This is what I get for breaking the habit of a lifetime

If you've ever met me in person you know that I don't dress well. The truth is I don't much care how I look so long as it isn't outlandish by my own standards. Gotta admit my standards are low! I wouldn't know stylish from styleless and, frankly, I don't care.

It wouldn't surprise you then that the shoes I wear are cheap but comfortable. I walk enough that I go through three pairs a year but it's only the wear that dictates the time of replacement. And even then the wear has to be pretty severe! Once I get a comfortable pair they have to be at the point where the heel is worn through before I think it's at all important to replace em. Would it surprise you that I usually own only two pairs of shoes? One new and one very worn pair? I thought not.

When I visited Australia in September 2003 and stayed at Heino's my shoes smelled so bad that Heino's lovely wife wrinkled her nose and ordered me to buy a new pair! One does what one must :-)

It ought not to come as any surprise, given the above, that my purchasing is perfunctory. I need new shoes? I usually buy the first pair I try on. I can't remember the size I used to buy in Australia but here in the US it's ten and a half. Hence my first trying on ten and a halfs about six weeks ago. I usually put both feet on, lace em up and walk around the shop. If they feel ok I buy. These didn't feel quite right so I went down half a size. They felt good for the entire 20 feet walk so I bought the buggers. Notice - the second pair I tried on!

Old shoes back on to front at the cash register. Got home and changed to the new shoes and went for a long walk. They still felt kinda ok.

Now you'll remember that 17 years ago we made a movie. As part of my costume I was wearing riding boots borrowed from my girlfriend. About a size too small. During rehearsal they felt ok but as the day wore on they felt tight. Of course I hadn't thought to bring my normal shoes and by the end of the day my feet were really hurting. We were shooting on the weekends and during the week I could return to my normal shoes. At the end of the second weekend both toenails on my big toes lifted away when I took off my socks. Hurt like hell! Never having experienced childbirth I can't comment on the relative pains but I have been kicked in the balls - the pain usually subsides within a couple of hours.

Let me tell you, the pain you'll feel from the loss of both big toenails goes on and on and on for weeks!

So I've been rather sensitive to the possibility of a repeat experience. Those new shoes hinted at the possibility and I found myself walking back home from that first long walk with my feet arched in order to reduce the pressure on the big toenail.

Well, maybe it was a one off. Wore the new shoes into the office and spent the rest of the day in pain. So that night I went back and bought the next half size up - ten and half.

Ever since then I've been limping around. It hurts enough that I've had to curtail my daily walk. That'll teach me to NOT buy the first pair I try on!