Walking into the reunion felt like stepping back in time. Thirty years. It felt like a lifetime ago, yet it was just like yesterday. We were back at our beloved Miranda House. I’d chosen my outfit carefully for the long day ahead: a lovely peacock-blue silk saree, paired not with painful heels, but with the most wonderfully supportive leather slippers for women I own. They looked surprisingly chic against the silk, and I felt comfortable and ready for anything.
The moment I saw Usha and Malti waving frantically from across the lawn, I knew I’d made the right choice. Soon, Vidya, Saroj, and Rekha joined us, and the years just melted away with hugs, laughter, and a chorus of “You haven’t aged a day!” which we all knew was a beautiful, kind lie.
Remember That Time We Snuck Out for Chole Bhature?
“Girls, do you remember Professor Dasgupta’s incredibly boring political science lecture?” Malti asked, her eyes twinkling. We all groaned in unison.
“How could we forget?” I jumped in. “Remember that one Tuesday we just couldn’t take it anymore? We snuck out the back gate, all five of us crammed into one auto-rickshaw, and went all the way to Kamla Nagar just for those spicy chole bhature.”
Rekha burst out laughing. “And Usha spilt the chole all over her white kurta! We spent at least an hour trying to wash it out in the college washroom before the next class.” The memory was so vivid, and soon we were lost in a sea of stories. About hostel curfews, college elections, and our endless crushes. It was wonderful. For a little while, we weren’t mothers and grandmothers with responsibilities; we were just the same carefree girls who once ruled these corridors.
From Campus Sprints to Post-samosa Limps
After a while, Saroj suggested we go grab some samosas from the food counter. We all eagerly got up, but as we started walking, Usha suddenly winced and slowed down, placing a hand on a nearby chair for support.
“Uff, my feet,” she said, her cheerful expression fading slightly. “One minute I feel like I’m 20 again, and the next, my heels remind me it’s been thirty years. It’s a real struggle to find good slippers these days.”
Vidya nodded sympathetically. “Tell me about it. I had to give away all my beautiful heels. Now it’s just flat, boring slippers for me. I’d love to find a pair of stylish leather slippers that don’t make me want to cry after an hour. But it feels impossible. All the good-looking ones are so uncomfortable.” The conversation had shifted, and it was a familiar one. It seems we were all on the hunt for comfortable leather slippers for women.
My Granddaughter’s Wise Gift
That’s when they noticed I was completely fine. I had been on my feet for two hours, mingling and walking around, without a single complaint. Rekha looked at my feet. “Kamini, you seem perfectly fine with this fashion. What’s your secret?”
I smiled. “Honestly, I was just like Usha until a few months ago. Then my granddaughter, Anika, intervened.” I told them how Anika sat me down and said, “Nani, you need slippers that actually support you.”
The next day, she gifted me a beautiful pair of Arizona soft footbed Birkenstocks. They were these classic, two-strap slippers, and I was so surprised. I never thought such practical slippers could look like such premium leather slippers for women.
“At first, I wasn’t sure,” I admitted. “But then I put them on.” I explained what my granddaughter had told me. “Anika made sure to get me the ‘soft-footbed’ ones. She explained that as we get older, the natural padding on our feet gets thinner. This soft version has an extra layer of cushion, like a mattress topper for your feet! It’s still super supportive, but it’s much gentler. I think for anyone looking for truly comfortable leather slippers, this soft footbed is the answer.”
Putting the ‘Comfort’ Back in a Classic
The difference it made was instant. “I can’t even tell you,” I said to my friends, who were now listening intently. “My morning walks are enjoyable again. And I can come to our reunion and focus on you all, instead of constantly searching for a chair. I always thought beautiful leather slippers had to be uncomfortable, but I was wrong.”
Malti looked at my slippers again. “But they look so nice! They don’t look like ‘comfort’ slippers.”
“Exactly!” I said. “That’s the best part. They are such classic sandals that they go with everything, from my silk sarees to my daily kurtas. For years, I believed that finding genuinely comfortable slippers that also had proper support was impossible. Finding these felt like discovering a wonderful secret, and they are easily the most versatile slippers I own.”
From College Notes to Comfort Tips
Soon, the conversation had completely shifted. Usha and Vidya were asking me to send them the online link, and Rekha was already on her phone, browsing through different styles of these amazing footwear. It was funny.
We started the day talking about our past, but we ended it by sharing wisdom for the beautiful, comfortable, and active future we all wanted to lead. It turns out, even after thirty years, we’re still helping each other find the best way to walk through life, just a bit more comfortably this time.
Hina Abbasi is Editor and a passionate sports and entertainment content writer at WinnersMaze.com. Hina’s expertise spans across a wide range of sports, and interest in many TV shows allowing her to deliver insightful analysis and compelling stories that resonate with readers.
