The Purple Ones are Squishier

I used to walk 10,000 steps before breakfast…of course, that was when I worked for a place with a walking workstation. Lately, I’ve been lucky to hit 10,000 steps more than once a week, so I haven’t been wearing out my tennis shoes quite as fast as I used to.

My husband was in dire need of new shoes. Admittedly, so was I, but I had been reluctant to spend money on a new pair of shoes until I really needed them. The pragmatist in me didn’t want to waste perfectly good shoes that didn’t even have any holes in them yet. But, after looking at the tread on the bottom of my tennies, my husband said I needed new ones.

I am not like most women in that they have fifty different pairs of shoes. The only reason I have more than two pairs is because I usually can’t quite throw my old pairs away because I could still get some use out of them…with the exception of a few pairs of high heels I have that only go with specific dresses and get dusted off maybe once a year if they’re lucky. I remember my grandpa told me that they used to pack their shoes with newspaper to keep their feet warm during the Great Depression. In dystopian movies or ones about a zombie apocalypse, people use whatever items they have until they are so threadbare that they don’t even resemble their original state. So, I have an internal struggle getting rid of shoes. And clothes. Even t-shirts that have been worn so much that they develop little holes in the stomach where it has rubbed against your jean buttons.

My husband and I walked into the shoe store and were promptly greeted by a gentleman who was happy to help us. Noting the brand of shoes I was wearing, he asked if I wanted to buy the same brand or if I had a preference. I’ve tried a few brands and gave him the names of the ones that have worked for me. He returned with a few pairs of similar support and cushion. Since I had already completed my cardio for the day, I declined the offer to “test run down the sidewalk” any of the new pairs of shoes, but instead walked, jogged in place, and bounced inside the store. I was less than thrilled to see I needed a half-size larger than my previous pair, but I’m gonna chalk that up to the difference in brands. But, honestly, for as large as my feet are, I’m definitely a few inches under-tall.

After testing each pair of shoes the gentleman had to offer, I announced “The purple ones are squishier,” and requested that style. After seeing the other color options (black on black or grey on black), I went with the grey and black pair. While the purple ones made me smile because they were such a happy color, I knew I would be donning my new shoes not only in the gym, but all day long every day until I wore them out and, quite frankly, I just didn’t think the purple would go with the majority of what’s in my closet (which is, incidentally, a lot of blue and black). My husband’s selection process was less animated than my own, but he found a new pair as well.

As luck would have it, the store had a bin for donating used shoes, so I was able to bequeath my worn-but-still-usable shoes to someone who might be able to wear them out a bit more before they needed newspapering, while I wore my new shoes out of the store. I figured it was best to donate them quickly before I convinced myself I would still get some use out of them. I wonder how long my new pair will last if I trek my 10,000 steps each day.

Side note: The following day, we went to yet another store and bought some much-needed hiking shoes for both me and my daughter, (my husband already has a good pair) which we fully intend to utilize most weekends now that the temperature is (barely) under 100 degrees.

Original Post 11/2020