The Case of the Mysterious Exploding Shoes

So, I wore this great pair of black boots to work on Wednesday. I've had these boots for about three years. Last winter, the bottom of the heel had worn down to the metal, so, I took the shoes to get re-heeled. I may have worn them last winter after they got re-heeled, but if not, this was the first time I wore them.

I put them on at 7am, and it was at noon that I noticed...

My shoes had exploded. Both shoes exploded on the same day. Weird, right?

You're confused, dear reader. I know. Let me explain.

The Fronts of the Shoes

I was walking down the hallway to go pick up my lunch from the fridge. I looked down at my shoes, and I noticed that the front of both pairs of shoes had ripped--the leather was peeling away from the backing across the front seam. I first noticed it on my left shoe and, upon closer inspection, I saw the right shoe was having the same problem. Since I was walking that was all I noticed at the moment.

The Left Zipper

I returned back to where I was eating my lunch, incredulous that my boots were ripped. I showed a friend and when I looked down, I took note that the seams around the zippers were ripping as well!

Left Zipper Hole

I had no choice but to wear these shoes for the rest of the day, so I just hoped that no one else noticed. After school, when I was sitting at Dance Team practice, I was telling my co-coach about my exploding shoes. I then noticed that the hole on the left zipper had opened so much that you could see right through it. Yes, those are my fingers sticking through that hole in the picture!

I got home and showed the shoes to my husband. It was then that I noticed that the rips didn't stop on the zipper and the fronts. They were ripped in seven places total! The other places I noticed were:


the heels:

the ruching on the right toe:

the side of the right shoe:

and another spot on the side of the right shoe:

I would have been disappointed if even one spot on one of the shoes ripped. However, I'm still incredulous about the fact that BOTH shoes ripped in so many places on the same day! What would cause that to happen?

Sure, these shoes were three years old. Sure I wore them. But, I treat my shoes well. I keep them stored nicely, I don't run through patches of thorns--I just walk on smooth floors.

What happened to my shoes to make them mysteriously explode?

Why do they look like this now?

Can you solve the case of the Mysterious Exploding Shoes?!