the last time I bought new sneakers

[fflo]

The last time I bought new sneakers was in 1999 or 2000, at an outlet shopping center on I-70 between Columbia, MO and Kansas City. I was with my boss at the time, whose Grand Cherokee was providing our transportation home from a nuthin' conference on a lousy computer system the bookstore has since scrapped. I was delighted that she was willing to shop separately, if we had to stop (and we did); I ended up in a discount shoe place and came away with a pair of Reebox walking shoes for about 30 bucks. Turned out one of them had a flaw in the heel; that shoe made a popping, squeaky sound whenever you took pressure back off of its heel. So for a good deal of the rest of the time I worked at Varney's, you could hear me squeaking when I walked around the warehouse.

Last week squirrelykat and I were at the discount shoe place up here, and I musta tried on 15 pairs of sneakers that I could find in my size---surprisingly many choices in a women's 11, so most of 'em were even women's shoes. Sadly, only one pair seemed to fit right and feel good, and they were the most expensive. So expensive I wouldn't have even put 'em in the stack to try on if I'd seen the price correctly. I hemmed and hawed and decided to come back another time and try to find more options.

A few days later I returned, tried on at least 20 pairs, and was waffling, on the verge of buying none at all, when I noticed that the expensive ones came with a keychain bearing a little cast iron replica of the shoe---complete with the orange and black paint job this very model of shoe had. That finally made it okay, and in a light-hearted way; so, thanks to my love of gee-gaws, I went a little further into debt and now have my first new pair of sneakers this millenium.

I just wore 'em to traipse down to the park with the basketball I bought at a yard sale in Ypsi in the spring. No, they're not "court" shoes, but I made a few baskets anyway. And did a lot of dribbling.

Dribbling is good for the soul.

Comments

[wednes.livejournal.com]

I used to have lots of cool shoes, as comfy feet are essential to me. But sometime in the last few years, my feet went from regular to wide, and none of my shoes fit right anymore. Then I lost a bunch in last years move.

So in short, your post reminded me that I need to go to DSW.

[fflo.livejournal.com]

Hey, they've got lots of boxes with "W"s on 'em now. Go crazy!