New Shoes

I don’t buy new shoes often. I have the basics so I can match just about anything I’m wearing. My feet are very important to me, and since they’ve already had problems, I’m very particular about what shoes I buy and how they fit.

When I served my mission in Brasil, we walked. We did not have cars or bikes like missionaries in some other areas. We walked. The saying was that we’d walk enough to walk home by the time we were done, probably 7-10 miles a day. So good shoes were an absolute must. As it was I developed tendinitis on the top of both feet and the arches of both my feet fell so that I had a hard time walking anywhere by the end. I still have to wear custom orthotics in my closed shoes.

I bought a pair of Eccos and wore them out by the time I got home. The upper and sole were both worn. So I went to the store and bought another pair exactly like that first pair. That was the summer of 2001, more than seven years ago. I haven’t worn this pair every day like that first pair, and I haven’t walked 7-10 miles a day in them either. So they’ve lasted quite well. I’ve had to replace the elastic holding the buckle on. And last year I had the heel replaced on them as well. The upper still looks great though.

The last time I wore them, I realized that the sole was basically broken, cracked, almost falling off at the ball of my foot. Sad, sad day.

So I asked around for a good shoe repair place. I also had a pair of sandals that needed a strap glued back on. So I took in three shoes to the recommended place, even though I only have two feet. Nice man said he’d fix the sandal. But then told me there was nothing he could do for my Eccos. He said the way the sole is made they can’t glue a new one on. What? No! I can’t believe it.

So, a quick Google search later, it turns out that’s only partially true. There might be nothing he can do, but they can be fixed. There are several places I could mail my shoes to and have them fixed and mailed back to me. The cost would be about half what the shoes cost to begin with, and get me at least another seven years with them. So now I need to see if there’s a place in Tucson that knows how to do that, or if I’ll have to mail them off to Oregon or Georgia or some place. I should check out Phoenix too. Phoenix is a bit closer than Georgia. But they’ll be good as new when I get them back. They’ll be my new old shoes. And I won’t have to resort to desperate measures like just duct taping the sole. Although that would probably work quite well in the short term.

My black boots are looking like they might be wearing out too. The upper is looking a bit worn. I wonder if they can be fixed. Because me finding another pair of boots that don’t look like they were stolen off a witch, hooker, or biker chick, is going to be hard.

Gotta love a good pair of shoes.