As a child, I remember my brother and I making fun of the shoes Dad wore. I must clarify here. Dad rarely ever had "normal" gym shoes (read: white or black colored). No, they always seemed to be some hideous green (and I like green) or a blue/yellow combination, similar to that of the LA Rams NFL uniforms in the 1980s. These were really the ugliest gym shoes I've seen in my life.
Now, Dad never claimed to be fashion forward - and indeed, he wasn't. He also found it entertaining to embarrass me and my brother, and almost anyone he could. Thus, we just chalked it up to him being a fashion idiot and wanting to embarrass his children whilst wearing "clown shoes".
Perhaps I should also mention that Dad wears a size 14-15 shoe. Of course, as a kid, you don't comprehend that it might be a pain to find a shoe in that size - you just think "I have to be seen with him wearing THOSE shoes". Thankfully Mom wore a much more "normal" size 9 women's shoe - at least her shoes were acceptable. This also meant I had a chance of not being a big foot.
In all honestly, I still did have a slight fear of wearing "clown shoes". I wore a size 10 when I was nine years old, and I was maybe 4 ft 8. Eventually, I grew a little over a foot in total and then a size 10 didn't look ridiculous on my frame. Although finding that size can prove to be a pain, as I went to a DSW in Maryland and there were on four size 10s in the whole store. I was also told by a vendor in Valencia, Spain I had big feet - never mind that I was at least a head taller than him. WTF? But I've resigned to life with a lesser shoe variety and some random "big foot" comment. After two decades, you just deal.
Until Mom decides to tell me that your feet literally grow for the rest of your life. Really? That can't be....or I was really, really hoping it couldn't be. Then a couple weeks later, my right big toe begins hurting me when I wore my gym shoes. I figured it was just an ingrown toenail and took care of it. The annoyance continued. I needed new gym shoes anyway, so I head to the store. Try on the size 10. Sure as shit, that's the issue. My stupid feet have grown into a size 11. With my big foot shoes in tow, I head to a (less painful) fitness camp.
First, I hate it when Mom is right - even if it's something as trivial as a shoe size. Second, finding a 10 was hard enough. An 11? That's a bitch and a half. You really have to take what you can get - and hopefully, they'll be somewhat fashionable, comfortable and not totally butt-ugly. Third, I have some idea of what Dad went and still goes through shoe-wise. LA Rams shoes were probably the only option he had back in the day.
Thankfully, the internet has wonderful sites that carry size 11s. I know, I have to start replacing my vast (ha ha ha) shoe collection. However, my feet better not grow anymore.
Try zappos.... they have everything! :)
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