About a year ago, after complaining about my feet hurting, Will told me maybe I should try out Birkenstocks. Lets just say my jaw hit the floor and I stared at him like he had suddenly grown a second head. My husband is not a hippy. He hates the smell of patchouli (which I love, but don't tell him that. *wink) To me Birkenstocks are the hippiest of hippy shoes. Only topped by not wearing shoes at all. I like bare feet, and if I could get away with no shoes, I would. However there are signs everywhere stating "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service" and well I like to get service, okay?
I went to a locally owned shoe store last year and tried on shoes. I tried on at least thirty pairs of sandals before deciding on these Earth Shoes. I wore them happily, until my mom bought a pair of shoes that looks just like them. Sorry, Mom, I don't want to match you yet. Maybe when I am forty. I honestly haven't worn them much since.
A few months ago, my feet started hurting again. I bought a pair of Teva Mush flip flops. They helped, but when I go to Costco, I get shocked if I touch any metal. It hurts and I cringe as I go to open the refrigerator. Also? My feet developed an odor after wearing them for a while. So once again, I went to my locally owned shoe store, and stared long and hard at the Birkenstocks.
I tried them on. I tried on multiple styles. I walked around the store, and decided on a pair I liked. But I could not make myself spend over $100 on a pair of shoes again. (Having done that last year with the "mom-matching shoes.") I decided to look at them online and see if I could get a better deal.
The answer to that is no. Well, I could get them for $90. Or if I got the kind that aren't actually made with a leather upper they were only $75 at AAFES. I decided that I would eventually make it back to previously mentioned locally owned shoe store and buy them.
Today I went to the Shoe Pavilion thinking maybe I would find a cheap sandal that would be an alright substitute. Instead I found an entire row of Birkenstocks for only $30 to $60. The kind made with leather, not just Birko-flor. (What is that?!) I didn't find the ones I had originally wanted, but I found these (not exactly like that, the ones I found are black suede) and for $30 it seemed like a no-brainer. I purchased them, my very first hippy shoe.
Will has taught me the art of frugality well. Not tightwad or cheap ass, FRUGAL. And you know what? It made me feel great.
2 comments:
I just had to post because a few months ago I went through the same thing and having owned a (real) pair of Birkenstocks in HS, I wanted another pair. I purchased a pair online for a good price and because I was so afraid of having had my feet grow (carrying 4 full-term babies) I ordered a size up. When they got here (the NEXT day!) try as I might, these shoes were just too big, no matter how small I made the buckles, how much I willed them to fit and even if I walked like a duck, they still didn't fit. So, I am now a proud owner of size 38 Betula Gizeh in Mocha. I couldn't return them because I talked myself into just wearing them as is and throwing out the reciept. It was gonna cost just to send them back because it was my fault and then add shipping and we were talking about $12-15 bucks. So, I'm stuck with these shoes and would love to get a pair that fit but I think I do like the real birkentstocks over the Betula so that would mean I would have to shell out $100+. I think flip flops have ruined my feet and I don't want to wear them unless it's just for walking around the house.
I so have my eye on a pair of discontinued Dansko Flora's that I can't find easily and when I do, I still can't bring myself to bid higher than $50 and of course the ones I want fetch for $150+. What's a girl to do?
Take care and be good to your feet, they keep you standing tall!
Your husband sounds like mine who is also about as far away from being hippy as you can get. I think he looks at me sometimes and wonders just how he ended up with a wife quite like me!
Love the shoes and YEAH for frugality! Don't you just LOVE getting a good bargain!!
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