This is my first ever post on Hive, so I hope I did not mess it up completely:
The Ladies of Hive group is having a contest, and this is my entry for this week. The writing prompt I chose was:
Describe the worst pair of shoes you've ever owned.
My parents were not cruel, sadistic monsters. They loved me. They tried to do the right thing. It is therefore somewhat inexplicable that, when I was a child, they insisted on purchasing the ugliest imaginable shoes for me. These shoes literally made me cry. I was only seven.
This was not abuse, but it sure felt like it at times, not to minimize the suffering of those who were actually abused, of course. These footwear monstrosities were brown or sometimes a sort of eggplant purple lace up Buster Brown shoe. It was the 70's, but that neither explains nor forgives this transgression on my parents' part.
How Ugly Can They Be?
In case you don't know, Buster Brown is supposedly a quality shoe. If you want to understand the level of ugliness with which I was contending, look at the first photo here:
https://americacomesalive.com/buster-brown-shoes-mary-janes/
In retrospect I wonder whether my parents inadvertently bought me boys' shoes, but I don't think so. They were just hella-ugly girls' shoes.
Things I don't understand:
Why would Mom, who had a sense of fashion, buy such ugly shoes?
Why did Buster Brown make such ugly shoes?
Why didn't my younger sister have to wear such monstrosities?
Longing for Mary Janes
Most of the girls at school had black patent leather Mary Jane shoes. How I wished I too had the Mary Janes! Were the Buster Browns cheap? No. Were they comfortable? Mom said they were, but she did not have to wear the hated footwear.
(Ironically, I think the Mary Janes were actually made by the Buster Brown company, so -- why, Mom and Dad?)
I developed huge, painful blisters on my heels from this high quality footwear. Did I already say these shoes made me cry? They did. They made me cry when we bought them.because they were ugly and uncomfortable. They made me cry when I wore them because of the blisters, and they made me cry when the Mary Jane girls made fun of me for having such hideous shoes.
Why Didn't I Destroy Them? The Shoes, Not my Parents
I knew they were hideous. I wish I had thought to set them on fire or throw them into the garbage or somehow "lose" them. However, I was a "good" girl, so I put up with the Buster Brown nonsense for years.
I am not even sure what finally put a stop to Buster Brown ruining my life. My parents loved those shoes so much. They explained to me about the Quality. The Durability. The Craftsmanship. I think they adored the shoes as much as I hated them. Sometimes, they would have whole conversations about what great shoes the Buster Brown were.
Yeah? Well, if you like them, maybe you should wear them, I wanted to scream. However, I didn't scream at them. I sobbed instead. It was damned tragic.
Good Behavior Does not Pay Off
I don't know why I felt the need to be good rather than rage against the insanity of these shoes that were ugly, hurt my feet, and lost me social standing that I, a chubby, nerdy little kid, could ill afford to lose. It reminds me of a quote by Henry David Thoreau from "Walden":
"If I repent of anything, it is very likely to be my good behavior. What demon possessed me that I behaved so well?"
Now All Shoes are a Joy by Comparison
Those were the worst shoes of my life. On a positive note, since the Buster Browns, it is almost impossible for any shoe to be upsetting for me. So, in a way, Mom and Dad did me a favor. Every shoe since those hated Buster Browns has been a real joy by comparison. My parents accidentally taught me to appreciate every non-Buster Brown shoe I ever wore. So, there is some benefit to mildly torturing your child. Later life seems so much nicer. Maybe that was their plan all along. If so, well-played, parents. Well-played indeed.
I invite 
I welcome any and all feedback. As long as it is overwhelmingly positive and supportive, of course. Seriously, though, I want to know what you think. Now. Or, you know, whenever you have a moment is fine also.