Everyone knows how hard it is to break in a pair of shoes. I remember getting a pair of very comfortable looking Liz Claiborne slip-on sandals right before a trip to Washington, D.C. They had crisscross straps and were flats. They seemed like the ideal travel shoe. I thought, “Why not take them along?”
I stayed at The Latham, a stately hotel in Geogetown that was within walking distance to several intriguing sites.
Day one, I slipped on those comfy Liz Claiborne sandals and set off to find Dumbarton Oaks, a mansion surrounded by lovely gardens. It was only about 12 blocks from the hotel – a fair distance but doable. Those sandals were fine at first. But as I walked on the uneven brick sidewalk that hot afternoon, the right shoe started to dig into my foot beneath the big toe. Step. Ouch. Okay, let’s try sliding the foot. Umph! Step. Ouch. Slide. Umph! Every step that I took began to feel like I was lancing my foot with a knife.
When I finally stumbled upon what I thought was the estate – I was dismayed to discover that it was the wrong tourist spot. I didn’t cry like a baby although I really wanted to. Instead, I set aside my embarrassment and limped inside to the gift shop. There, I politely asked the cashier if they happened to have a band-aid. I must have looked like a refugee on the verge of tears, because the cashier rushed to get some band-aids and thrust them into my hand.
It was just in time. Without one, I would have walked barefoot back to the hotel. That plastic encased square of cotton was my salvation. With the band-aid firmly in place, I clip-clopped back to the hotel. Once inside the hallway to my room on the 7th floor, I took off those sandals, dug my feet into the lush carpet and sighed deeply. Then I hurled those sandals down the hall.
Let this lesson save you from some travel pain. Never wear new shoes on a trip without thoroughly breaking them in before you go.
