Shoes

 People adore shores. People covet shoes. People collect shoes. People invest in shoes. People fix their feet for shoes! Not our family. Well, not so much.

We don't exactly do shoes very well. I don't find them very comfortable, so anytime I walk in the door or jump in the car, off they go. Amelia doesn't favor them at all. She would prefer to be barefoot at all times. It is very difficult to find any shoes that fit her properly.

We seem to have ordeals over shoes and where they are and if we even have shoes with us. It is a big decision to buy shoes around here because there are going to be around awhile as they are not on  feet very often. My favorite pair of Chacos are still rockin 11 years later!

Now I do have to regularly invest in running shoes and there is a very specific way that this works. They are only worn for running. They come off immediately after a run and are kept away from mud and dirt. Once I get a new pair, the former (not old) pair becomes the bum around pair.

We have some other issues with shoes. Trying to find shoes for special occasions has always been a problem. They don't exist in this house, which means we have to figure out a plan and it usually gets sort of stressful.

George had a good plan for this when we lived in England. He isn't much of a shoe fan either. He went barefoot for three weeks I'm sure. Entirely barefoot. He didn't wear shoes anywhere. We took a three day trip to Scotland -- no shoes. We walked all over Durham -- no shoes. Church -- no shoes. The pub -- no shoes. George does wear a size 13. Big and bulky.  He was busy writing so I guess that meant he didn't have to keep up with them or pack them.  He never hurt his feet. I probably made a way bigger deal about it than need be (wasn't a fan of it at first). We did get some looks. Just smile and wave - right?

Well, I recently found a plan for shoes. My dear friend Kelly wore a beautiful pair of sandals to church one Sunday. I inquired. They are Sseko Sandals. They are made by a group of Ugandan women. These women receive a fair salary, they have good working conditions, they have medical treatment and they have care for their children. One of our hang ups with shoes has been that they are cheaply made and they are made on assembly lines by poor wage workers. I went home and ordered a pair right away. They are beautiful. I can switch out the ribbons and the way I wear them. They can be fancy or simple. They are wonderfully comfortable.

Amelia decided they looked fairly easy to make, so we set to work. We managed a pair out of ribbon and cardboard. We have some improvements to make but we haven't given up making our own sandals!

If you have a chance, or if you need a pair of sandals, please check out http://ssekodesigns.com