My feet have been feeling very itchy these days.  A long winter of wearing boots and wool socks has left my toes yearning for a change. In preparation for the spring season, I pulled out all of my footwear to ‘air out ‘on the woodpile on the front porch. It became clear that my collection provided a snapshot of my life and an opportunity to reflect on which shoes I would continue to wear.

Living in a log cabin in the middle of the mountains I have to own appropriate outdoor gear. Warm winter boots, base camp boots for mud & ice, and hiking boots all made sense to keep around. And for the summer; trail runners, walking shoes and water sandals had a purpose. Other items such as snowshoes, scuba booties and cross trainers also felt right to keep.  It became apparent that anything to help me stay safe and comfortable while playing outside was very important to me.

Then I found myself wondering about the business pumps, party heels and fashion boots. Yes I did enjoy wearing those in previous years and truth be told I have another whole collection of these back at my mother’s home.  But this year I could count the times on one hand that I had the opportunity to wear them. So did I really miss walking in them, miss the lifestyle they represented? Or are they the way of the past and have just become fond memories?

This stopped me in my tracks. I wondered if I had the right balance of indoor and outdoor gear? Was something missing? What lifestyle changes would I want to choose this year and what footwear could I step into.

Perhaps it is time to go shopping…