Slush and Salt

Most of us are familiar with that trifecta of winter-woes that is slushy walkways, excessively salted footpaths, and over-heated buildings.  Having to undress, layer after layer, upon entering from out of doors is quite the annoyance, but there are more permanent effects as well.

Nothing will kill good leather and nice shoes like snow and salt – evidenced by the heels above.  These boots, with a rubber outsole, serve as my main winter footwear, especially when it’s wet.  But, with a recent downpour of 8 inches of snow overnight, combined with St. Louis’s inability to cope in any manner other than salting the city like a steak, even they haven’t been up to the task this week.

The white gunk you see is the Shoe Goo I have had to use as an emergency fix to quickly cracking heels.  The combination of saturating moisture, abrasive chemical salts, and over-heated interiors has been nothing short of shock-treatment for them, and desperate times call for desperate measures.  Once fully cured, I can clean the surface up with a razor blade and a sharpie (quite complex, artisan a treatment, no?).  Not optimal, but practical.