Dear Diary. My left knee hurt yesterday. I blame it on my shoes. My shoes are falling apart. To save money, I always wait until my shoes are unwearable before I buy a new pair of shoes. My current shoes have a hole so big I can stick my fingers through it. And the stitching is coming loose at the seams. And the leather is peeling off.

Don't believe me? Here are photos.

And what's more, my shoes are too big for my feet. I found that out today. I measured my feet with a ruler and discovered my shoe size is 8.5. This was a shock because I always thought I was a size 11. I thought my feet were as big as Michael Jordan's. I always thought I had big feet. Having big feet is a major part of who I am. It's a part of my identity. And today I find out I don't have big feet at all? Well, now I don't know who I am anymore.

But I did know something: I needed some new shoes. Good shoes. Size 8.5 shoes. So I rode my electric scooter to a sports department store. It was a beautiful day.

I reached the store. I locked my scooter a to lamp post. I went inside and tried on some hiking shoes. It was a revelation. They felt so snug and comfy. It was love at first shoe. They were 119 euros but I didn't mind. The shoes come with an insole, a midsole with air cushioning, and a Vibram rubber outsole.

I went to the checkout. The assistant asked me if I had an account. I couldn't hear him. I'm still half-deaf due to the ear infection in both ears. I nodded and gave him the account details. I felt pale. I didn't feel well. I tried to pay with my card but the screen said CARD REJECTED for some reason. So I paid with my card for my joint account instead. The self-service checkout machine didn't give me a bag so I left carrying the shoes in my hand. I rode my scooter home with the shoes tucked under my arm.