Wednesday, October 31, 2007

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.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hilarious Andee !! Good luck with your "New" "Fashionable" "Expensive" shoes.....It will be interesting to see how they've held up when when I return in January !

Nancy said...

Pathetic is the word for sandals that don't hold up!

Since you say you have wide feet I wonder if you've been looking at all at men's sandals? They are usually sturdier, I think.

I bought a pair of sandals for long walks since I can't wear shoes (because my feet get too hot) and I love them. They have a strap around the toes, one near the ankle and one around the back. All are adjustable. If there are any outdoor type stores (maybe in PV) that would be the place to find them as I think they are kind of hiking footwear.

I have four pairs of sandals and even though I rotate them I can see that they are all deteriorating, except the ones I talked about above.

Good luck!

Anonymous said...

Not pathetic at all ... very funny. When I was in PV last year, my feet were killing me as I brought all the wrong shoes. I went to a shoe store in PV in a little indoor plaza type place and purchased a pair of black sandals called "Walkers". They were $50 US which I thought too expensive at the time but I was desparate for a good pair of walking sandals because closed in shoes were just too hot. They turned out to be a blessing. I wore them all over while I was down there and all summer at home and they still only show little signs of wear. Worth every peso. I wish I knew the name of the place to tell you ... Good luck. Flip flops just don't cut it if you like to walk like I do.

Andee said...

Hey Charmaine, could you be alittle more specific about where you found the "Walker" shoes/sandals.In PV.

thanks alot, Andee

Charmalita said...

Hi Andee ... The place where I bought the "Walkers" was on the main road (very busy) going away from the Malecon, a good 3-5 miles north of the Malecon, towards Sayulita. There was a huge grocery store on the right hand side of the road and the little shopping plaza was in front of the grocery store. It was the first store on the right as you walked into the plaza, with lots and lots of shoes/sandals hanging on the walls. Wish I could remember the name. There was an HBC? bank near there too. Sorry, that's all I can recall. The sandals are black, no white stitching, with the word "Walkers" on them.
Good luck Andee!
Charmaine

Andee said...

Hi, thanks alot Charmaine. I think that was Plaza Caracol, and the market was Gigante.That's great. Andee

Charmalita said...

That sounds very familiar Andee. I believe you know exactly the place!
I'm certain there was a Gigante store behind it.
Charmaine