Exploring One's Ancestry Through Footwear

I have this new pair of shoes.

They've got spongy soles that give you a little oomph as you walk, springing up after each step and cushioning my foot in such a way that in a week's worth of wearing I have yet to come home aching. They're black, with little bitty zippers on the heel, and they have something of a sandal front, my furry little hobbit toes open to the ruffling breezes while the basket-weave cross-hatching over the top of my foot leaves cute little patterns on my skin when the sun shines and I just have to be out in it.

I love these shoes.

The problem is that they are of a particular leather type material, more like sheepskin than anything else. And, as this type of material generally comes in shades of tan, any other color must be dyed in. Therefore, for the past week, every time I wear these shoes they stain my skin black.

It makes for interesting conversation when one mentions that one has black feet. ("Oh, you're Blackfoot, you say?" "Oklahoma, actually, but that has nothing to do with my shoes....") And nothing I've tried has ever really removed the black stains; they have to just kind of wear off on their own. I learned that when breaking in my Uggs so many years ago. Therefore, I have black feet.

But wait, it gets better.

My mother called me this afternoon to tell me that she'd found another pair just like this one. They happen to be blue....

Next week I'll be part smurf, just you watch.


Posted by ETS