Tuesday, September 30, 2014

The Ugly Shoes

Sometime in the very early part of this pregnancy, my left foot got all jacked up. Specifically, the bottom heel of my left foot. At first I thought I had just pulled a muscle and I figured I'd just try to keep off my feet as much as I could for awhile (HAHAHAHA) until it healed itself.

Nope.

Then it was summer and I thought maybe my sandals were making my feet hurt and if I spent a few days wearing my running shoes, my foot would heal itself.

Nope again.

Though there was no denying the fact that the days I tried to wear sandals were the days the pain went all the way from my heal up my leg and into my back, rendering me more or less crippled. And on the days when I wore my running shoes, while not pain-free for my foot, I could at least walk without limping.

This is why I now wear my running shoes every day, all day. And I HATE IT. Because running shoes are just . . . ugly.

Unless I'm actually running or exercising (which I am not now, ever), wearing these shoes just makes me feel sloppy. And although I am the last person to offer myself as a sacrifice on the alter of fashion, I also don't like looking sloppy. So every day I schlep through the day in my maternity jeans and running shoes, feeling like a caricature of a frumpy mom.

But since the alternative is not being able to schlep at all, I wear the damn shoes. And cross my fingers, toes, and eyes that whatever this foot issue is, it will disappear after this baby is born so I can once again wear some non-sporty shoe.

8 comments:

edh said...

Oh dear, google plantar fasciitis. It sucks, I'm so sorry. Sadly, ugly shoes are the right choice, also stretching the calf muscles, and ice. Good luck.

tu mere said...

How about having a doctor look at it, just to see if there's anything else you might be able to do to help. Wish we could have kept the kids for that instead of Mia's doctor visit.

Plantar fasciitis sounds plausible; family members have had that and would be more than happy to share their stories of pain, suffering, and healing, if that's the case.

Anonymous said...

Plantar fasciitis---- go to a good shoe store and try on all the shoes that tout good arch support. If one helps, try to buy something from that company online for a low price. I spent last winter in Dansko clogs due to plantar fasciitis. I finally got rid of it by aggressively exercising my quite high arch in bare feet. (I know your winter weather precludes much barefoot activity).
I also despise sneakers- running shoes, whatever they are.

Anonymous said...

It's worth going to the doctor who might be able to give you exercises to help. Mary in MN

Anonymous said...

Arrgh. Plantar faciiatis it is. Fought that for six months and still have to wear sloppy tennis shoes way too often - and no cool sandles (just uuuuugly croc sandles). I got plastic heel cups that helped a lot and my awesome, life-saving orthotics.

My shoe inserts have saved my life. I wear them for work, and if I have a few days without work, I can feel my foot starting to twinge.

I am so sorry. That sucks. Worth a dr appt if you can get the made for you show inserts tho! Seriously saved me.

-moi

Daisy said...

Look into orthotics - the doctor prescribed, custom made kind. Mine make a huge difference.

Anonymous said...

Orthotics will doom you to sneakers unless your arches are very flat. I used heel cups the first time I had it and they helped greatly. Also, then, wearing shoes with a slight lift at the heel (no completely flat shoes) helped. However, the 2nd time, none of these were effective and my arches were too high to stick orthotics into any shoes I wanted to wear. The dr. wasn't much help; I had to figure out what worked mostly on my own.

flask said...

i now wear hiking boots everywhere i go.

including civilized dinners at restaurants.

because foot pain.

turns out a good orthotic helps, but it's the hiking boots or agony.

i've given up.