Happy Feet

I must confess that I am a shoe sniffer. You are probably wondering “What the heck is a shoe sniffer?!” Or maybe you are thinking the worst and are ready to dismiss today’s blog posting all together in fear of the grossness yet to come. I promise, this will not be a stomach churning post. I do not like to sniff old, stinky shoes. Just the opposite, I love the smell of brand new shoes. Fresh from the box. They still have that leathery, new smell to them. Ahhhh. There’s nothing else like it to these nostrils. Every time I go to a store, right when I sit down to try on a pair of new shoes, the first thing I do when I open the box is take a big whiff in. I don’t stick my nose into the shoes; that would be disgusting. Other feet have graced the insides of that leather, and I do NOT want to have my nose be a part of foot cooties. But, I can get a fairly good waft from just opening the box lid itself.

I do not know why I enjoy this scent so much other than the fact that I love the feeling of brand new shoes on my feet. I think over the years I have developed a Pavlovian response of some kind. After always smelling that fresh leather right before feeling the cushy comfort of the shoes on my feet, it has trained me to react with a positive feeling every time I get that first scent to hit my nose. It’s a wonderful emotion though, I almost feel as high as I do after completing one of my long runs. It makes me as giddy and as excited as a kid in a candy shop. All because I know in about five seconds, after the box opens and that deep breath is taken in, my feet are going to be in a very happy place.

Today’s Simplest Pleasure:

1.) New shoes, and the scents that go with them, are an appreciated indulgence to both the nostrils and the feet.

2.) Only buy shoes that fit well and feel great; your feet will thank you.