Never one for fancy dress, she started her life believing that her feet were beautiful, as is.
Round about puberty, though, shoes - like clothes and hair (whole different website, that) became a way of expressing individuality * note vintage purple hi-tops and blue jelly shoes *

* note also the folly of teens: sneakers in snow and acid wash jeans. aii.*

* not to mention the travesty of discount sneakers. sing with me: maybe the reason you're still not hip is your five dollar sneakers *

People made fun of the girl's shoes. (you know who you are, all of you.) One of the least kind comments she heard in her school career involved the above multicoloured shoes and dog barf.
Then, as now, if your shoes aren't exactly the right flavour of crack-induced, you will be the subject of much mockery.

But her feet were strong enough to carry on.