Ode to My Shoes

I am about to lay to rest my second pair of black work shoes in two weeks. That was a pretty awkward sentence. Let’s try again. In the last two weeks, two pairs of black work shoes have kicked the bucket, becoming so uncomfortable that I can no longer wear them. They both are too expensive to repair, but because they were so noble in their quest they deserve a tribute of some sort (homage perhaps?), so here goes.

The first pair to break was purchased in the spring of 2004 for $9 at DSW in Cincinnati while I was shopping with Sara Wolfgang. I bought them before I had a real job (I was a grad student doing research at NASA), knowing that one day, I would have a real job where I would need a pair of comfy black dress shoes. They had a low heel and interesting styling that made them delightfully comfortable. I had the heel replaced a couple months back. I had no idea that would be the beginning of the end. Two weeks ago, a piece of wood started to poke up from the sole into my heel. I was told by my shoe man that they were beyond repair.

The other pair that gave up was purchased during Christmas break freshman year of college (approx January 2000) for $20 at either Kohl’s or Mervynn’s. I was with Liz Matzinger. She had driven from Toledo to keep me from going insane. They were a loafer with a very high but wide and substantial heel (3.5”?). I wore them to numerous college parties. In fact, Marcela wore them to numerous college parties too. They were great for walking and looking hot in. They stayed on my feet so nicely. I think I had the heel replaced at least twice. Every couple of months, I would take a black permanent marker to them to color in scuffs on the heel, cracks in the fake leather, and dye the white fraying threads black. The brand was Ellemeno which I loved because that can be a tribute to the Adam Sandler dialogue “Respect.” Recently I noticed that the balls of my feet were rubbing against something uncomfortably bumpy while I walked and it was killing the soles of my feet. I believe these too, are beyond repair.

Both pairs will be missed - Rest In Peace, old friends.

Although I’m really feeling rather sentimental about them, I must remain steadfast in my demands that the shoes look good, feel good, and are reasonably priced. I wonder if I can find one pair to replace both.