I think I might be addicted to high heels.
I’ve developed occasional shooting pains in my legs, which most people tell me is probably something to do with a nerve in my back or something. Whatever it is, it’s not helped by my habit of wearing heels, boots, and flats with little sole or support. So, after a particularly bad occurrence of this nerve pain one night, I decided to be responsible and take care of myself and wear supportive tennis shoes to campus the next day.
I hated them.
With every step, I felt horribly underdressed. Never mind that every other girl I passed wore yoga pants and a hoodie, or socks with sandals. My personal style does not involve tennis shoes and a t-shirt anymore, but I felt like I couldn’t wear my normal clothes with my tennies. Tennis shoes go with gym clothes, not a nice blouse and skinny jeans.
It didn’t help that I didn’t sleep well the previous night, so that day was already off to a sluggish start. Whenever those days happen, I Dress for Success, tricking myself into thinking I’m on top of things by wearing heels and a blazer.
Dressing up wakes me up. Wearing heels or heeled boots makes me feel more powerful, walk a little taller, and generally feel like I can Do More Things (plus people in crowded hallways get out of my way faster when they hear me coming). It’s one of those fake-it-till-you-make-it things, I think. So, conversely, dressing casually makes me feel unmotivated and lazy. Lacking nice shoes affected my mood for the whole day.
But at the same time, I want to take care of my body. So the next day, I pulled out my ankle boots with the thick, supportive soles (no heels, either!), and wore those instead.
Compromises are wonderful.
