These shoes. Oh…these shoes. They saved me one summer when I was ‘studying’ abroad in France (and I should probably confess that the “studying” part is open to interpretation).
Packing light – backpack only – I foolishly wore my favorite Frye boots and took no other footwear. None at all. Now – know this. I come from a long line of boot-wearing, Texas-loving, cowboy-wannabee lineage. Boots are (and were) the shoe of choice in my family. Especially the first pair gifted to me from my dad – right before my first trip to France.
I don’t think actual cowboys believe Frye boots count as ‘western wear’ but I wore those babies proudly for two months. Were they hot when my travels sent me to the coast – to Nice and Marseilles that summer? Indeed.
Which is where this pretty pair of ultra-soft leather sandals surfaced. I needed relief. I spent my last bit of fun money on these wedges which meant I ate baguettes and not much else as my travels winded down. At first touch I loved these shoes; handmade AND they truly DID feel like ‘buttah’. As much as I adored my boots, I switched over and marveled at how happy my feet were. Is this what custom footwear feels like, I wondered?
That trip was decades ago, so I figure I can share that my well worn and loved ‘south of France’ sandals are a treasured keepsake. Yep – I’m old enough to have my very own ‘vintage’ and antique apparel!
In my closet, shoes come and go but these will forever hold a place of privilege because of the memories they hold – no matter how bedraggled they look.
The boots? They were resoled several times but my sweet papa kept buying new ‘shit kickers’ for me anytime I asked. I wish I’d never let that first pair go. They were discarded in a frenzied closet clean-up. Silly girl. Why did I do that? Consolation? Yep. These shoes. 😊
-Vicki
Victoria Ponders 
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