MADE IN CHINA PLASTICS

I'm embarrassed to say I bought my shoes at Walmart. I have excuses. Walmart is the only store closer than 20 miles of me. I need some shoes I don't have to worry about. The don't have to last long, I can wear the hell out of them. They can get dirty. I can toss them in the washer. So throw away quality is the highest priority.

I also have a pair of Mary Janes for dress up. (I got them online for $80 plus shipping and handling and I have no idea where they were made not.) They're fairly attractive, fit good, have a non-slip tread, and will last a long time.


Before I got these mail order shoes, I gave away every last shoe I owned. Probably a thousand dollars worth. Including leather Spira's, Z-Coils, sandals, "tennis" shoes, boat shoes (though I  live a thousand miles from the ocean), assorted cute shoes and a pair of shoes with one sole built up.

I sometimes wish I'd saved some of them but I honestly thought I'd be wearing nothing but the built up shoe for the rest of my life. The darn things cost $400 (while Z-Coils are only in area of $200 to $400). I had to find a foot person to measure me for a built up shoe and then go to a specialty store to have the 'prescription' filled.

My right leg is 2 inches shorter than the left. It didn't used to be. After a long illness that resulted in spine surgery the leg was shorter. I don't blame the doctors. I'm glad I'm not dead. 

To make a long story short (no pun intended) I'd rather limp and walk with a cane than wear an elevated shoe. (I preferred a raised heel not a full sole raised but it was silly of me to think I could actually have what I want for a mere $400.)

I discovered the elevated shoe was heavy, clumsy and  didn't bend at the place a shoe is supposed to bend while actually walking.  And it made my back hurt. Ugh.

The shoe guy who measured me for a lift said it was customary to raise the shoe half as high as the actual discrepancy. Dolt. I limped worse in those expensive leather speciality shoes that were supposed to fix the problem. Again, who am I to judge? Shoe guys and fancy shoe stores have to make a buck. Whatever.

BTW, being out $400 sucked, too.

So anyway, as I said, I chose to limp and carry a cane & keep my balance. Who knows it may come in handy if I see a mugging and have to clobber someone.

So the point to this story is: I wear cheap shoes now.

I've had a horrid awakening that all Made in China plastics and vinyls are not the same.

Some stink like they are emitting poisonous gas. (I didn't care how funny I looked in Walmart sniffing all the potential shoe purchases. It's Walmart so who's to notice--even the employees ignore us. I didn't look any more conspicuous than the old, plump guy decked out in bright tie dye--shirt, shorts, and hat. He looked like a Mardi Gras parade. 

Check out this link!

Warning: Chinese plastics, being smelly, must be put outside until their smell fades away. I wonder though if this just gets rid of the smell and not the toxicity. And watch out what you put in handbags and such so whatever it is doesn't pick up the smell and toxicity.

I ask you to please smell (and taste) all plastic things before you put them on a baby, give him a toy to play with or wash him up in a Chinese plastic bathtub.

As far as tasting plastic, I had a tiny doll I wanted to pass on to a little girl I know since the doll looked like her. So out of curiosity I smelled it. Okay so far. And then touched it slightly with my tongue. IT WAS INSANELY HORRIBLE. The taste burned and lingered for an hour and nothing would make it go away. I felt I had been poisoned and waited to drop over onto the floor. Fortunately I didn't.

But my curiosity taught me a few things....

PLEASE TASTE ALL THE CHINESE PRODUCTS FOR CHILDREN BEFORE YOU ACTUALLY LET THE CHILD TOUCH (AND TASTE) THEM. 

This was actually true about some crayons I bought (they used to be wax when I was a kid and we were able to chew them). I think it's a harsh way to teach kids to avoid putting imported things in their mouths. You just don't know where they've been.

What's it going to take to stop America from relying on imports from China? After all, Mexico and Canada are close by and need the money.

I put the crayons outside a few weeks. I found out they don't melt either. I also suggested they wash their hands when they were done 'creating art' as they called it. 

To continue, I'm not going to taste my shoes. I dare say, no one else will taste my shoes either. If I see a drooly baby crawling my way, I'll move out of his range.

The Walmart shoes I bought smelled fine, too. So I'm wearing them for the first time today. They may not be gorgeous but at $10 per shoe they'll do.

Take a stand on Chinese plastics