Several years ago when I was on-site in Baltimore, I noticed a fellow consultant was wearing a very shiny new pair of dress shoes. I said, "Hey, those look like some fancy shoes." He proudly showed them off and said not only do they look good, but they are very comfortable. I asked, "Are those orthopedic shoes?" He scoffed at the question as if I had insulted him.
Why would someone be offended by the suggestion of wearing orthopedic shoes? When people think of orthopedic shoes, they often associate them with older people who have foot or medical problems and need to wear shoes of this type. Maybe someone has a club foot, bunions, or hammertoes. But orthopedic shoes encompass a broad category of different options and are really just a custom fit for your particular feet.
I think if someone thinks you are wearing orthopedic shoes, they are actually giving you a compliment. For one, they are acknowledging that you have the wherewithal to take charge of your health. For two, they assume you are wealthy enough to have the means to purchase orthopedic shoes, which certainly cost more than your run-of-the-mill pair of sneakers. For three, they are curious enough about you that they actually pay attention to details like your shoes. After all, as Ellis Boyd Redding (Red) noted poignantly in The Shawshank Redemption, "I mean, really, how often do you look at another man's shoes?"
Why would someone be offended by the suggestion of wearing orthopedic shoes? When people think of orthopedic shoes, they often associate them with older people who have foot or medical problems and need to wear shoes of this type. Maybe someone has a club foot, bunions, or hammertoes. But orthopedic shoes encompass a broad category of different options and are really just a custom fit for your particular feet.
I think if someone thinks you are wearing orthopedic shoes, they are actually giving you a compliment. For one, they are acknowledging that you have the wherewithal to take charge of your health. For two, they assume you are wealthy enough to have the means to purchase orthopedic shoes, which certainly cost more than your run-of-the-mill pair of sneakers. For three, they are curious enough about you that they actually pay attention to details like your shoes. After all, as Ellis Boyd Redding (Red) noted poignantly in The Shawshank Redemption, "I mean, really, how often do you look at another man's shoes?"
