I always associated Birkenstocks with sandals, but they make a complete range of footwear (including the boots illustrated above), all with the trademark toe grips.
Category Archives: Shoes
Podiatry Again: Custom Insoles…
It’s a while since I last wrote about podiatric attempts to alleviate my foot dystonia; in fact, I didn’t write much about the last couple of visits at all. At the end of last year, I went to see a podiatrist again. He took an imprint of my feet and ordered me some custom insoles, which arrived in February:
Custom insoles with metatarsal dome
I got me ten fine toes / To wiggle in the sand…
My toes don’t always behave themselves. That dystonia that I mentioned once or twice makes them curl up and squash together. The curling up makes shoes a problem, as the toes rub on the uppers. But even without the friction, cured up feet are difficult to walk on, particularly (and here’s the weird bit) in confined spaces. Like indoors.
I am seeing the podiatrist again in just over a fortnight’s time.
But I also had an idea, and I’m trying it out.
Strange shoes, with toes!
Trail Boots (In My Shoes # 4)
This is a cross-post from my art blog.
The third (and probably final) “In My Shoes” painting. Continue reading
Green Wellies (In My Shoes #3)
This is a cross-post from my art blog.
There are two things that wellies have every right to be: green, and muddy. These fit the bill.
(They don’t, however, fit me. They belong to my son, who has yet to catch up with me in foot size. And his name is not Bill, as it happens.)
Acrylic on canvas, 40 x 30 cm.
Cowboy Boots (In my Shoes # 2)
This is a cross-post from my art blog.
They may not be the most authentic cowboy boots, but they are the only ones I own. They are also possibly the most paintable item of footwear I own, in keeping with the theme, “In My Shoes”.
I’d wanted a pair of cowboy boots for ages, but they were always too expensive, especially as I have awkwardly sized feet. These were in Next a few years back at a reasonable(ish) price and Next (sometimes) do my size. They are totally impractical; too high to drive in, too sloppy to cycle, run, or walk any distance in. And suede isn’t very practical at the best of times. But they look kind of nice.
I had to stuff paper into the foremost boot to get it to stand up. I decided that the one at the back didn’t need to be upright.
Here’s the in-progress sequence:
The underpainting – done with a brush – was burnt umber and ultramarine. The knife work on top was CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and blacK – printer ink colours!) heavy body acrylic.
Acrylic on canvas, 30 x 30 cm
In My Shoes
Parkinson’s UK, the largest UK charity devoted to curing and caring for people affected by Parkinson’s, has a theme for this year’s Parkinson’s Awareness Week: “In My Shoes”. It’s about explaining what it’s like to have Parkinson’s, and it’s about shoes. Because shoes are easier to illustrate.
