I went shopping for a pair of pumps yesterday. I guess that sounds like a pretty fun idea. But these were work shoes. It got me to wondering how many pairs of plain, closed-toe pumps I've bought since 1992 when I became a flight attendant.
I probably average 3-4 pairs per year. They get wrecked pretty quickly. We walk for miles in them daily. I've often worn right through the soles of shoes. We walk between gates in terminals in them, board flights in them, walk to our crew pick up points in them, leave hotels in them in the morning, and kick carts with them.
Carts are those things we push up and down the aisles and serve drinks off of. They're pretty flimsy. Carts get out of whack pretty easily, requiring flight attendants to 'finesse' the doors into closing. And by 'finesse'...I mean kicking them to make them shut. I try really hard to remember to turn and kick them with my heel, donkey-style. (Yes...it's non-stop glamour in the sky.) Often I forget and just kick them with my toe. This isn't good for the toe of my shoes...nor is it good for my actual toes inside those shoes.
They should really make cute high heeled pumps steel-toed. Not just for the cart kicking...but for during boarding when passengers enjoy walking on, and rolling their bags over flight attendant feet.
It's not entirely their fault. It is tight quarters, and there is the problem that our uniforms
make us absolutely invisible. People slam right into us without even an 'oops' or a 'sorry'.
Well, that's not true: there usually is a 'sorry'...but it's us saying it. Airlines know how to hire suckers people who apologize for things that aren't their fault...which is probably smart.
My point is...we go through a lot of shoes. When I started we had to wear at least an inch and a half pump. Then it became the rule that you could get a doctor's note and wear your 'in-flight' shoes (flats worn during the service on the plane), in the terminal. Now I think it's considered discrimination to make girls wear heels when the guys can wear comfortable shoes all day.
I've tried various other options. I've tried a comfortable wedge, hoping to avoid dragging around two different pairs of shoes...and to avoid the change of shoes. But nothing is really that comfortable for all-day wear.
There've been a lot of trends in shoes since I started. For a while, people were wearing Dansko clogs on flights. I tried them on. It felt like tying a brick to each foot. And they were hideous. (To me.) But on the bright side: they were massively expensive. lol. Wow. I'm realizing I have a lot to say about my work shoes.
I always come back to a classic pump. I've tried aiming at a lower heel, but I just don't like how they look. Besides, surprisingly, after hours in a pair of flats, the heels feel really good to change into. They use different muscles in the feet...and they're nice and cool to slip your foot into.
They give me a lift...literally and metaphorically. It's a ritual to change back into heels. After hours and hours in flats, I start to feel kind of schlumpy. If I put on my heels and blazer, freshen my lipstick, maybe even re-coral my hair...I feel like I'm hitting the reset button on my day. Feeling I look a little fresher, I get a bit of spring back in my step
When I started flying, our uniforms were navy. We could wear either sheer hose or navy tights. So we wore navy shoes.
Later everyone began wearing black tights. Tights are a million times more practical than sheers that get runs every time you get near a seat. (Most of them have velcro on the edges.) Once I went to black tights, I started buying black shoes.
Then our new uniform came out about 25 years into my career. They were charcoal gray. With it we were allowed to wear red or black shoes. I loved the option of red for a while...but red is nearly impossible to maintain. (One kicked cart and they were ruined.) There's really not a good option for polishing up a pair of red shoes...especially if they're patent leather. I had to practically view them as disposable.
So...Back to Black
The only excitement I got yesterday was when I was down to two plain black pumps from the same comfort-line of shoes...I was looking at the boxes and noticed one was named 'Evie'...our granddaughter's name. Suddenly, they were clearly the more attractive option! Often flight attendants will ask about the shoes someone else is wearing; are they comfortable? Where'd you find them? What brand?... For sure this time I will know the name of the shoe.
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