These are actually stand-ins for one of my favorite pairs of shoes. They were the same exact shoe, except one size bigger and with blue highlights.

I loved those shoes because they were the only shoes I could wear when I was learning to walk again after a bad accident. In those shoes, I moved from a walker to crutches to a cane to nothing. They were pretty loyal to me, especially considering the extra wear and tear. It was the air cushion that kept me away from custom orthopedic shoes--and for that I am grateful.

Eventually, as my foot healed and changed shape, those shoes no longer fit. And so I threw them out--along with all the shoes from before my accident that I knew I would never be able to wear again. Not that I didn't appreciate their effort toward the cause; I just knew it was time to let them go.

--heather