I love shoes. I mean, I LOVE shoes. In fact I bought three pairs last night. (Don’t tell Home Warrior.) But as someone who loves shoes, I am very aware that not all shoes are super comfortable. In fact, many shoes are downright terrible to wear. I try only to buy shoes that are comfortable, especially if I’m buying them for work. Unfortunately, you sometimes can’t know until you’ve been wearing the shoes for an hour and are limping around the office that they are not comfy. Or you may have shoes that you love, that you know that you can wear without pain to a certain point.

Last year I got a stress fracture, in part because I wore a bad pair of shoes around the airport. I have vowed never to do that again! (Wear the bad shoes, I mean, although I do not EVER want a stress fracture again.) One of the ways I have avoided this is by breaking in new shoes slowly. Instead of buying a new pair and immediately wearing them for a 18-hour day trip, I bring a pair I know I can wear in the airport and change into my new shoes once I arrive. I know, this does not necessarily go along with my “pack as lightly as possible” plan, but sometimes I just really want to wear the new shoes!!

So. Sometimes I will bring flip-flops, ballet flats, or even (rarely) tennis shoes (I’ll be honest, very rarely, and only if I’m having foot trouble). Put your pretty shoes in your tote/purse/briefcase, pull them out once you get to your rental car, and trade! Voila. Cute shoes for the office without torturing yourself in the airport. I like these flip-flops by Reef because they are comfy and supportive, as far as flip-flops go. I also got an email this morning about these Rolleez flats. They are on sale right now for $8, which really can’t be beat.

So go out, ladies, and enjoy your shoes. And don’t let anyone tell you that you have too many (I’m looking at you Mom). Because it doesn’t matter how many you have, you always need one more pair!