In Her Shoes

Marilyn Monroe once said, “Give a woman the right pair of shoes and she can conquer the world.”

People of average height, myself included, don't think twice about the ways clothes are designed and worn - and if we do, our needs are likely met. However, for a person with dwarfism, the structure of something as simple as a shoe can be incredibly challenging. When we learned of Mira's diagnosis, we knew that raising her would present certain challenges. However, I certainly hadn't anticipated that shoes would be one of them.

Trying to dress a second grader with an extra-wide toddler-size foot requires a level of investigative shopping and reserves of patience that are often difficult to summon up.

For the first few years of Mira's life, footwear didn't hold too much importance. After all, babies don't necessarily need shoes, and Mira didn't start walking until she was 2 1/2 years old. A few trips to Stride Rite and we were pretty much set for a while. But as Mira got older, more mobile, and started developing her own interests and very big personality, I began to realize just how difficult it would be to find suitable shoes for her needs.

We figured out sneakers early on, thanks to suggestions from our online community. At the time, New Balance was one of the few reputable shoe brands that provided an extra-wide toddler size in a supportive sneaker with a hook and loop (non-lace up) closing. To this day, New Balance is our go-to sneaker.

When Mira was four years old, she started taking dance classes. Ballet Shoes! However, her feet were not long and narrow, which made finding the right ballet shoes a challenge. After several Amazon returns and a lot of trial and error, Mira finally found a pair of ballet shoes that fit her small feet perfectly.

A year later, Mira expressed interest in tap dancing, which required a different type of shoe. I took her to a specialty dance store, where a helpful saleswoman was determined to find a solution to help Mira pursue her passion for dance. She assisted us in special ordering a pair of character shoes and adding taps to them herself.

Beyond dance, Mira also loves playing in the snow, but finding the right snow boots for her small legs was another challenge. I searched high and low, ultimately discovering that the most expensive brands worked best for Mira's needs. I was willing to pay any price to ensure that Mira could enjoy playing in the snow with her sister and friends.

Recently, Mira received an invitation to a birthday party at a roller rink. This made her very excited, but I was nervous because I wasn't sure how she would manage to wear roller skates. To ensure that she could participate, I called the roller rink and asked if they had any extra wide skates in her size. The person on the other end of the line laughed and suggested the Fischer-Price plastic ones that attach to shoes. I remembered those from my childhood, and remember how flimsy (crappy) they were. Luckily, I found an adjustable rollerblade/skate hybrid suitable for wide feet. And they were pink! Although I had low expectations, Mira surprised me. She skated confidently on the glossy wooden floor with the help of a skate buddy and enjoyed the party with her friends. Now roller skating is one of her favorite activities!

This year, Mira decided to try something new. A hip-hop dance class! I was relieved to learn that she could wear her regular sneakers to class, so we broke out her New Balances once again. However, I recently received an email from the dance teacher with a link to a specific silver sequined lace-up shoe for the recital. I sighed, knowing that these wouldn’t work. But, if I had to buy white New Balance shoes and hand-stitch every sequin on them, I would have done it.  Thankfully, after a few days of googling, I found a Velcro glittery pair that worked just as well. I can’t wait to watch Mira and her shoes shine on that stage in June.

Mira will wear many shoes in her lifetime, and finding the right ones will often pose a challenge. However, in the grand scheme of things, the more shoes she wears, the more life experiences she will conquer.

And that's a perfect fit.