Sunday 25 January 2009

Of Men And Shoes

In some respects the Paramour and I buck the gender trends. In others, we're right on target. Take footwear. He has four pairs: trainers (summer wear), sandals (hot weather wear), boots (winter wear), and some black shoes for those occasional occasions. When one pair of any of those wears out, he scours the Internet for the same make and model, or as near as he can get, and buys them online.

I, however, have, er, not quite sure how many pairs, um, it's not like I have a separate wardrobe for them or anything but, well, I do have quite a few pairs of different types of footwear. Not as many as I would have if I didn't have size 9 feet - but several high street stores are now stocking shoes for Bigfoot Woman, so it's getting easier to find them. As a result, when one pair of mine wears out, what do I do? I go shopping. And you know what else? Sometimes I go shopping even when I haven't had a pair of shoes wear out recently.

Like the time I found myself in a factory surplus outlet type shop with an astonishing variety of good quality shoes at ridiculously cheap prices. I had a lovely time trying on all sorts of different ones, and ended up with three pairs of sandals and one pair of trainers for just £47. Not bad, eh?

I came home and proudly told the Paramour about my terrific haul.

'Four pairs of shoes!' I crowed. 'For £47! That's, er, not much per pair!'

He gave me the most withering look you can imagine and said, in utterly scathing tones,

'Have you counted your feet lately?'

Oh dear. He really doesn't get it, does he?

13 comments:

Jen said...

Men! I rarely buy shoes but do buy expensive ones.

Lovely bf admires them before asking, every bloody time, "Are they Bluetooth ready?".

*Sigh*

HelenMWalters said...

I don't really do the shoe thing - partly because of a very painful operation I had on one foot a few years ago which means I can only go for really comfortable ones and partly because I'm just not very girly about that kind of thing. I think I'm missing the shopping gene.

Jenny Beattie said...

Ha, I love it.

I love shoes but I don't do girly, heely numbers. I like comfortable shoes - for heaven's sake I grew up during a Doc Marten wave. I do buy cute with a kitten heel once in a million but then they sit in my wardrobe unworn because, well, they aren't very comfortable, are they?

Campers are my favourite.

Queenie said...

Spiral, LOL! Helen, ouch. I hope you can find shoes that meet your needs. JJ: I don't do heels either, yes there's the comfort factor but also I'm tall enough as it is.

Shane said...

I think to point out to someone that having 8 feet isn't ordinary, and to do it in such a lithe, blithe way, is really harsh. It's this sort of thing that creates the bread and butter work for Foot Psychologists. My grandmother had 8 feet, so I know how hard it must be for you - choosing appropriate footwear combinations. And when you get old, your feet will swell up at different rates - that's when it gets really complicated.

Karen said...

Boots are my 'thing' but oddly Lovely Husband has almost as many items of footwear as I do. He's a size 13 and recently discovered the joys of buying online after years of not being able to find decent footwear in the shops, and has gone slightly mad :o)

Sherri said...

I don't really 'do' shoes either, and my husband has more pairs (and more expensive ones!) than me. Occasionally I do get all girly and buy some really pretty shoes even though they hurt, but the pain of sending them to the charity shop unworn several years later is too much for me. I had a clear out at the weekend and I still keep looking in the bag wondering whether I should take one particular pair out again. I have told myself that the shoes will be happier being put to their proper purpose by someone with more tolerant feet than I have, but they're really pretty...

Queenie said...

Shane, if you're descended from an octopus, that explains a lot. Karen: awwww! Bernadette: maybe you should hang on to them - until the next time you have a clear-out!

Pat said...

Tall girls don't need heels - lucky lot. I think those of us who do buy more that one pair a decade are constantly looking for the ideal pair. I'm pretty happy with Aigle light weight boots with trousers or Teva sandals in summer (and in house) 2 pairs of smartish boots and one pair of black heels and you can tell Smarty Pants that I have 2 happy feet. (I like his style:))

Queenie said...

PI, happy feet are a good thing to have.

Anonymous said...

"He really doesn't get it, does he? "

Me neither! I'm with the Paramour. shoes are for separating your feet from the floor. That is all. ;o)

Queenie said...

Clare, not for keeping them warm or dry, then? Not even a bit? ;o)

Anonymous said...

Well duh, it's the floor that's cold and wet, isn't it? ;o)