I'm one of those people who wear a pair of shoes till they are completely worn out. Recently, I began a job that required me to be on my feet all the time and it's a messy job to boot (punny). So, I rummaged in my closet for my most rugged pair of shoes and decided on my Boston shoes. What are Boston Shoes? Well, the shoes themselves were Merrills (pictured above) but I came to call them my Boston shoes because they came to me in that intellectual city of the northeast. I was visiting my friend Jennie and we were touring the city in March. The streets were covered in old snow, ice and rain. I remember we had been walking around for awhile, checking out the lay of downtown, the park, and some of the old cemeteries when I realized my feet were not only cold but soaked through as well. Of course, the shoes I was wearing were another pair that I had worn out and the lining had holes I wasn't even aware of. Jennie's girlfriend, Natalie, was with us that day and I think I turned to her at one point to ask if her feet were as cold as mine. Then I asked where the closest shoe store might be. We decided to venture over to Filene's where one of Jennie's landlords worked. Ray, I think. Ray said the store didn't have much but that there was a DSW across the street, so, after browsing what little Filene's did have, we went over to DSW. I tried to be quick and efficient about it but I'm a miserable shopper. I pretty much feel compelled to look at everything before making any kind of decision. Also, I buy shoes so rarely that I have trouble locating the correct size. I'm still not entirely sure what size I wear, somewhere between a 10 and 1/2 to an 11, only there isn't a 10 and 3/4 available. Anyway, it took me so long and I remember seeking out the girls to apologize for taking so long, even though they said it was no big deal, I know they wanted to get moving. Well, I finally settled on the Merrills and had to buy a pair of socks as well because mine were soaking wet. I went through the checkout line and then squished over to the closest garbage can where I dumped my old shoes and socks and replaced them with the new ones. Later, I was so astonished by the difference that I kept remarking to Natalie how much better I felt. I don't know what she thought of me. I also left a pair of underwear at her apartment (don't ask, there's no story here). Talk about embarrassing! Anyway, those shoes lasted almost three years and probably would have lasted longer if it weren't for the rigors of printing and the stress it put upon my ill-fated Boston shoes.
