January Purge

[rosarugosa]

"more leak than sole" - I love it!

One thing about shoes is that an ill-fitting pair can cause actual painful damage to your feet, unlike a shirt that doesn't fit well, for example. I got a corn from a pair of sandals many, many years ago. It was so painful; I remember that the sheet brushing against my foot in bed caused me pain. This was at a time in my life (the young and foolish years) where medical intervention was never sought. When I finally went to a podiatrist, he took care of the problem quickly, easily, and inexpensively, and I couldn't believe I had suffered needlessly for so long. It made enough of an impression that I have a zero-tolerance policy for any shoe discomfort, no matter how expensive the shoes might have been.

I do keep some shoes that are still comfortable but decrepit-looking to wear to Clay School, since that's a pretty messy place.

[Klunick]

Once I get home from work, I plan on going through our files and getting rid of all bills and unnecessary paperwork that accumulated Jan-Nov 2025. Fresh start for 2026! Mostly utility bills, old car insurance paperwork, etc.

[Rogar]

I decluttered a pair of shoes. I have a hard time with decluttering my indoor shoes, because they will look fine on the outside, but be uncomfortably worn on the inside. I also think the trend towards memory foam insoles expedites that process. They may be very comfy, but they don't last, and I haven't had any luck sourcing good replacement insoles. I find that I have a harder time in general finding shoes that are a perfect fit, and that results in me holding onto shoes for too long, or buying shoes that aren't quite right. I also wonder if I've read too many wartime stories of people trudging through the snow with their feet wrapped in rags, so I'm afraid to let go of my shoes, lol.

I've been through a regime of foot problems. At one time two podiatrists both proposed surgically shortening three toes on each foot to correct hammer toes, as I was hardly able to walk far Fortunately it was right at the start of the pandemic and all non emergency surgeries were cancelled. I got expensive orthotics, but then browsed all of the insoles on Amazon, and there are a lot of varieties. I bought all new shoes a half size larger and an Amazon sourced insole design that helps and is not expensive. My humble opinion is that the insoles that normally come with shoes are hit and miss for foot comfort and there are a lot of foot variations. My design has a hard sole and a relatively high arch. The podiatrists offices both had a display of "Superfeet" insoles that the commonly recommend over the counter and are not nearly as expensive as custom insoles.

Probably an unnecessary long story, but there is something to say for shoes and insoles that fit and won't cause foot problems or fatigue. In my ordeal there seemed to be some who claim knee and back problems can be traced back to poor fitting shoes, although I can't testify to that. I hiked 5 miles today with no issues, other than maybe indulging in too much food over the holidays.

[hana]

Four hats, 2 pairs of socks, 3 pairs mittens, and a three season coat donated to the local mutual aid group.