Insert “tiny,” “pretty,” or maybe even that “they make my legs look slim.” I hear variations of this phrase often from women who throw comfort to the wayside, opting instead for that oh so perfect shoe. That delicate slipper of a shoe. One that also happens to moonlight as a vice grip I might add.
The City is chock full of them. Those that wear the non-commuter friendly footwear, yet try to flow with the commuter foot traffic. Some wear beaded slip-ons or shoes with heels so high they should really be called stilts. These kinds of shoe wearers should probably stick to cabs.
Instead they lose their shoes on the escalator stairs, on stairs in general, or even in subway grates. Sometimes they even fall off right on the sidewalk or in the street. Go figure. Sure, the shoe may be pretty and yes it does give off a nice sparkle as it topples down the stairs, I give you that. But when shoes run away, which they may actually be doing from the stench of the stairs (but that’s another matter entirely), they stop traffic and cause people to fall into each other. Bleh. Personal space, please.
Perhaps shoes that stayed on the wearer’s feet would make the commuter rush run a little smoother.
Next we have those that wear these kinds of shoes and can’t seem to walk right in them. Mules may cause feet to slide. Or maybe the height of the heels causes the wearer to wobble a bit, so you take things slowly, stopping mid-stair to steady yourself. Then. Up. One. Step. At. A. Time. Stop. Again. Up. Again. You see how this goes. Amusing if you weren’t trapped behind them.
Yikes.
It all just makes commuting a circus. Summer tends to bring that out most, I think. The beaded mules are out there. And there are swarms of people in flimsy flip flops or sandals. Wow. And perfectly pedicured toes too. It’s a wonder that they walk, nearly barefoot, through such grimy streets and have no care in the world about what decrepit, vile stuff is gracing over their very skin. Do they not smell the urine that the summer weather no longer masks? Guess not. I pity their pedicurist. Here’s hoping their clients are all good tippers!
