This morning in church, I felt something at my feet. I looked down and a sole stared back up.
Would I be able to exit gracefully with my shoes literally falling apart?
Before someone starts a GoFundMe, I do have new shoes coming that I ordered online on the 15th. They are tan Rothy’s flats that will be ideal for church, but have yet to arrive. Today was too cool for sandals, too warm for boots, and I’m too proper to wear sneakers to church, so I pulled out an old pair of flats I’ve owned since the ’10s— outdated but still serviceable, I thought.
I taught School Sunday and was listening to the sermon on false teachers when I noticed some brown coating flaking off the flats. Boy, these shoes are getting ugly, I thought.
Then the sole came off, leaving only the soft inner layer on the bottom. The glue had just given up all at once.
How embarrassing. Fortunately, I was sitting to next to Amy, who would understand.
So as soon as the service ended, I said, “Life hack for you, Amy— don’t get really old shoes out of the closet and wear to church.” She laughed and we started talking about shoes.
Bettina came over to talk with us and I showed her too. “Now you can throw those shoes away without guilt,” she told me.
I considered leaving the sole on the floor but our church cleaners have enough dirt to deal with already, so I discreetly tucked it into my backpack.
I left right after that, and it was a good thing too. I was nearly at the door when I felt the second sole let loose. I scooped up sole number two and stuffed it into my backpack and quickly left, the gravel in the parking lot poking the bottom of my feet.
The tracking number for my new shoes shows the pair has been stranded in Manassas, VA since 2:45 a.m. on Thursday. ETA is Friday. Will they really take eight days to travel one hundred and fifty miles?
No matter when they arrive, this Thanksgiving I will be thankful for shoes.
What a fun read!
I had fun writing it!
🤣🤣 oh Susan. I bought a pair of Clark shoes at the thrift store this summer, and decided to wear them for the first time the Sunday before we left PA. Things started to feel funny as I walked to the car after church, and I looked down to realize the top was separating from the bottom. I made it to the car, only to realize the sole was crumbling too. 🙈 By the time we got home, the other sole had a big crack too. Soooo…into the trash they went! 😭 Maybe it’s the church floor? 🤣
Hi Tiffany! Oh, that’s hilarious! Why would shoes come apart at church, of all places, where we just sit quietly most of time? And how could the both soles self-destruct within minutes of each other?
Great to hear from you! Happy Birthday!
Yeah, it just felt so… vindictive of the shoes. Like…they were perfectly happy hanging out at the thrift store, so how dare I take them out, and to church of all places! I was annoyed that it was only the first time I wore them, and they were so comfy!
Thanks for the birthday wishes! 🥰
I wasn’t in church (or even headed there!) when my thrifted shoe sole departed from its upper! I was headed out to eat with my family. Thankfully we were passing another thrift store (I was too embarassed to enter a non-thrifted retail store!) and with the help of my family, I found a pair that looked decent, was fairly comfortable and lasted – at least for the evening! Oh the predicaments we thrifty souls get ourselves into!!
Thanks for sharing, Linda! If the shoes sit in a closet or thrift store for a while, I guess the glue dries out, then lets loose after a few footsteps.
At least you were only going to a restaurant and not in an airport!
At some factory outlets Nike shoes on the back wall are 30 percent off so before winter if you get a nike pair of shous that are genuine leather and that s
dont easily let in moisture you got something worth paying for
That’s interesting to know!