A Love Affair

So in Europe I had to get new shoes. I guess I should go a little further back.  I bought new black boots for Europe. They were padded, had great reviews, looked great with everything I was planning on taking and were good for all the conditions we would be in.

Now everyone warns you never to take new shoes on a big trip unless you have them properly broken in. So I did just that, I bought them months ahead of time and properly broke them in. Dom and I both got new shoes actually and took long walks a couple nights a week in them and wore them whenever we went out to get them all nice and comfy. We got through the tough stage and by the time we left we thought they were just fine. Wrong, pain, pain, pain. There was blood and tears. I missed quite a few masterpieces because I could literally walk no further. So I got new shoes......twice.

The first pair I bought were two sizes too big for me and had absolutely no structure to them at all. There were basically a peasant shoe, soft leather shaped like a foot. I had to do it this way so nothing would rub and my feet could start to heel. They did the trick and I could walk again but they just weren't very good when it came to rain or snow or looks for that matter.

A little more than halfway through our trip I found some new shoes. Actually I fell in love with some new shoes. I got them in Siena, Italy.  You would think they were fine Italian leather right? No, those were super expensive and I had my heart set on a beautiful bag, which I got, so I had to economize and go with leather from the Czech Republic. I act as if they were junk or something but that is not the case at all. They are fantastic. I loved them so much they could have been from America and still would have had trouble buying anything else.

They're chunky and comfy and do great in the ran, I can walk miles and miles in them and they go great with everything. My peasant shoes thankfully didn't have to endure much water, since they couldn't handle it, but no longer than thirty minutes after I got these new shoes we experienced our first downpour in Europe. My feet were dry and toasty and I was saying a thankful prayer the whole time.

I loved them so much that I would always snap photos of them when we were resting. Here are a few to give you an idea of their awesomeness. You can really tell how infatuated I was with them since I didn't realize I was taking a picture of them next to trash but again you get a feel for my affection and for Rome's atmosphere.

 

It's been about three months since we've been home and I still have a hard time wearing anything else. They're on my feet right now and I don't want to take them off.