What is the last time you saw a shoehorn in US? Yet a shoehorn is something no self-respecting Russian can live without. Or at least so it seems.Our friends in Russia always offered us a shoehorn on our way out. (It is customary to take your shoes off when entering someone’s house in Russia). The little apartment we rented in Moscow did not have a cork screw in its “fully equipped” kitchen, but it had a two foot long shoehorn. The Red Arrow train overnight kit included a shoehorn along with a toothbrush and toothpaste. Even the Domodedovo airport had a shoehorn for passengers to use after they had removed their shoes to go through security.
Back when my parents and I lived in Russia, we had a shoehorn too. It hung on the coat rack by the door. My parents did not use it often—it was mostly for guests, but my grandparents on the other hand used their shoehorn all the time.
Ideally you want to slide your foot into a shoe without damaging its back. You could step into the shoe, and jiggle your foot until it goes in, but that is not ideal for the shoe. You can also help your foot with your hands, but you need to bend down to do that. This is where a two foot long shoehorn comes in very handy—no need to bend down, and no need to bend the shoe.
Posts
2 comments:
ah! there was a time a few years ago i scoured shoe stores in boston just in search of a shoe horn! shoulda gone to moscow! ;)
I think shoehorns were fairly popular in my grandparents generation in the U.S. and died out somewhere in my parents lifetime. I vaguely recall seeing one once or twice....
Post a Comment