[present] shoes

last week i went shopping for clothes for the first time in quite a while. i didn't bring that many clothes down from Tempe, so i have been wanting/needing to go shopping. i didn't find much, unfortunately, but i did find this cute shirt at Gap:

ok, now i have a new shirt. what should i wear with it? how about jeans!

got that taken care of. what about shoes? after all, an outfit isn't an outfit without cute shoes. thankfully, i didn't have to think too hard about my footwear selection. it was immediately obvious what shoes would look best with my new ensemble. these!!!!

i know what you're thinking. where-oh-where can i get a pair? don't fret; you, too, can own these babies, and i won't even be upset if you copy me.

in case you don't see the readily apparent awesomeness exuded by my hot kicks, let's take a closer look:

first, please note that these are straight outta the Target men's section. the steely gray and dirty white is nicely complemented by perfectly placed splashes of deep red. second, the slit in the right shoe adds just the right amount of attitude. and of course, who could overlook the most striking feature of all: the twisty laces that hearken back to the glories of 4th grade. (initially, the twisty laces were installed to allow me to tie my shoes with one hand. i can tie regular laces now, but switching would mean i'd lose out on the awesomely quick tighten/loosen abilities of twisty laces!)

aside from their fashionable qualities, my shoes are also completely functional. so functional, in fact, that i am not ashamed to say i wear them every single day. they are the only shoes that fit over my slick AFO:

the AFO is actually super helpful. it helps me walk. without it, my right foot doesn't really behave. it turns in (due to spasticity) and won't lie flat.

the AFO keeps my foot down and also tilts my leg slightly forward so that i don't hyperextend my knee as easily as i do without it, and the joints built into the ankle portion allow me some flexibility while still providing control. when i wear it, i actually can walk kinda well!

when i was at the rehab hospital, my mom ran to Target to get me my shoes. i knew they would be a men's shoe since i needed something a couple sizes larger than my normal [rather large] shoe size in order to accommodate the AFO. i was nervous about what they'd look like. lucky for me, they turned out to be super stylin', not to mention they go with everything!

cute summer dress?

jean shorts?

long maxi dress?

khaki linen pants?

pajamas?

swimsuit?

any style i could possibly wear while also needing to walk in public?

you get the idea.

some may think i would want to wear sandals in the hot weather, or that i would miss my Vans…or any other shoe for that matter. no way, jose! that's like asking a bald guy if he misses his hair. and to think, if it wasn't for my stroke, i never would have thought of wearing these shoes. ever.

here's to you, my faithful shoe companions!