A couple of weeks back, I mentioned that I was able to spend a few days (or day, as it were) at my brother’s new running shop. It just so happened to be during his birthday blowout sale while I was there and let me tell you, it wasn’t just one of these sales where things are marked 5% down, just to get you in the door.
No, no–I saw things marked down 50% or more.
Anyways, as you can imagine, the shop was busy. I mean–50% off running shoes? You just can beat that. He even had party decorations and cake. I think party decorations and cake should be mandatory when shops are trying to part you from your money. It makes it seem like fun and it certainly makes it seem like you need to spend money to help with the celebration.
So I’m wandering around the shop, looking for good deals and poking around all the products, when I spy the most beautiful pair of trail shoes. They are grey with blue accents and they are a-dorable. And a size 10.5 B–my size. And they are $10 bucks, which I can justify in my budget. I mean, 10 bucks? Come on.
Here’s the thing–I had foot surgery in 2004 (a long post for another day) and am not allowed to wear pretty much any of the cool shoes. No heels, no totally flat shoes, nothing restrictive or too small. Latest style? I can forget it. You can be sure I try all of them but they are not allowed to go home with me.
I have a couple of pairs leftover from pre-surgery years, but they mostly collect dust. The shoe rules were originally imposed by my foot surgeon, but I learned (the hard way) that the rules helped prevent pain. This, generally, is a good thing.
Occasionally I lash out against the rules, and don a pair of heels, only to be reminded why the rules are there in the first place.
My most favorite pair of shoes–besides my running shoes–are my black converse. I like them because they go with everything, they are easy, they make me feel special and they last me forever. However, they are not exactly the kind of shoe my foot surgeon would recommend.
The point is, Mr. S has been on me for the last forever to stop wearing my black cons, or at the very least to incorporate some other good shoe into the shoe rotation. (Oh god, that has got me thinking about making a shoe schedule. Must move on to other points.) Let’s face it, I know he is right. While I love the cons, they aren’t exactly makin’ love to my feet, if you know what I mean.
I love my running shoes, but, eep, I’m a girl, and you know, have some fashion sense. Now, let’s not kid ourselves, I don’t have a lot of fashion sense, just a little. An eensy little. Anyways, the running shoes don’t match a majority of my wardrobe. So even though I can throw my fashion sense to the wind when I’m out running and wear red shirts with green shorts and such, I’m not *quite* ready to do the same thing all the time.
I’ve seen other running shoes that are more appropriately corresponding to my wardrobe, but I’ve been conditioned that one must be fitted for proper running shoes. I’ve been conditioned that if the nice person at my running shop tells me I need to wear moon-boots because I’m a super-duper-overpronated-goofy-pigeon-toed-fool, I will. Gladly. Because I know that happy feet make for happy runner. And happy feet come from being happily fit at the running shop.
And not buying a pair of running shoes because they are cute. Or hot pink. Or have tiny little girly pink skulls on them. At least that is what I tell myself when I see such adorable running shoes.
But then I see shoes like the grey trail running shoes. The 10 dollar grey trail running shoes. The cute 10 dollar grey training shoes.
That night, at my brother’s pad, I notice a basket near the front door of his abode filled with running shoes. Blue ones. Red ones. Ones with orange stripes. Trail ones. Ones with funny laces. It is a smorgasbord of shoes. A cornucopia of shoes. It is shoe Elysium.
So I ask, all wide-eyed and drooly, “Are ALL those shoes for running? What do they all mean??”
He explained to me that not all are for running. Some are merely for kicking around in. It is perhaps one of the best benefits, in *my* opinion, of owning at a running shop. The shoe discount.
I took a deep breath before I asked my next question.
“Can I, too, have running shoes for kicking around in? Or must I be fit for all pairs always?”
“No, you totally can have running shoes for kicking around in. No specific brand. No specific fit. I mean, they have to fit you, but other than that, go crazy.”
Well, he might as well have told me that pigs were flying. That I got the golden ticket to the shoe factory.
I imagined running shoes of all colors and styles stacked a mile deep in my closet. I imagined that scene in Pretty Woman, where she is carrying all those bags and boxes, looking smug in her retail skills.
Most of all, I imagined those grey trail shoes.
Sometimes it is odd what makes us happy. Lately it has been my new grey trail shoes. When I wear them with jeans, they make my legs look really long and lean. When I wear them with shorts, they make me feel powerful and exceptionally strong. When I wear them with cargo pants, they make me feel so thin.
These shoes, they are like my superman costume. When I’m wearing other shoes, I’m just Clark HMM Kent. But when I change into these super-shoes, I’m Super HMM! Off to save the day, off runners anyways.
The bonus is not only do these grey trail shoes make me feel fan-freaking-tastic, but they are practical. Truly. I mean I’ve attempted to justify fairly impractical shoes in the past (But mom, I NEED six inch heels for prom, my date is 6’7”!)
But in this case, it is actually true. In Colorado, they made excellent snow shoes because they have incredible traction. They look fabulous when worn with jeans and a blazer, even, dare I say, business casual. They don’t hurt my feet and my foot surgeon would definitely approve. Even Mr. Shortpants likes them (probably because the cons have been out of such heavy rotation now that the grey trail shoes have taken up residence).
So now, every time I’m in a sporting goods store, which is surprisingly often (I really ought to get out more) I can actually justify the purchase of shoes. Well, good quality running type shoes, anyways, for the purpose of kicking around in without the compromise of my feet, which still means SHOES! And, if you haven’t already noticed, I’ve got a pretty big soft spot for shoes.
But, let’s face it; other shoes would have to be pretty freaking awesome to rise to the same level as my grey trail running shoes.
Because they kick all kinds of ass.
Posted by howmanymiles 