I learned a valuable lesson over the weekend about budget travel:  Don’t be a cheapass when it comes to shoes.  Especially walking shoes.  Apparently cool looking Sketchers and discount Airwalks don’t offer much support when it comes to really heavy duty serious walking.

Upon arriving in New York last Saturday morning I had a ton of stuff I wanted to do before meeting up with friends at night.   I started pounding the pavement – heading from Chelsea through midtown and up to the Apple Store on 5th Avenue.  I prefer biking to jogging and walking, but I have no trouble walking long distances.  I walk all over my neighborhood and go on hikes of seven to 12 miles in the summer.    But walking with a rapid gait, plus moving side to side dodging people must put pressure on lesser used bones.  Particularly those delicate side bones on the outside portion of the foot.

It didn’t flare up noticably until Sunday. That’s when it felt as though Satan himself was gnashing at my foot.  OK maybe not that bad, but as ridiculous as it sounds I was thinking a walking stick would be really make life better.  A quick aside: isn’t a “hiking stick” or “walking stick” just a hip word for a cane?  I met my cousin in Bryant Park, and after resting and enjoying some sun I spotted an opportunity to remain ambulatory by instantly acquiring a “walking stick” with zero time or expense..  (See photo below left.)

My cousin strongly advised me against this plan.  Probably for the best.  

Instead we stopped in at the Payless Shoes on 5th Avenue and 39th and bought some gel inserts.  They didn’t help, however it was the most immaculate and brilliant Payless I’ve ever set FOOT in. (Sorry had to get in one pun here.)

So for the remaining three days I was forced to take it a bit slower, at times limping and hobbling while still climbing subway stairs, hopping curbs and skirting around antsy cabs.   On Monday I was making my way up to some museums and actually had to stop and sit on some brownstone steps.  Annoyed as I was, it forced me to slow down my pace, and while seeing a bit less of New York’s overall geography still explored the neighborhoods and did the things I had originally set out to. 

According to this diagram my minor injury affects the cuboid and/or fifth metarsal.   My tennis playing co-worker is familiar with the type of injury and says its probably a small fracture.  Provided I lay low it should heal itself. 

To add insult to injury, (literally in this case,)  one block away from my guest house in Chelsea is the office of Dr. Jeffrey Wolfson, a podiatrist who also either offers pregnancy testing or shares an office with someone who does. Should I be so careless again I know exactly where I’ll wind up.