Sketchblog: DayBooks
I don’t wear shoes at home. And, since I work at home these days I’m barefoot a lot. When I wear shoes I’m very particular about what shoes I put on. I think you have to experiment with shoes. It’s individual. Shoes that my friends swear by don’t work at all for me: Birks, Earths for example. Right now I’m liking Clarks, some Merrills, Eccos — several different kinds of shoes. And that’s the way I like it. Since I spend most of my time barefoot I almost never wear out a pair of shoes, so I accumulate them. I think it’s good exercise for the foot to go from one type of shoe to the other: keeps the feet alert and active.
At the moment we’re traveling: spending most of the “summer” in Buenos Aires (where it’s winter). My husband and I have been doing this migration sine we both retired from our day jobs years ago. My studio is still where I live, wherever that is. And When we go outside I’m still alternating shoes — right now I’m down to the two pairs I managed to bring with me. Buenos Aires is a beautiful and fascinating city but it’s uneven sidewalks can be treacherous. The first several years we traveled here I was beset by ankle strains/sprains from my inability to walk and look at the same time. The right shoe keeps you upright more of the time — helps prevent caving at the knee, ankle, etc. You don’t trip over your own feet as often, even if you’re as clumsy as I am. Another thing — I never wear shoes I can’t run for the bus in (obviously no flip flops or high heels).
And really, doing a sequence of standing balances every day works wonders on the ankle’s ability to right itself when it teeters. Helps keep the feet the feet lively too.