Bill,

I only walked one mile in your shoes, but I drove about ten (as this was not explicitly part of the deal, I hope that you do not mind). The first half-mile of my walk took place at the Fremont Hub. Your shoes and I parked next to Bed, Bath and Beyond. After looking around for the on-the-stove espresso pot, which I had been assured, would be there your shoes still felt fairly comfortable. That is, fairly comfortable for shoes five sizes too large. At first walking in them felt a little similar to a cross between walking on a smooth wooden floor and wearing waders.

Once I found what I came in for (an on-the-stove coffee maker), I headed across the immense parking lot to pick up a couple of things from Trader Joe’s. Sometimes, I even manage to forget that I am wearing shoes that I could fit my own shoes inside. When this happens, I tend to trip over the toes of the shoes, or else one foot will kick the other in the heel.

I finished up the mile by taking a walk around my neighborhood. The whole time I was wearing them, I kept expecting someone to stare at my feet or ask why I was wearing shoes that were clearly too big for me. But no one did. Wearing them reminded me a little of when I used to wear men’s dress shirts. It was a phase, but when I wore them I felt bigger and tougher. At the same time, they made me feel smaller and more vulnerable, because they really were much too big. In the back of my mind, I was aware that these made me seem even more diminutive.

Thank you for the opportunity to walk a mile in your shoes.

 

Sincerely,
Sara, shoe borrower