Waiting for the other shoe to drop

Now, I'm sure that there will be multiple discussions regarding shoes on this blog, but I want to start this one right away. Even if you get your invite in April, you may still be wondering about shoes up to your July 4th going away party. Shoes. First you have to think 'how does this relate to buisness casual?'. We will come back to the PCJ definition of buisness casual later, but for shoes it's important to think of the walking. You will be walking, during training and beyond, for perhaps a mile or so a day. Some roads are paved, others not so much, and there are occasionally 'sidewalks' which are in worse condition than the roads. Your shoes should have a thick enough sole so that when you walk on gravel, you cant feel the stones through the bottoms. This seems simple on the surface, because sneakers and teva's fill this function, but then you have to think 'buisness casual'. PCJ will not be happy with you if you wear your sneakers or tevas to all functions. Certainly you can't to wear them to your job, which will probably be a more professional situation. Remember, this is the land of ironed jeans, you must look good. When I first got here I would wear my buisness causal (button up) blouse and khaki skirt with my tevas, and I thought this was ok because I had to walk a mile to training every morning and night, but I soon realized that when Jamaicans looked at me, thier eyes were staying on my feet for longer than necessary. Not only was my footwear inappropriate, they were often dirty because it was a dirt road we walked on. You will see many people wearing filp-flops, called slippers, but they always match. For instance, it is okay to walk out to the shop in a pink shirt with jeans and a pink belt and pink slippers. But everything must be clean, sparkling. So I advise for your daily shoes that they be black, which isn't quite as universal here as it is in the states, but it will do and that they have a decently thick sole, cleanable surface and look professional. Open toes or not, it doesn't really matter. Remember, they will wear out faster here than at home, so if you really like them, buy two pairs, because shoes bought here tend to last a month, although once I bought a pair that lasted 6 hours. More on the incredibly shoddy goods available in Jamaica later.
Caitlin