Okay, okay- so this summer I fell victim to that frenzied sale rationalizing, “They are only a half size smaller than what I normally wear” and “I can always get them stretched”. Well, the truth is, it is always best to buy shoes that actually do fit- from the beginning.

However, if you have that lonely pair sitting in the back of your closet without an un-painful hope of being worn, you may want to drop them off at your local shoe repair store before you send them along to Goodwill.

In fact, make a worthwhile journey out of the whole expedition! Round up all your sandals from the summer whose straps you have virtually worn thin, any heels that need a new base or boots that need a good polishing, and renew a whole collection of shoes.

Don’t know where your nearest and best shoe repair is? No problem- just use Super Pages (www.superpages.com) or Yelp and type in ‘shoe repair’ in your search.

Finally, if you want to do some quick touch-ups at home, pick up some Organic Coconut Oil Shoe Polish from Po-Zu.