to the manufacturer. Could hardly believe it, I got one pair of name brand tennis shoes for $100, the price everyone else paid.
Thanks Nordstroms - you are the best!!
Thanks Nordstroms - you are the best!!
