These Shoes Were Made for Walking
These shoes were made for walking, and that’s just what they’ll do. In these shoes I will walk, march, trot, skip, slip and slide all over your home. Unless, of course, you are one of “those people.” You know — those people, the ones with signs on their door telling people to take off their shoes upon entry. If you are one of those people, then let me apologize in advance because this post is all about you!
Now, I am definitely an advocate for cleanliness. But picture this — you’re a new mom with two toddlers, and your girlfriends invite you out pretty often. However, most of the time you decline their invitations because this means actually having to put forth effort into your appearance. In other words fixing your hair, putting on makeup and spending 45 minutes trying on clothes that you cannot fit. Uggh!
Your clothes no longer fit because you are 20 pounds heavier than you were three years ago, and you haven’t purchased anything new because this time, you’re sure that you’ll lose the baby weight (major side-eye to oneself). So, on the rare occasion that you accept an invitation to a house party, and you have the prefect outfit, you feel excited. You arrive at the party and walk up to the front door and are greeted warmly by THE MOST ANNOYING SIGN: “Welcome, please remove your shoes.” I’m rolling my eyes just thinking about it. It’s not often that I get out of the house, and that my outfit, hair and makeup are all harmoniously in sync, and you want me to interrupt this perfection by walking around in mismatched socks? I went to one such party, and my outfit quickly went from 90s chic to Little House on the Prairie, with one plop on the steps and the removal my combat boots. If I had known this was coming, I would have worn my combat boot-printed socks!
As you can see, this is really a sore spot for me. Let me explain the three reasons why I don’t want to take off my shoes.
1. My shoes go with my outfit.
Plain and simple, if I’m going to a party and I spend countless hours coordinating every detail of my outfit so that it looks like I casually threw it all together, you, my friend, are killing my vibe. Now, I understand a friend casually stopping by and being asked to remove their shoes, or even an intimate family gathering. But, if you are throwing a party, I put thought and energy into my attire, including my shoes. AND I DO NOT WANT TO TAKE THEM OFF!
2. It can be embarrassing.
First rule as a host or hostess is to make your guests feel comfortable. For many, feet can be a pretty sensitive subject. Some feet smell, and others are very unattractive. So, imagine coming to a party and unexpectedly being asked to remove your shoes. There are just so many things that can go wrong. People like me tend to have sweaty and not-so-fragrant feet. Imagine how offensive a bad smell can be to other guests! And then there are those whose feet aren’t particularly attractive, and they come sockless. Well, now they are faced with a dilemma: back away from the door and rudely exit the party in hopes that there are socks in the car, or suffer from anxiety thinking everyone is looking at their feet.
I thought about this custom and where it originated. The Japanese initially came to mind, since they practice a number of daily rituals on the floor. They eat, sleep and sit on the floor. So, keeping the floor clean and free from outside elements is very important. I totally get it. What I don’t understand is why we (Americans) practice this custom when our tables, chairs, beds and couches are three feet off the ground. That is, unless you have mutant germs that can jump three feet from the floor onto your bed or table. If so, you have a more frightening problem. The Japanese practice is something that people expect and anticipate. But what I don’t anticipate is coming to your Fourth of July cookout and having to remove my shoes. Maybe a warning in the invitation would have made it a little bit better. Well, not for me.
3. Life is a mess.
I get it, you have spotless floors that you spent your hard-earned money on, and you want them to stay in pristine condition. But, living with three men has taught me that life is a full of blemishes, and that’s okay. My little guys know how to leave a mess, and they are destructive. A beautiful chandelier I’ve had since I purchased my home in 2010 withstood storms, an earthquake and one toddler. Then, my second-born came along and used this chandelier for target practice. Let’s just say that we should probably start saying our goodbyes because this chandelier has just a few months left. I also have a white sofa. CRAZY, I KNOW! A white couch and two toddlers equal disaster. So, I did my research and found a sofa that my sons can paint a Picasso on, and I won’t even break a sweat. It’s slipcovered, and I can bleach it more often than MJ “supposedly” bleached his skin (God rest his soul).
We want life to be pretty, intact and blemish-free. But that’s impossible. I believe you should live your life without fear that someone is going to spill wine on your carpet or color crayon on your white couch. Life is uncertain and will definitely be filled with messy and imperfect moments. Why worry about blemishes when they make life more interesting, and can even result in some of the best lessons, great stories and memories that last a lifetime? Hey, blemishes yield character.
I know I came down pretty hard on those people — the ones with signs and baskets full of socks at the door. I’m sorry if I came on too strong, but this really does just get under my skin!