Nearly Perfect and Cheap
Sneakerhead culture is huge nowadays. Sneaker freakers of all types seem to be everywhere. For those of who you can't relate, I will explain a common issue for such collectors. In their neverending hunt for footwear, each person has a pair in their collection that receives the majority of their adoration. They compare these to the legendary holy grail. Each man's grail is sacred to them for different reasons. Some grails are obvious; simply rare and expensive editions of a vital model. Some grails are a lot more personal, like ones found by chance or previously held by someone they idolize. I don't have what one would call grails. If I have anything resembling that, it's a pair of Clarks Originals. I wouldn't call those sneakers. It is clear to me that those are shoes. They are made of leather and can be resoled. To me, that's the minimum requirement of being an actual shoe. Everything made with fibers or synthetic material that is glued to a sole that cannot be replaced well is a sneaker no matter how much it looks like a shoe. I love sneakers but my favorite pair of shoes are actual shoes. I remember the moment I bought them. I was in a Clarks Outlet looking for something casual to replace my work shoes. After looking in the size ten section thoroughly, I was struck by an oddly cheap price tag. Strangely enough, a pair was labeled as costing $25. I pulled the box out. Where I expected to see some ugly Bostonians, I saw them. It was a pair of rosy tan Desert Trek low boots with a low wedge natural crepe sole. I couldn't believe the details; a bronze decorative heel tab down the back and burgundy stitching above the sole. Something didn't add up. "Why are they so cheap?" I thought. I tried them on. They were comfy, seemingly no structural errors in construction. I looked in the mirror. A girl who was there with her boyfriend stopped and said, "Those look great on you!" That sealed it. Funky as they were, I had to have them. It became apparent I beat the Clerk to the punch. As he rung me up, he said "I didn't see these! They're in my size!" My usual RBF expression didn't change. I coldly paid and left, satisfied. Later on, I would realize the smallest bit of stray adhesive from manufacturing was sealed into the suede on the right shoe. I figured this is what brought the price down. This doesn't affect my love for the shoes in the slightest.