Shoes seem like such a trivial issue for girls, but that doesn't make it nonexistent. Men usually have one or two pairs of shoes they choose between, but that's not the case for most women. I consider myself on the lower end of the "girly-girl" scale, and even I have at least twenty pairs of shoes. If I could, I would wear each and every pair I own. Sadly, about ¾ of them sit in my coat closet, lonely and unworn. The problem is, each of them cause a different kind of pain in the foot.
I very rarely wear heels, and it's not only because I am 5' 9" tall. My boyfriend may not like when I wear heels and stand taller than him, but I love feeling feminine and pretty when I put them on. The real problem is that my feet are literally killing me after about fifteen minutes. I wonder how there are women out there that can wear sky high heels all day without flinching. There are so many other issues that our shoes can cause, besides causing a little bit of pain. Considering how important our feet are, why are we putting them through all of this pain?
We all know that heels can cause some damage to our feet, but it's not only heels. Wearing flat shoes can be just as bad for your feet, if not worse. Flat shoes can cause your arch to fall, and can even cause plantar fasciitis. As if temporary foot pain isn't bad enough, there is possibility of long term effects. It's too bad cute shoes don't come with a warning sticker, although I doubt that would deter anyone from buying them. There are inserts you can buy to place in your shoes, that will make either heels or flats more comfortable while protecting your feet from some of the potential damage.
Wearing shoes that don't fit right, or are tight in the wrong places can cause issues as well. We all know how uncomfortable it is when you buy a new pair of shoes that rub places the wrong way, and the next think you know, you have blisters that hurt like crazy. That's not even the worst that could happen. You could end up with corns or calluses, fungus, or even bunions. These things are harder to get rid of, and cause more than just a little discomfort to your feet. Your best bet would be to go to a legit shoe store, and ask the clerk to measure your feet and give their advice on what shoes would fit you best.
Finding the perfect pair of shoes is for more than just shallow, vain reasons. Some people are only interested in finding the cutest shoes, regardless of comfort, but I think the majority of us are not like that. Personally, the challenge lies in trying to find the best fitting pair of shoes that are also very cute, and don't cause any real issues from wearing them. That might come across as a shoe addiction, especially to my boyfriend, but I don't see it that way. Women are expected to wear shoes that fit our outfits perfectly, while most men only have one or two pairs to go with whatever they wear. For the sake of women everywhere, don't patronize us for our shoe collections, because many of us are struggling with the real issue with shoes.