My Sandal Broke, So I Shopped My Closet for a Replacement

Photo by Adam Jang on Unsplash

About two weeks ago, my flip-flop broke while I was walking to the bus stop. My first thought, of course, was that I need to buy new ones. I even knew exactly what kind I wanted. Then I paused and really thought about it. Why would I need to spend money on another pair of shoes, especially a pair that I only wear to walk to the bus stop or across the street to get the mail? I considered my other options.


1. Repair it.
I could always try to fix my broken shoe. The sole was hanging off and flopping about. The next morning I went on the hunt for the Gorilla Glue, couldn't find it, so I asked my mom. Her response was confusion about why I'd want to glue my $2 flip-flop back together because the glue costs more than the shoe! She's probably right, and I never found the glue, so into the trash my beloved sandals went.

2. Just wear my work shoes.
Obviously, I could just wear my work shoes to walk to the bus stop before work. Duh. But it's over 100F and I wear sandals so my feet and socks don't get all wet with sweat before my shift even starts! It's the easiest solution, but not the most comfortable.

3. Wear a different pair of sandals.
Another duh option. I immediately thought of two pair of sandals that I own, but I didn't really want to wear those daily and risk ruining them, since they're some of my "day off" shoes. So I opened my closet and BAM! Right up front were a pair of bright yellow sandals that I completely forgot that I owned and probably only wore once or twice in the year I've had them.

But being me, my immediate reaction was not that I found my replacement shoes. I started thinking about how inconvenient they were because they have a strap across the back rather than being slip-ons like my flip-flops. I still wanted to buy myself a new pair of shoes. New shoes that slip on!

I didn't buy them though. I pulled out the yellow sandals, slipped them on, and took an extra second to lift up the strap in the back to secure them to my feet.