A Walk in My Shoes - Art & Pain

Lisa wearing ombre Sketchers paired with a MONOLISA bag & jewelry - Carmel, California.

It is fascinating how life's uncomfortable experiences can often lead to new opportunities. As they say, one door closes and a new door opens. It all started with my foot pain ten plus years ago that opened the door to my creativity and the world of art. In my forties, my feet started developing incredible amounts of pain. Every step I took lead to some sort of discomfort. Both feet felt sensations of tingling, numbness, soft pains to sharp pains. My feet had good days and bad days. Challenging was an understatement. By some stroke of luck I hoped the pain would dissipate. It didn't. All this foot discomfort was part of my aging process and twenty years of long distance running. 

I Can't Wear Heels

When I reflect back on my healthy feet days and my previous stylish footwear collection it delivers great sadness. My love of women's accessories is a part of who I am and has been with me since I was a kid. Growing up in my twenties and thirties I lived for wearing beautiful high heels, ballet flats, tall boots and crystal encrusted sandals. I disliked wearing sneakers. I only wore sneakers when I went for my long evening runs or power walks - then back in the closet the shoes went. The reality now, I am no longer in my twenties. As I continued living with foot pain I had to make some life changes. My questions were how do I find a way to accept my foot problems, alleviate the pain and what type of comfort shoe options do I have?

 

Lisa wearing heels in her thirties - Living in South Florida.

Being out in public and seeing women wearing beautiful heels and stylish ballet flats made me sad. It reminded me that I couldn't wear any of those shoe styles ever again. I couldn’t even wear flip flops to the beach. Flat shoes did not work for my deteriorating foot padding, neuropathy and Morton's neuroma. As I explored the comfort shoe market the styles I liked were very limited. As I continued the shoe market research I eventually concluded that sneaker style shoes worked best for my feet paired with padded metatarsal inserts. Although I was heartbroken with my situation, I finally came to terms about it. My closet full of beautiful heels, designer sandals, ballet flats and stylish boots had to be retired. Parting with my favorite pink patent leather Valentino bow kitten heels and Ferragamo black lace ballet flats was tough. I had a new reality that came with discomfort emotionally, physically and fashionably. 

Finding a Comfort Shoe For My Bad Feet

Little did I know that my foot problems would soon deliver something not only positive, but life changing too. Over the years I focused on finding comfortable style sneakers I could easily pair with my go to style, midi and tea length dresses. Finally after searching hundreds of shoes styles and brands I found my go to sneakers, Sketchers. Their shoe collection options fulfilled my personal style requirements - colors in soft pinks, baby blue, light lavender, classic black, bright whites and unique ombre effects. I have been wearing the brand for years. Sketcher sneakers are ideal for my feet, because they are light-weight and have the softest footbed around - great for my extremely sensitive feet. The shoe brand includes arch support styles which keeps my body aligned - helping to alleviate my foot, hip and back pains from aging. Today, shopping for sneakers is now fun and something I really enjoy. A bonus, I have a much larger shoe budget since I stopped purchasing expensive designer shoes.

 

My Artistic Journey

The silver lining with my experience - walking in my shoes opened a new door to my hidden creative side. At the beginning of my challenging foot journey I started learning about patterns, working with materials and creating with my hands. The more I created the better I felt, so I kept at it. My foot situation no longer felt like a thorn in my side the more I created. The whole experience inspired me to focus on designing beautifully handmade pieces that add a touch of elegance to any personal style. Ultimately it lead me to launch my own handbag and jewelry line, MONOLISA in 2017.

MONOLISA Collection by Artist Lisa Ramos

I would have never imagined that my sore feet would be a driving force to creating handmade jewelry and handbag designs. Life has taught me sometimes the toughest experiences can deliver incredible gifts. In this case it did for me, the World of Art. Today styling outfits is enjoyable and no longer dreadful. I appreciate my closet full of pastel, ombre effect and classic colored sneakers. Although going to special events and finding the right shoe can be challenging, I work around it. I now focus on creating glamorous looks around my foot disabilities with stylish accessories - lavish crystal earrings, one of a kind gemstone rings and classic colorful tote bags. Walking in my shoes isn't so bad after all. My feet feel better and my confidence too.