Thoughts on Shoes

So, I hate buying new sneakers. It's always a painful experience. Shira has to more or less push and prod me to give up a pair of dead sneakers in exchange for a shiny new pair.

Somewhere in my growing up I picked up the following rules for buying sneakers:

(1) Don't . That's right, if your shoes only have a few holes and no tread that's simply not a good reason to trash them. Shoes are like a comfy set of jeans - if you give up this pair you may never find a set as comfy.

(2) Anything over $39.99 for shoes is just a rip off. Sure, you could buy a $100 set of nikes, but why bother? It's just wasted money. To this day the first pair of shoes I always ask Shira if I can buy is the generic gray Reeboks that I used to wear as a 12 year old.

(3) Don't buy into all this marketing crap about gel and air and such. They're all the same.

(4) Who cares if they are stylish? They are sneakers for heavens sakes. Who cares if they are day-glow yellow, if they are cheap how can you lose?

Shira has none of these rules. In fact, she buys shoes first on style, then price and then maybe comfort. Maybe.

So, shopping together is always an adventure.

But I did, I took the plunge. Spent $75.00 (!!) on a pair of somewhat presentable sneakers, which promised to make me run faster and farther.

I wonder how long this pair will last? How long until I'm back at the shoe store negotiating about what I will and won't try on.

Guess we'll find out soon enough.

--Ben