Adventures in Shoe Shopping

After work yesterday, I went shoe shopping by myself, for possibly the first time in my life. All the shoes I currently own where either gifts, hand me downs, or picked out by a friend. Well, nearly all... I have one pair of rather ugly brown shoes I bought because they reminded me of moccasins. (Ok, I'm sure there are probably other exceptions, but none I can think of at the moment.) And even so, most of my new shoes remain new perpetually as I generally prefer wearing the old ones and never get around to breaking them in.

But after my first two dance lessons, I found that if I'm actually going to learn this stuff, I need some real dance shoes. You know, ones that actually let your feet turn when the rest of you tries to. (I never understood those songs about blue suede shoes and putting your dancing shoes on until now, but apparently the composition of the sole actually does make a difference. Imagine that.)

Never having spent much time looking for shoes, the idea of buying a pair was naturally intimidating. Fortunately for me, I only found one store on this side of the lake that carries dance shoes, and they only have one style and color of dance shoe for beginning ballroom. (The cheaper ballroom shoes have leather soles, while the more expensive are suede.) It was still a little scary approaching a salesman and admitting to be looking for shoes, but at least I was spared any other decision besides shoe size and height of heel.

There was still the ordeal of actually trying on the shoes, something I find as pleasant as scrubbing those plates that go under the grills on the stove. New shoes never feel comfortable, and for me, it's all about the comfort. (Which is largely why I wear my favorite shoes until they are literally falling apart and well-meaning friends convince me into tossing them. Well, that and my fear of shoe salespeople.) But with such a limited selection and a strong determination to purchase a pair since I had made it thus far, I felt it only necessary to be somewhat convinced I had the right size, and hope the comfort will come after I've managed to break them in. (Unlike most of the other new shoes I've had, the dance lessons will force me to wear these enough to break them in, I hope.)

All this goes to say I am now the proud owner of a new (and rather expensive) pair of dance shoes.