I need to update my list of 20 or so pairs of shoes I’ve worn since I started walking in service to others. It’s February, 2024, and I need bigger shoes! There’s a pun there, I know! Something about “those are some big shoes to fill”. Hmm. Maybe my own purpose is getting bigger, so I need bigger shoes?? Anyway, since that time walking on the Continental Divide Trail in 2013 when my shoes felt just too small and I bought a pair of used Reeboks with pink trim in a second-hand store in a trail town, my shoe size has increased again!
My Oboz Sawtooth shoes are still in good shape, but they feel toooo tight! Last fall, as I was walking through my nearby WalMart, I saw their shoes. “Wow! These Avia shoes are just $20? They actually look and feel pretty comfy and supportive. I’ll give them a try!” They’ve actually worked out pretty well. I even wore them for my two days’ walk on the Benton MacKaye Trail in north Georgia in November. They worked.
My sister gave me a cash gift for Christmas. I always want to use cash gifts to buy something I want and haven’t been willing to get for myself. Shoes, I thought! I’ll go get a new pair of Oboz! Well, instead, I followed a lead for a sale on Altra Lone Peak 8 running shoes. They arrived! I like their big toe box and cushy feel. The first time I walked with them on a trail I felt really connected to the earth, like walking safely barefoot. I guess I’ll wear these for my next miles!