These Boots Were Made For Walking

And it sure is a good thing. These Uggs are undoubtedly the most reliable shoes I have ever owned. They have seen the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. They have seen the snow of Lake Tahoe and the Wisconsin Dells. They have kept my chilly feet warm driving or flying cross country. They have walked the streets of San Francisco, of Los Angeles, of San Diego. They comforted my aching feet as I trained for my marathon. They’ve served as snow boots, rain boots, house shoes, walking shoes, hiking boots, fashion accessories, and have been through as much airport security as I have. They’ve lived in the California and Alabama, visited Canada, and now trekked through parts of Spain.

I walk a lot here. I walk to the academy; I walk across town to the grocery store and haul back groceries. I walk to the bus stop and the train station and the locations where I teach private lessons. I walk to lunch and dinner and walk miles through Madrid acting as a tourist. This is a walking city; unfortunately the red tile sidewalks, cobblestone streets, and cracked pathways often inhibit smooth travel—chinks in the grout trap heels, sloping curbs turn ankles and trip walkers, uneven surfaces force you to watch the ground as you step. To make it to the pharmaceutical company I work at, I hike across a dirt field and through the aging industrial center. Some days I can wear my trusty boots. Other times, my beat-up feet are clad in fake leather Payless shoes that look more professional for work, or more chic for restaurants. I fully intended to buy new, comfortable shoes when I arrived here, but there are several circumstances that stand in the way.

In the meantime, I continue to nurse what I have deemed “The Giant Blister that Would Not Die,” shown here. This is actually a blister atop a blister atop a blister, atop a blister. It does not pain me as much as one might imagine. I suffer more from the deep, bone-nerve-tendon foot pain I have been prone to for the past two years or so.

Unfortunately for me my Uggs have recently begun to show wear. Yes, they are a bit stained and scuffed on the outside, but, more importantly, the wool on the inside has slowly rubbed off. The fabric below that has worn holes. There are holes beneath my heels that go straight through the wool and the fabric AND the soft leather straight down to the rubber sole.

It doesn’t worry me too much. We have come this far together, and it will be a long time before I ever let them go.