Tackling aging feet with Fitflops

It is often said that hands show the first signs of aging, but I think the trouble begins at the feet which is why, for some months now, I have been keen to get myself a pair of fitflops. The trouble is that finding them here in Ireland is not as easy as you might think and the problem is compounded by my high instep.  Anywhere I did manage to find them, I couldn’t get my foot into them. Try a size up, they told me – and I did, but I couldn’t get my foot into that either. I had almost given up hope when a friend persuaded me to try again and armed with new information I set out for Vienna Shoes in Bray. Lo and behold they had the best range that I have seen anywhere so far. Better still, I managed to find one style – the Electra – that I could get my foot into. No, I didn’t have to go up a size. Yes, they are comfortable.  Actually they feel extremely restful on the feet. No – they are not hard to walk in. In fact, quite the contrary. Compared to the shoes I have been wearing recently, I find that these fitflops give more support and are more stable. They are also easier to stand in than my usual shoes. I have to say that I was sceptical about the brand thinking maybe it was more hype than substance – and the reviews and comments that I read online made me wonder if theywould suit me –  but I have been converted. I’m just trying to figure out whether I’m brave enough to wear them into the office. Given the problems I’ve been having with my legs these past few months, I will probably risk it.

One comment   Shoes    

Menopause Survival Kit

Ten essentials for Menopausal women

This list is deliberately unpunctuated so as to mislead you as to my actual age – if you don’t understand this point you may be too young to read the rest of the list

  1.  iPod – there are times when you need to tune the world out
  2. Hand cream – hands reveal age too quickly
  3. Decent and comfortable shoes – because contrary to the previous point, the feet are actually the first thing to go
  4. Trainer heels – because contrary to the previous point, you don’t necessarily want to end up in flats for the rest of your life
  5. Assorted sanitary protection – we know not where nor when
  6. Comfort balm – take your pick – mine is Origins Peace of Mind – a little dab to the back of the neck does wonders to restore the equilibrium
  7.  A sense of proportion – or failing that, a sense of humour
  8. A cranky ‘free pass’ because crankiness goes with the territory so don’t beat yourself up if you fall victim now and then
  9. Wet wipes – because it’s not always possible to take a shower in the middle of the working day  – nor, indeed, is it possible to travel with a bed fan
  10. Credit cards – if all else fails, retail therapy will usually provide a modest lift
One comment   Hand cream, Humour, Menopause, Perimenopause, Shoes   , , ,  

Menopause Invention Wishlist – Ten Great Ideas for Inventors and Entrepreneurs

The purpose of this list is to make it easy for Internet entrepreneurs to be inspired! Here are my suggestions for the things that we REAL women REALLY need:

  1. The Sleep Bra. This 100% cotton, no wire garment will provide gentle support while we sleep. If you want to get fancy, it will come pre-loaded with a naturally based firming agent so we wake up with lifted and perkier boobs.
  2. The Hot / Cold Nightie. Now I’ve read about the bed fan and about the disposable nightie. But it’s not just night sweats we’re contending with, it’s also night shivers. So what we need here is the thermally adjustable nightie.
  3. The Inflatable Husband. Before you get complacant thinking “That’s easy” – we need one that can clean the gutters, wash the car and put the trash out.
  4. The Commuter Handbag. For a detailed specification, see my earlier blog on the subject.
  5. The Trainer Heels. These fashionable court shoes available in all the latest (and earliest) shades, will help lure us out of our flatties and help us find our way back into high heels. Balance is critical.
  6. The Stabliser Soundtrack. This will fix us if listening to Enya underwater has given us vertigo.
  7. The Manage Your New Young Boss Survival kit. This should contain gin, lemon, tonic and a handy pocket collection of quick and easy flattery prompt cards.
  8. The No-Mess Mineral Makeup Dispenser and Brush.
  9. The Sleep Easy Nightmare Chaser making bad dreams instantly forgettable. If this also works on inappropriate bed fellows that would  be an added bonus.
  10. The Annual World Menopause Day Reminder and Party Kit.

If you have ideas for other items to include on future lists, please leave me a comment and I will be happy to incorporate them  next time! Thanks for reading today. I look forward to trialling your inventions.

STOP PRESS: Just added elsewhere on this blog, The Complimentary Menopause Diary could be another item on this list. Check it out entrepreneurs, check it out!

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Trainer Heels and a Tentative Swagger

Black low heel Hush Puppies Shoes have been on my mind since my 50th birthday. You see, it occurs to me this may be my last chance to get back into heels. The thing is that heels gradually phased themselves out of my wardrobe over the last few years and my last two attempts to get back in to them can be summed up by that wonderful corporate word, ‘challenging’. Believe it or not, it was a pair of Hush Puppies that started me thinking. I liked these shoes for two reasons: -

  • the fact that they were green and I’ve always liked green shoes, plus
  • the lovely gold lining.
It was enough to risk climbing on board. And so I did – and wore them all day, for three consecutive days. And, behold, it was a miracle. No foot problems whatsoever. But stability, sadly, was another matter –or rather instability that seemed to centre around a wobble in the knee area, leading to knee pain, leading to abandonment of the heels and back to the flatties. Still, it was a start. It showed it could be done. Maybe not every day, but once in a while, certainly.
About a month ago, I took another risk – a bigger one this time – in the form of higher heels. In this instance the shoe itself was sturdier, but the heel was higher. In making the purchase I considered them lower risk than the green babes plus: -
  • They were black
  • They were under €100 and
  • I desperately needed shoes for a work function.

So choice made. Like the earlier Hush Puppies, these Clarks shoes were comfortable on the foot front but the angle of the heel proved precipitous. This, combined with having to stand for two hours while bored and stone cold sober at a work function caused pain down the shins of the EXCRUCIATING variety. I seriously thought I might have to be carried out of the building.

So the Clarks were parked alongside the Hush Puppies but the will lived on. What I needed was a better strategy and that strategy starts with trainer heels. I will reach my goal by gradually increasing tolerance on the height front before moving on to flightier options of the tottering stiletto variety. It may be slow, it may be like trying to get rid of the stabilisers when you learn to ride a bike, but it is a plan. This week I’m wearing the trainer heels to work. Black, Hush Puppies with sexy gold lining. No falls, no wobbles at the knee, no aches or pains, stairs taken at speed and with confidence. I even feel the tentative stirrings of a swagger.

2 comments   Footwear, Menopause, Shoes   , , , , ,