the pains of fashion

So I've been searching for a new pair of black flats for weeks, trying to find something attractive, marginally comfortable, and definitely cheap. What I discovered was this: there are no comfortable, cute, cheap shoes. If you want them comfortable, you either have to pay a bootleg of money, or they're doomed to be hideous. Why is that?

The ones I bought are very cute, but appallingly stiff, wreaking havoc on my no-longer-tough-because-it's-almost-winter feet. It didn't help that I had to walk all over campus today...or that I think my feet magically grow or shrink, depending on the time of day and my location.

Because of the ginormous blisters threatening to form in 3 locations per foot, I taught barefoot for nearly 3 hours. When several of my Korean girls asked me why I wasn't wearing my shoes, all I had to say was "I got new shoes" and they instantly responded with a knowing smile. Girls just understand the sacrifices required to look good.