When I was a kid I really didn't care what kind of shoes I wore. Back in kindergarten I thought I was the Fonze and wore a leather jacket and black cowboy boots with a squared off toe. After about a week of that my mom got a call from the school and suddenly I was dressed like every other kid. I had a Snoopy back pack for cripes sake!!! And I liked it!!! With no more cowboy boots I didn't care what shoes I wore. I seemed to remember a pair of Incredible Hulk shoes, GI Joe, Spiderman... Basically I was happy as a bug in a rug. One day shopping I reminded my mom I needed new shoes but being short on time she just gave me money and told me where to go in the mall. I'd never bought my own shoes before. So when I get there the dude asks me what kind of shoes I wanted? I don't know. What brand? I don't know. What colour? ...*blink*. All I knew was that I wore size five because I was in grade five, (using mneumonic devices at 8, god damn I'm brilliant) So perusing the wall racks my eyes were drawn to a pair of Nike Blue Max. Basically your basic white all leather sneaker with navy accents and Swoosh. I was in love. And putting them on for the first time it was like coming home. It's like that first test drive of that car you always expected you'd love and are proven so right. Of course being a kid, those shoes spent their brief existence being abused and soon after faded from this existence. They're probably sitting in some land fill site up north.
Fast forward to Seattle circa 2001. (What exactly does 'circa' mean anyways? I think I know what it means and I use it enough that I really should look it up one of these days to make sure I don't sound like an ass when I use it) When ever I shop for shoes, or cloths for that matter, I don't really have many brand loyalties. I just buy what ever looks good, whatever feels good. In fact don't be surprised to see me wear Reebok shoes, Champion socks, Nike shorts, random t-shirt, and Puma zip top like when I go to dance practice. I suppose one could call me a cross dresser in that way. In those days I'd save my shopping for the weekends when I'd visit my grandma in Tacoma so I could shop at Lakewood mall. Kinda a ghetto mall, everyone there dresses like a bad rap video so its nice to shop there because all the sales racks were loaded with cloths that I'd wear. Strolling into the Footlocker I noticed a stack of Nike boxes, one lablelled, "Air Max". Hmm, sounds familiar.
...and when I opened it...it was like a flood of child hood memories come flooding back. Holly shite! It's my shoes! And they've all grown up to fit me again! It was the last pair and it happen to be my size. I loved those shoes. For the first two years of existence I only wore them when I went out. Most of you would probably recognize them because I wore them to all the KP functions. But after a while they kinda loose that 'new' look and they became my favorite every day shoes. That is till last year when they just got too beat up. Now I only wear them when I'm feeling nostalgic but it's gotten to the point that when they get wet Max smells like donkey butt. I think I've poisoned about a dozen pairs of socks this year alone. I was considering washing them in the washing machine but that may wash away the smelly spirit of the beast. I think I have to put Max to sleep. I think that I'll wash them for sanitary reasons and put Max in the closet for safe keeping. Interestingly enough I still have Max's original box. I use shoe boxes to store momento's, like time capsuls, and his holds my Seattle stuff. Interestingly he hasn't seen that box since the day he was born and he'll be laid to rest in the same box. Lets take a moment of silence to remember our fallen hero...
Rhoel.
-BTW yes I've looked and I can't find another shoe that looks like him. I think Max's was an anomaly when the big shoe companies got on that throw back kick. They're still making old school Pumas so I haven't given up hope.
posted by R @ 12:07 PM
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