I love shoes. Sandals, dress shoes, boots. Heels or flats, I love them all. But I love boots most of all, I think. And of all the boots I have, there is one pair I love more than any other. The heel is a nice 2 inch, or more, height, but, due to the chunky heel or the way they're made, they don't feel like heels. They fit my feet like they were made for them and somehow make me feel empowered when I wear them. Magic boots!
But they're ancient, in boot years, and they show their age, if you look closely. The leather is cracked where it has flexed countless times and the cracks have to be camouflaged with black marker. Also, the lining is pretty much gone from the inside, and if I walk through a puddle or wet snow, my feet get a little wet. I know I should retire them, but I can't! I love them too much. No other boots make me feel quite so invincible and, try as I might, I can't find another pair like them anywhere, for any price.
I know that someday I'll be out running errands and it will happen. My boots will retire themselves, coming apart at their seams and leaving me with only the soles amid ragged pieces of worn leather. Until that day, though, despite all my insisting I'll throw them out, I know I'll keep putting those boots on (carefully) and going out to take on the world!
