My move a few months ago to New York equaled the unpacking of my pumps, but the boxing of my Heel Shields. The headache of street cleaning, parking, tolls, and tickets would have been just too much to deal with. So making the decision to ditch my car in this urban commuter city was an easy one. However, I didn’t for one minute contemplate what this move meant for life of my shoes, or my feet, for that matter. They both unwittingly traded in their privileged lives, composed of short trips from car door to destination, for concrete pounding treks through the city streets to the subway turnstiles. 
Women have been forever plagued with figuring out how to balance a stylish life, with needing comfortable shoes that can be endured for more than ten minutes of city walking. For a little while, the obvious solution worked for me; but I REFUSE to be a bag lady, carrying around an extra pair of flats all the time. Besides, I doubt that they’d fit into the slim satchel that I have just dubbed my staple bag for this season. After errand sunning and business downtown, I couldn’t help but feel like my feet were doomed here. Especially after my go-to Cole Haan loafers, fully equipped with their built in Nike Air technology, faltered under the rough-&-tough pressures of NYC living – leaving me with aching tootsies just as if I was wearing 6 inch heels. Until my budget allows me to catch cabs everywhere, I decided “I’ll have to call in the reinforcements.“
Enter my shoe pads. Some swear by shoe pads, while others think they’re utterly useless wastes of money. I’ll admit I’ve had some of each. I’ve purchased some flower petals made out of a plastic silicone material that hurt my feet more than the shoe without them. But once I decided to try out Dr. Scholls’ massaging gel insoles, I was hooked. They lessened the blow of every step for me, extending the wear time of some of my most daunting platforms. I HOPED someone ask me – ARE YOU GELLING! So I could shout out – “I’m Gelling!” 
AND, those aren’t the only pads that have come to my rescue. I love the ones that adhere to the back of shoes to prevent those OH SO painful foot-scarring blisters. 
While these products haven’t completely solved my problems of uncomfortable shoes, they have lessened the blow of my daily travels. No longer do I have the fear of returning home with cuts and calluses. MY Shoe pads and feet have become best friends in this war to protect them from peril.
With fall here and the tall flat boot trend still riding strong, I know I will have a lot less pressure on my tootsies during this winter season. But I’m still going to keep my pads in heavy rotation regardless.
Have you tried shoes pads?
Which ones are your favorites?
ANOTHER timely post by BEBE LATEEF
