All God's Children Gotta Shoes

In Milan Catbird watched a chubby big-haired blond in 5-inch CMFM shoes and tight white Capri pants turn her ankle on a low curb and fall hard to her knees.  Her sunglasses flew across the piazza and the paving stones shook.  As her sig-oth helped her up, she gamely told him she was fine, and she thanked me for fetching her specs.  But Catbird is pretty sure there will be long-term bruising and pain.  Napoleon said an army travels on its stomach, but Catbird knows firsthand they would not have made it far in CMFM shoes of any king: platforms, stilettos, or strappy little shiny sandals.

Or even the tennis shoes Catbird bought specifically to wear on this trip.  Ah, well, they are 1960 converse-style blue plaid Running Dogs and were very cute; they will be popular when tossed into the donation bin back in Our Fair City.  Too bad a few hours of wear made rough all those poorly cobbled seams and grommets and made large the tiny fit problems not evident in a quick try-on at Famous Footwear.

The amount of walking done on a trip like this requires good shoes.  Even Catbird's trusty Naot sandals, well broken in, begin to confine after a few miles.  Amazingly, it is the impulse purchase (vive le successful impulse buy!) of a pair of leather Merrill flip-flops that have proved the most comfortable.  No protection against the dropped suitcase or the errant tourist step, but worth it for the opportunity to let the dogs breathe.

In Firenze there is a style of women's shoe that can only be described as part sandal, part boot.  From sole to across the top of the foot the design is all sandal (criss-crossed straps), then at the ankle and sometimes reaching as high as mid-calf is a solid suede or leather sleeve that sags down over the heel like a basset jowl.  Catbird cannot comment on their comfort or their value as CMFM shoes, but if one wants folks on the street to turn their heads and do a Scooby-Doo "huh-uh?" these seem to be effective.

As we wander through the piazzas and alleyways, Catbird wonders at the shoes on parade.  She bets dollars to donuts those women in CMFM shoes suffer.  Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of their lives...Meanwhile, as for Catbird, she's wearing sensible shoes, and soaking her feet in the bidet every chance she gets.