Lockdown lessons: Indoor shoes

Another funny side-effect of the corona lockdown: indoor shoes. I bought the trainers in the above photos several months ago, while they were on sale. They remained unused until last week, when I realised I needed some ‘indoor shoes’ for exercise. 

The thing is, we take our shoes off as soon as we get home. It’s a ‘no shoes’ home. I know not everyone does that, but I find the thought of shoes that have been on the streets walking through my home pretty revolting.

At the same time, the lockdown means that most of my exercise is indoors, including any time I spend on our new cross-trainer. And that is impossible to use without trainers.

When I run, I have my ‘outdoor trainers’, which get shucked off as soon as I cross the threshold. When I do yoga, I wear nothing but a pair of pants. But the cross-trainer is a cruel mistress and would destroy my feet if I tried to get on her barefoot.

So now, thanks to lockdown, I’m wearing a lot more shoes indoors and a lot fewer clothes! I’m barefoot most of the time, until I need to exercise. It’s quite weird to move around the place in shoes, but let’s be honest – what about our current situation isn’t weird?!

Barefoot is my favourite and natural state, really. One of the chores involved in coming home from a beach holiday is having to wear shoes again…

Laundry now consists of t-shirts, underwear and running gear. I can’t (honestly) remember the last time I wore a shirt with a collar. Or trousers. It’s jeans or a pair of combats for work. Most evenings, I’m back to my ‘domestic naturist’ status, so that’s one bonus of our current predicament (except when video-calling with friends – we’ve not cross that bridge yet!).

I honestly don’t know where my travel card is (it’s somewhere in the apartment, for sure) as is my wallet. I no longer reach for either in the morning, because I no longer head out to work. My iPhone hasn’t been in a case for over a week. My world has shrunk to these four walls, except when I’m out for a run.

While I really want this all to end, there’s a bit of me that wonders how I’ll readjust to society’s norms when it does. Working clothing. Being in a crowd. Getting onto public transport.

While lockdown could end some time in the coming weeks, I think its impact on our perspective and habits could be around for much longer.

But I think my indoor shoes are here to stay.