The Tao of Shoe

There was once a woman who loved shoes. She bought all sorts of shoes. Her closet was full of every possible type of shoes – all colors, heel heights and styles. She had shoes for the gym, for work, for play, for going-out, for staying-in, for shopping, for travel – whatever the event, she had the shoes.

The weird thing was that despite all the shoes that she owned, she really only really loved one pair.

However she never wore them. The pair that she loved she thought were awkward looking. And they didn’t always fit. They seemed unflattering, and easily stained. Worst of all, they were a label that she didn’t know.

So she away put the awkward shoes and continued to wear all her pretty shoes, the ones that everyone told her were so beautiful.

Then one day, her beautiful shoes started breaking. First it was a heel, then a strap. Four pairs lost their laces. Another pair stretched out until she couldn’t wear them anymore. The cute pair with the buckle started rubbing her feet wrong, and the red stilettos started giving her blisters. Finally, her second to last pair lost its sole.

As she searched her closet for more shoes, she saw only one pair left: the awkward shoes. She took off the lid, and pulled them out. Having no other shoes left, she put them on.

She was surprised at how comfortable they were. And when she looked in the mirror, she realized that she did indeed look great and that they went with everything she wore. When she walked, she had a bounce in her step and a confidence in her heart. Looking at the label, she suddenly recognized the name.

As she walked away from the pile of broken shoes, she wondered why she had bought so many pairs. She really only needed one pair.