Shoes - Tiny Prisons

Most people wear shoes without thinking. For me, shoes are tiny prisons. They squeeze my feet, trap my toes up, and make my whole body crooked and tense. Sometimes wearing shoes literally makes me feel like I can’t think or breathe.

Add a fluorescent-lit grocery store, carts clanging, and Muzak playing a soundtrack I didn’t ask for, and it’s sensory overload in high definition. The logical solution? Abandon cart and run. No judgment, no shame—just survival.

If your brain is anything  like mine, understanding our sensory needs is a game-changer. Shoes aren’t optional torture—they’re just another sensory input to manage. Socks, sandals, or even bare feet at home—they’re all valid ways to reclaim comfort in a world that isn’t designed for us.

Breathing is essential. Comfort is essential. Shoes that suffocate? Not essential.

So there’s that.

~ Pearl Jenkins