Daily Musings: A Post About Shoes

I work in a shoe store, and I’ve discovered that I can paint a picture of a person based off of a particular shoe. Like who would wear what type of shoe and so on.

For example, we just got these in:

First off, they’re a Dr. Scholl’s clog, and their official title is called “Dance.” I’m sorry, but to me, these shoes don’t say “dance.” To me, they say “late-50’s/early-60’s-white-female-tourist-whose-husband-wears-weird-khaki-shorts-and-Burks-with-socks.”

But maybe that’s just me.

Now take Converse:

When I look at Converse of any kind - be they plain colored, polka-dot, or like the latest kicks with superheroes on them (I dig those a LOT, btw) - to me they say “just plain old fun.” They say “hey, let’s go on a road trip just because,” or “you feel like walking to that bookstore with something good to drink? I do!” or “let’s play some feel-good music for a while - don’t bother with the time.”

I’m no over-fanatic about Converse (I only have one pair), but I like looking at them, and I love wearing them. It hit me just recently when I was looking at the Converse website; there’s a timeless air about them. Yes, a lot of the hipsters are forcing Converse into their genre, but whatever. They’re so versatile you can wear them with pretty much anything. I was inspired when I saw a little girl in a cute top, a frilly skirt, and Chucks - she was holding her daddy’s hand and looked absolutely thrilled to do so.

I see Converse as more than just shoes. I don’t think they make a statement so much as they signify life moreso than other shoes I’ve seen and sold. Sounds funny, I know, but bear with me here. You see all these other styles and brands constantly changing, constantly brightening their colors and enhancing their performance. Whereas here we’ve got Converse, still pretty much the same as when they were first made; they might’ve adopted more styles into their “family” but they’re the same shoe.

I guess it’s that originality that makes them such a wonderful shoe to me - that sense of unchanging stability in a world of constant change and millions of choices. So here’s to you, Converse: a brand that holds a lot of good memories for me in general.