“Your shoe?” my husband Michael asked. He kept his eyes on the road but shook his head. “How did you manage to lose one shoe?”
I wondered the same thing. We were on vacation, driving from Montana to Erie, Pennsylvania, and I’d taken off my favorite pair of black clogs to be more comfortable in the car. We hadn’t made a stop since lunch, hours earlier. But I’d looked under every seat, combed through the empty wrappers and maps littering the floor—all I could find was the right clog. Somehow, the left was missing. Could it have fallen out before I’d shut the car door? Careless.
Losing things wasn’t like me, especially when it comes to footwear. I suffer from painful, inoperable bone spurs on both ankles, so I need to be careful with what I put on my feet. Those black clogs weren’t perfect, but they were the most comfortable shoes I owned. The only pair I’d packed.
Now what? We’d just pulled off the highway to have a sit-down dinner, but I couldn’t exactly stroll into a restaurant with one bare foot. Michael stopped the car and searched for the nearest department store on his phone. He found a discount place right around the corner. “Wait in the car,” he said, clearly annoyed, “I’ll get something in your size.”
I could just imagine the pair he’d pick up. What did Michael know about women’s shoes? I braced myself for the cheap, ugly, uncomfortable sneakers Michael was bound to find. Just how I wanted to spend my vacation—hobbled. Lord, is this what I deserve for my carelessness?
Michael returned and handed me a shoebox. Sure enough, it was a pair of cheapo, no-name black running shoes with hot-pink stripes down the sides. Hesitantly, I eased into them and stepped into the parking lot to try them out.
Huh. They were soft, cushiony. They gently swaddled the soles of my feet. A perfect fit, with excellent support for my ankles. These shoes felt…great! I walked into the restaurant with none of the pain I usually felt. It was a revelation.
I’m still not sure how I lost that black clog… but maybe it was lost for a reason. I wore those no-name shoes for the rest of our trip, and still wear them to this day. They’re my new favorite pair.
