Mama Needs a New Pair of Shoes ... My Mom, That Is

My mom is a walker.

She walks around her neighborhood block, a mile loop, twice a day when the weather cooperates. She feels better when she gets out there and it's an important part of her daily routine.

She walks pretty fast, too. It's not a leisurely jaunt. In my heavier days, I remember worrying about keeping up, trying to keep my huffing and puffing in check.

My mom is also, ummm, how shall I say it ... thrifty. As in, economically careful. Cost conscious.

You know ... cheap.

(In an adorable way, of course. She washes and reuses Ziploc bags. She drives all over town to save a penny on gas, thus negating the savings, but nevermind. She has the first set of West Bend kettles bought before she married ... circa 1960 ... and recently managed to get a handle replaced on one because they have a lifetime warranty. She has a collection of gift bows that I know dates back to the mid-80s. And while she completely denies it, she used to save and reuse the aluminum foil used for baking potatoes. I vividly remember the spot in the kitchen drawer where she kept the wrinkly pile.)

And because she is so ... cheap ... she buys her walking shoes at Shopko, only on sale.

When they don't last, or her feet hurt, she can't quite figure out why.

So I've been on her to get a "good" pair of shoes. She decided yesterday was the day and we hit Fleet Feet Sports in Madison. Matt R. met us at the door and could not have been a more perfect fit for my mom.

First, he stuck out his hand, introduced himself, asked her for her name and it just took off from there. He gathered the information he needed. He asked her to take off her socks and shoes and walk for him. Then he brought out six boxes of shoes from the back and patiently explained what she should be looking for/feeling.

When she got derailed by the crazy colors, he got her back to center and gently convinced her that the color didn't matter. Her feet feeling good was the most important thing.

"I don't know what they should feel like!" she said.

"Whichever pair you FEEL the least is probably the right one," he explained.

"That one is a little tight in the heel," she commented. "But it will stretch out a little after I wear it, right?"

"If it bugs you a little now, it's going to bug you a lot later," he rebutted. "It won't get better. But it could get worse."

After he explained all there was to explain, he told her that he wanted her to wear the shoes for about a month. And if she had any problems at all, to bring them right back ... at any point. They'd find another pair that worked better.

"A month?" she asked, not quite believing it. "You'll take them back after a month?"

And with that, Matt found the key to her thrifty heart.

Yes, she was going to lay out more than $100 on a pair of shoes. But if she didn't like them, she could bring them back and start over.

She ended up with a pair of Brooks Adrenalines. Her foot, like mine, is wide and I wear Brooks, too ... though I rock the Ghost model. The difference is that my foot lands more evenly/flat on the pavement, while she pronates a bit more.

I hope she loves them.

I already know she loves Matt just a little.

These are her new kicks. I'm not crazy about the color either,
but don't tell her I said so. Let's just pretend they're gorgeous!