The Most Pathetic Footwear in Chacala

I started this post with a complain about people drivering Hummers, but I decided to delete it, notwanting to take a chance of someone chasing me down the road in a Hummer.

Anyway. Speaking of expensive things. Or in this case, the lack of espensive things.

Here are the kind of shoes I have been wearing around Chacala since the shoes I brought down from the US fell apart. Maybe three years ago. I came down with a pair of tennis shoes, a pair of flip-flops and some of those hiking-type sandals. With a strap around the ankle and tire-tread looking soles. None of the three lasted long. And I ended up with locally purchased flip-flops very quickly. I have been struggling ever since to find some kind of footwear that works for me down here.
Slip-on-and-off, leather, no raised heel, wide enough for my chubby feet, and cheap enough to buy.

Never found any. Have been to maybe 50 shoe places. I keep ending up by rubber flip-flops. Either the strap-between-your-toes, or strap-across your arch style. They cost about $5 or 6$US and last 4 to 6 weeks before extensive repairs with fishing line and duct tape are necessary. My last two pairs didn't even last 3 weeks before I started in on the repairs.

The strap-between-the-toes style can be repaired with fishing lines three or four times before the sole falls apart. The only thing that works with the strap-across-the-arch version is repeated layers of duct tape. I always carry an piece of cord with me, for making emergency repairs until I home from wherever.But today was just too much. I was finally down to two repaired, non-matching sandals. I decided I would have to bit the bullet and get some shoes whether I liked them or not. I was spending too much money on sandals that disintegrate under my very feet.So off I went to Las Varas wearing this attractive pair.

I went to all 8 shoe stores in Las Varas. Or 10, The salesmen all appeared to be appalled at what I was wearing. Some rushed to help me find some sandals, and others quickly disappeared. Either I hated the look of everything I saw, or they didn't fit my feet, or they had heels or whatever. Mostly they rubbed my toes wrong. And hurt.Finally I returned to the store with the least-worst pair of shoes that I thought might work. For $18US. I hated the white stitching. But they were slightly adjustable, and I took them. Wore my raggedy shoes home because I was afraid the new ones would hurt. When I got home I "dyed" the white stitching brown. I don't know if it will last. I think I am going to keep wearing my ratty rubber sandals around Chacala, and save the nice shoes for town times. I can break them in around the house. I hope. I probably shouldn't publish this post. It's just too pathetic.