People who know me know I’m not a woman who’s particularly obsessed with shoes. I haven’t bought a new pair in months, and I tend to wear my favourites into the ground, sometimes for years on end.
But the really great pairs of shoes are always the ones that are the hardest to part with or to replace.
About five years ago, I found the perfect pair of sandals. They cost next to nothing, were made of synthetic materials so I didn’t have to worry about getting them ruined. They had high heels but low enough to be comfortable. They dressed up virtually any skirt or pants enough to be able to go out in the evening, but were comfortable enough to walk long distances in. They matched every outfit and never seemed to go out of style.
Since then, they’ve been stepped on, had beer spilled on them, been packed in all sorts of bags, crushed, frozen, heated, and destroyed in any way you can think of. They survived most of this surprisingly well, but even the best shoes wear out eventually and these are starting to show their age. Threads are unravelling and the faux-leather isn’t looking quite as black as it used to.
The trouble is, I can’t seem to replace them. I’ve looked everywhere and been unable to find anything similar anywhere.
I wish I’d had known then that these were the perfect shoes. I would’ve bought two or three pairs and worn them forever. But for now, I just keep wearing the worn-out ones. Somewhere, the next pair of perfect shoes is waiting for me to find them. I wish I knew where.