I Just Turned Eight

I’ve mentioned before that I have always had very small feet.  I came by it honestly – my dad wore a size 6 1/2 and my maternal grandfather wore a 6.

I wore size 6 1/2 shoes when I was drafted in 1966, but came out of basic training wearing footwear a full size larger.  Almost half a century later, I was still in a 7 1/2.

Lately, I have been having a heck of a time replacing my comfortable walking shoes, a pair of Reebok cross-trainers that have been falling apart for a year.  I repaired the delaminated sole on one shoe with 3M weather stripping glue, and got a few more months wear, but they have definitely seen their last days.

I tried to find a pair just like them, but had no success.  I’ve tried Nikes and Addidas, shopped Academy and Foot Locker, but every pair I tried hurt my feet in one way or another.  Either the arch support was too high, too low, or in the wrong place.  A walk across the store, or often just standing up, showed me that the shoes were not right for my feet.

In desperation, I bought a pair of Nikes that were less uncomfortable than the rest, but I wish I hadn’t.  It’s an odd thing to say about sneakers, but the heels are too high – they seem to force my feet down toward the toe, and make my calves feel like I’m walking around in stilettos.  I’ve worn them to the grocery store and made it home OK, but they are useless for walking any distance.

Yesterday, I tried on a pair of New Balance shoes, and they fit just right.   I did a half-mile test run (actually walk) in them this morning with  positive results – little or no break-in issues and my feet and legs feel fine.

These new shoes are my very first size 8s.  Many catalogs and on-line vendors start their men’s shoes at size 8 1/2 – maybe if I live to be 90……