Tell Your Pedors Story #1 - Elaine Mes

Posted by John O'Hare on Dec 15, 2023

Tell Your Pedors Story #1 - Elaine M Kick Off The Series

Elaine M spoke with John O'Hare via email. Published February 14th 2019
Elaine is a customer of Pedors and was gracious enough to answer a few questions we sent her way. We are eternally grateful to Elaine for kicking off the "Tell Your Pedors Story" series. If you would like to tell your Pedors story, please contact me at johnohare@pedors.com

Elaine M

I grew up in San Francisco, Ca. starting at two years old and have lived in the SF Bay Area all my life. After high-school graduation I attended the University of California at Berkeley majoring in Speech, Literature and English. I lived on Campus where I met my lifelong friend to this day. We have been best friends for 60 years.

I dropped out in my Junior year after getting married and then pregnant. There were no pregnant women on campus in the 60's. We bought a home in SF and had our baby girl. Three months later I was pregnant again and our new home was too small (how would I have known that; it looked huge to us?). We then settled in Marin County, over the Golden Gate Bridge to the North of San Francisco and settled in San Rafael. Two little girls and then two little boys, the eldest was 5; 4 kids in 5 years!! Now they are 50, 52, 54, and 56.

My husband and I enjoyed our family acquired two dogs, many friends and volunteer activities related to the kid's schools, and the time flew by. When my youngest son turned 18 I went back to college at USF (University of San Francisco) and completed my missing units at night. I got a BS degree in Organizational Psychology and Behavior. I was a "therapist" for large organizations and helped them figure out how to thrive. I absolutely loved this work and found it fascinating, and was hired by the largest health care delivery system in the country as a Patient Advocate. I became someone who acted as a consultant to patients, administration and to physicians. It was my joy to advise all of these entities as to how to get their needs and expectations met. I was a "middle man" and solved problems, made suggestions and kept people happy.

I was widowed at age 44 and continued my work as well as single parenting; these were difficult times of discovery and sadness and coping and re-inventing my life.

Four years later I remarried and found out how difficult it was to marry someone who had already had a life-set and family, and to blend my life-set and family with his. We were married for 26 years and then he passed away.

My Search For Comfortable Footwear

I am on my own now with married adult children and with 7 grandchildren, all grown up as well. Is it any wonder my original "normal" feet disappeared to be replaced with real nuisance feet?

I started out with 10 B's and loved shoes, until I noticed I could no longer fit into that size and that 11 WWs had taken their place. No more high heels and fashion oriented shoes for me! The doctors figured out that I had very small insufficient veins in my legs and feet and very poor lower circulation. This had nothing to do with bladder or kidney problems; those are fine.

Columns

My passion for shoe shopping in actual brick and mortar shoe stores had abruptly ended but, that didn't stop me from ordering from catalogs or from the internet. It became clear soon, though not before I returned much more than I kept, that longing for something did not mean that it was going to work. Nothing worked. I decided that maybe ordering a 12 W or WW might be the answer. It took Pedors to figure out that it wasn't the answer at all and that I might slip or fall instead.

Six months before that insight, I did have a serious fall and broke my left shoulder in four places. It was summer time and I could only wear sandals (GOOD sandals by Mephisto). Then it became clear that Fall and colder weather was coming, and I needed closed shoes with reliability and GOOD support and the search began anew.

I ordered 18 pairs of shoes on-line and none of them worked. A wonderful customer service agent who understood my problem and accepted all my returns free of charge told me about a store that might be able to help: enter Pedors!! I studied the website and still had more questions than answers. Then I called and spoke to Stephen who shed light, patience and information which changed my life. I now have shed my cane, feel very secure walking and I can walk again without fear AND my children and grandchildren do not run, panic and scream "STOP" Mom, I'll hold your elbow"! That's how I define freedom!

I bought the Pedors classic in brown and black, and I no longer have any need for "fashion" shoes in every color under the rainbow and styles that are not functional, but look interesting. I dress in classic style with pants, not dresses. My pants are in classic colors: black, navy, gray, beige, brown blue denim, white denim, beige denim. I do not wear anything but long pants; I hate pedal pushers or shorts BUT my pants are tailored to fit and they are not wrinkled. I have coordinating or matching tops, sweaters, tees, jackets and coats that work for any situation. I love texture and color and I love handbags and cross body bags. I am always told that someone loves my this or that or the color and they think I look great. My Pedors match everything and I am going to keep a close watch for any other colors and for warm weather sandals, if there are such things. I am 78 years old and I try to dress fashionably and suitably for my age, no matter the weather or the occasion. My Pedors are comfortable in an 11 XW NOT a 12. I walk with caution (you would too if you suffered a broken shoulder) but I feel free and confident and secure.

My Hobbies & Interests

My grandchildren are THE most fun ever. Several are away at college and we write, call, send pictures and dish all the time.

I have lots of wonderful friends, some as far back as when we were 5 years old. It is a pleasure to pick up with them at any point and to feel that we are always in touch. I play Maj Jongg with 5 others and we meet every Monday, have dinner and go to someone's house and play and talk. I love the water: swimming and water walking..I enjoy book groups where we each read the same book and talk about it.

I am lucky enough to have some younger friends (my kids ages) and to learn of their struggles, their hopes and their plans for their futures.

I love to read, to go to plays, films, and speakers series.

I used to travel a great deal and have been extensively to Europe: Italy, France, Spain, Greece, Switzerland, England and Canada. I did it, but walking was quite difficult in all the wrong shoes. Try New York in winter with open, backless shoes; I must have been out of my mind!! I missed Ireland and Scotland and am still open to going when my shoulder stops hurting and now that I know I have the right shoes!

I love going out to dinners and lunches: American, comfort foods, Italian, Japanese, Thai, some Indian and always seated across from someone I love!

The Changes I Have Seen

The BIGGEST CHANGE I have witnessed has, of course, been coming into the age of technology.

I have the Iphone of course and the Ipad and a desk top computer and I swear if it would not isolate me completely, I would ditch them all. When one goes wrong and I don't know how to fix it, I HATE THAT! I hate unwanted sales calls and threatening calls from the IRS (which, of course are never the IRS) and calls telling me that my grandson is in jail and he isn't,and never will be, cause he would call me first before anything happened.

Mostly I hate what the tech age has done to civil conversation, making eye contact, manners, spreading incorrect information and the ability to write. No one knows how to write and to express themselves any more. The young people never have the phone out of their hands and their thumbs are forever going and they never make eye contact, if they can help it. I usually reach to hold my grandchildren's hands because I love them so, and want to be affectionate with them ( and they don't know I am diverting their attention from their phones to me! Ha Ha.

I also hate the lawlessness and gangs and senseless murders and disrespect for those in authority and racism and the haves and the have nots and what has happened to our political system....

I cannot wait to see what Pedors has in the works for warm weather sandals and even wedges (I like the heels to be slightly higher than the soles. I hope I see more colors in THE Classic like Navy and steel gray.

Future Pedors Wishlist

I cannot wait to see what Pedors has in the works for warm weather sandals and even wedges (I like the heels to be slightly higher than the soles). I hope I see more colors in THE Classic like Navy and steel gray.