"Are You From Zambia?": A Mile in My Shoes

"Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes."-Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey

It's no secret that I can be very hard on my shoes. I get every dollar and cent out of the worth of my shoes before they scream "Enough!," take one last breath, and expire. I've had small-scale interventions with friends and family which result in the retirement of some shoes I have worn to death. As I was cleaning out my stash of latest worn out shoes, I realized my problem is a bit more unique in Zambia.

I'm in the midst of a battle between shoe and nature's elements. Nature is winning. Unlike the "concrete jungle where dreams are made of" that I come from, I now live in an area where I cannot afford to walk around with heels, shoes with designs, thong sandals, or anything that is not made from tractor trailer tires because they will get worn down. The rate at which my shoes deteriorate is influenced by my resourcefulness and sense of adventure.

Yes, my feet are always dusty.

When I lived in the vil', my dust covered shoes helped me travel over streams, hills, labyrinth maize fields, and to my many work locations. Before I left for Zambia in 2010, I specifically bought sandals for my journey.


Still kickin'

Initially, I only wore my "dressy" shoes for special occasions: kitchen parties, meetings where shima was served, official Peace Corps events, and vacations. That usually meant I wasn't walking far enough to risk damaging them. Over time, I became a bit more lax about the when's, where's, and what's about shoes, especially since I moved to Lusaka and now work in an office. As I was cleaning out my closet last Sunday, I realized I have more shoes that I can no longer wear than I can wear. I feel bad just throwing away the damaged shoes though. I'm sure I can find someone that can work some magic on them... or maybe not. I'll let you decide. Without further ado, I present to you my shoe casualties:

"It's no longer election time, but we're still flip flopping on key issues."


One half says stay, the other half says go.

(Oh, you were thinking shoe glue was the solution, huh? I tried that 10 times!)

"One more step and you're dead meat."

"Ain't Got No Life..."-Nine Simone*

"I was wondering why the ground was so hot."

"Somebody set my [sole] on fire!"

Not even Geppetto can keep these together.

"Peek-a-boo, I see you." Toe-ventilation.

The infamous: "Look Ma, no Straps!"

I need to stop buying cheap shoes at the bus station.

Feet made of pumice stone? Possibly.

As I mentioned before, I really have a hard time letting go of shoes. I've had some of these shoes for a decade-parting is such sweet sorrow.

When my shoes break, I'm usually far from an ideal location to either exchange my shoes or fix them. I've learned over time that you can never be too prepared, nor too prideful, to fix a shoe with whatever resources are near you. Here are my favorite tools for fixing shoes and a sample of a temporary shoe fix:

Things You'll Need:

A multipurpose knife (There isn't a tool I haven't used on this thing. Thanks, Dad!)
Some twine, tree bark, or tall grass blades will do. Forage quickly for less embarrassment.
A paperclip, if you're lucky.
Strong legs to high-step your way home. No one will forget that you were the girl walking like there was an invisible marching band behind you.