Day 52 — Socks
My feet have hurt for most of my life.
When I was young, I suffered from fallen arches and flat feet. In order to help ensure that my feet would not hurt, I had to wear special shoes. They weren’t even remotely cool, and I either had to endure teasing and have feet that didn’t hurt or fit in and be in pain most nights.
Based on the first sentence of this post, you can probably guess what I did most of the time.
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Eventually we found some “cool” athletic shoes that would help my feet, but wearing them brough their own level of soreness after a full day. By the time I was graduating from high school, I was just used to the fact that my feet hurt most of the time.
Over time I discovered some the amazing power that the right socks could have! When I moved away from lightly paddedtube socks to socks that were built with differentiated cushion and support zones, a whole new world opened up. I started to be able to be on my feet, walking and working, for an entire day without nearly so much foot pain. It was expensive, but compared to wearing awful shoes, it was worth the money.
Over time I have tried wool socks, bamboo socks, thermal socks, acrylic socks, running socks, walking socks, cycling socks, hiking socks, dress socks, casual socks, patterned socks, BOM socks, Star Wars holiday socks, no-show socks, OTC socks and, yes, even the dreaded old person compression socks.
Actually, when I travel, I really like compression socks. The keep my feet energized and my legs feeling lighter. At least, the OTC ones do. The ankle length compression socks were awful, making my feet hurt worse than not having socks on at all.
Who knew that something as ordinary as socks, that little woven layer of frequently fluffy and supportive fabric between feet and shoe, could be so influential. They make a difference. A big difference for me. And we hardly notice them.
