Shoes Of The Day

I took my son to an athletic sporting event tonight, and after the first half of play he wanted to go home. I thought, “when I was a kid,” put some sugar in my mouth and I was good for at least another shot-clock violation or two. So, off we went to the concession stands in search of something loaded with the white substance that makes us all (legally) feel good. Perfect, right outside our portal we located the cotton candy stand! “Dad, let’s buy those treats” pointing at the air and sugar inflated bags of cotton candy. We exchanged way too much money and then whipped open the plastic.  He cautiously reached his hand inside the bag, touched the fiberglass feeling swirls of baby-blue sugar, and hesitantly lifted it towards his mouth — “eeew! Dad, we don’t eat this!” So, being the brave dad, I said, “Look Son, mmmm….sugar!” and put some in my mouth. He still wasn’t convinced, and after a couple of attempts he was adamant, “I don’t like this stuff.”

Well, today I felt like a kid again. Not only did I get all-i-could-eat cotton candy, but tonight when I was looking online, all the shoes that were hot when I was a kid are hot again.  Here is a list of shoes that were hot in the mid 80’s and are back with a vengeance! The shoes of the day:

Sperry Topsiders

Vans Authentic

Converse All-Star Ox

Clarks Wallabee

I am going to find a penny for my new loafers and then put in the video tape of ‘Back to the Future‘ See ya in about 30 years Marty.

The Chuck Taylor All-Stars were first produced by Converse in 1917, that is 5 years after the sinking of the Titanic for all you DiCaprio lovers. “I’m the King of the World!” Chuck thought the same thing, when he made the canvas and rubber-soled shoes his preferred shoe of choice by putting his stamp of approval on its ankle patch and in the history books as the most successful shoe of all time.

Think of the demographic that has enjoyed these shoes through the years: The basketball players, the skaters, the punk-rockers, sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, waistoids, dweebies - they all adore them. They think these are righteous shoes.

The perfect shoe for all…no, for fall! They even come in “Harvest Pumpkin.” Go ahead Bettys, I’ll say it with you; “Oh, cute.”

Enjoy the shoes of the day: Converse Men’s, Betty’s and Chillin’s All-Star Ox, I mean Oxen. These Converse are Oxen!

Can you name a pair of shoes that is over 90 years old, that you can still buy new?

How many pairs have you had? Me? Thanks for asking, I have personally owned 5 pairs, including Pink.

Oh the back to school fun! I recall back-to-school shopping in 1986. I did all of my shopping at the local skateboard shop. I remember walking into the local skate shop with my mom feeling well, a little uncomfortable; no, really uncomfortable. Now that I think about it, going into about any store with your mom as a prepubescent adolescent is embarrassing and uncomfortable. “Yep, I will take those”, I responded positively to the sales clerk. “If they are good enough for Lance Mountain, then they are good enough for me!” Wow, my first real pair of shoes that aren’t hand-me-downs! It is to these shoes to which I dedicate the shoes of the day to: the Sk8 high-top, Navy and baby blue with the beautiful white stripe, Vans Off the Wall. These are great all purpose shoes great on the court, ramp, classroom, on a hot date, or any where your feet decide to take you. I like to call them the “Run, Ride, Roll, and Rock and look-better-than-cool-doing-it” shoes.

Enjoy the “shoes-of-the-day”, Sk8-hi, old skool, Vans high top shoes!

Do you remember your first pair of shoes? Find them here