As I mentioned, shoes seem to turn their faces in disgust when they see me. When the time came for me to wear shoes regularly, what did I do? A doctor treating a painful corn on my right foot recommended footwear with special microcellular soles and arch support. Thus began the hunt for a shoemaker who could craft such shoes. It turned out that the husband of a lady working with me owned a shoe shop, and he made a custom pair for me.

A couple of years later, during a trip to Chandigarh and Manali, my elder son, visiting India, took one look at my worn-out shoes and grimaced. He bought me a new pair from the then-popular Woodlands brand—no special soles or arch support, just good, comfortable shoes. I loved them, but shoes and I just don’t get along. They were stolen, along with other shoes, one night.

After that, I got a sleek pair of Florsheim shoes, gifted by my son during his wedding. These lasted quite a while, but then I developed a painful corn on my right little toe. The doctor’s verdict? "No more shoes for you." Even my feet understood their enmity with shoes and refused to cooperate.

I tried once more during a visit to the USA in 2009, but the results were disastrous—the corn grew rapidly. Ever since then, I’ve stuck to wearing only sandals, even during subsequent visits to the USA. In winter, I pair them with toe socks. One good thing about the US? Nobody cares what you wear. On all seven of my later visits, I managed comfortably with just sandals.

We may not pay much attention to our footwear, but it matters. There was a time when narrow, pointed shoes were in fashion—a total injustice to our feet. Ill-fitting footwear is bound to cause harm, whether to your feet, legs, or even your back. My wife developed arthritis and tendinitis in her feet, and a foot specialist traced it back to her flat feet. "If you’d worn shoes with soft soles and arch support, this could’ve been avoided," the doctor said. "Now, you’ll have to manage with special footwear or face surgery."

"Why wasn’t this advice given earlier, Doctor?"

Nowadays, Chennai is bustling with shops that specialize in making custom shoes. We found one and explained my issue with corns. They suggested that a nylon interior over the outer leather would prevent any irritation. So, I had a pair of slippers made with nylon on the inside, mimicking the shape of a shoe. So far, they seem to be working. Maybe the long-standing enmity between shoes and me is finally coming to an end.

I sure hope so.

Continued in 187. Bite on the Bananas