Shoe issues

I am having a shoe crisis. This crisis has actually been going on since the late months of my pregnancy. Back then my feet had swollen so much that the only shoes I could get my little piggies into were my black Merrell sandals. This was fine until the days and nights started getting cooler in the Fall. I bought a cheapie pair of black sporty walk around shoes with velcro straps to get me by until baby arrived and the piggies went back to a normal size.

I suffered the winter with a mediocre pair of boots and now I'm back to the sporty walk around shoes. I have a couple of pairs of dressier shoes at home in Toronto, but I couldn't bring a lot to Winnipeg. I did bring a great pair of low burgandy dress boots to Winnipeg. I've had these boots for at least four years and have loved the heck out of them. They've finally bit the dust here in Winnipeg and I'm scrambling!

Do you know how hard it is to shop for shoes with a baby in tow? It's a sloooooooooow process for sure. There are small windows of opportunity for a mom with a baby and my windows allow me to visit about three stores in one mall before they start to close (the windows, not the stores). Given that my window includes travel time to the mall AND changing and feeding baby before we even walk out the door, not much shopping can take place once we are there. I consider these trips research mostly.

I've become a bit of a shoe critic. I check the soles for grip factor. I examine linings. Are they glued in or stitched? I feel for pressure points when I try them on. I now know that I prefer a wider shoe and these are not easily found. I also believe that many people wear shoes that hurt their feet. I just can't do it.

I need a pair of shoes that are not dressy-dressy AND are not athletic, dress down casual. I need the in-between shoe. The shoe to dress up my jeans. The shoe to go with my khakis. Hopefully it is something I could walk a couple of kilometers in without hurting my feet since Hubby and I enjoy walking in Toronto.

I believe that I may have to start paying more for shoes that are better quality and fit.

Stay tuned for more shoe search updates.