The only way to avoid this problem is to never get rid of anything. (I hear there are TV shows about people like that.)
This time I'm regretting that I donated a pair of hiking boots before we moved. We tossed, gave away, and donated a lot of stuff, and I hadn't worn them in ages, so off they went to Goodwill. And we moved. And I never thought about them again until last week. Wouldn't those hiking boots make good winter walking shoes? Where did they get put?
So I looked through all my shoes, hoping that maybe I'd just thought about getting rid of them. Maybe I still had them... No such luck.
The problem is I got a new pair of walking shoes. They're light, and airy - probably really nice in the summer when you want to keep your feet cool. But not exactly perfect for cold and snow and ice. I know, I should have thought of that when I bought them, but I didn't - and they were the only pair that really felt good on my feet, so...
So, I found an old, retired pair of walking shoes, and I've been wearing them on those days when the streets are covered in snow and ice. I hadn't been walking in a couple days because of the cold and wind chill, but it was actually above zero this morning so I bundled up, put those old shoes on, grabbed my walking stick, and went for my walk.
Everything was warm, except for my toes. Why were my feet so cold? When I got home and took my shoes off, this is what I found:
The side of the shoe was split open - letting all the cold and snow into my shoe. Of course my toes were cold!
And it wasn't just one shoe - it was both of them! Maybe that's why these walking shoes were retired in the first place? I should have gotten rid of these and kept the hiking boots!
I bet my new walking shoes will be warmer than these.
