How to save your soles at BlogHer (or any other conference)

Somewhere, there is a formula that calculates the number of blogging conferences I’ve been to times the number of shoes I’ve crammed into the volume of my trusty suitcase plus the number of blisters and bashed baby toes I’ve bandaged divided by two well-tended but roughed-up feet. Luckily, I am a writer and don’t have to do all that math. But I do have to take care of my tootsies, especially when I am speaking on a panel, meeting up with my very favorite bloggy ladies or dashing off to an event.

As a shameless shoe whore and lady who would really like to keep slipping on the platform peep toes when I emerge from my desk area in the dining room, I’ve compiled my very best field-tested tips here for keeping your feet in happy, healthy, working condition  while at a conference. And since BlogHer ’13 is in my city very soon, here are a few more insider-insole tips from one of your windy city hostesses!

1. Save one side of your suitcase for shoes. I dedicate one whole section of my roller suitcase to shoes in part because I bring way too many pairs wherever I travel, but also because I think it helps to see them all together. And when you see them all tucked in next to each other, the visual will aid you in editing. It’s all right there — four pairs of animal print shoes? three kinds of flats? all wedges? — making it more obvious what you can pull out and what should stay. Keeping shoes separated from your clothing will also keep your dresses from getting dirty and open up some tiny in-between pockets to stick in hair accessories or other small things that don’t fit elsewhere.

Read the rest of my tootsies-tending tips here.