#soleconnection

[soleconnection]

Jim

In 1992, I was in NYC for the CMJ music festival, when I wandered into a shop that sold handmade belts, bags and sandals. I’ve always had a secret ambition to make sandals, and I struck up a conversation with the store’s proprietor. She offered to apprentice me, but I had just bought a row home in Baltimore, and I couldn’t pull it off.  She has since passed away. 

For Christmas last year, my partner found another, similar shoe maker, and bought me the experience (and sandals) of having custom shoes made for me. These fit me perfectly, and I hope to enjoy them for many, many years to come. And, maybe someday, I’ll learn about to make them myself. 

[soleconnection]

I painted these shoes as a reminder that every now and then, you have to remember to take a walk, turn everything off and simply have quiet time with yourself. I walk somewhere quiet at least once a week to put my brain in off mode. Now, every time I look at these shoes I know that It’s ok to just be still without even thinking about it. It’s alright to not answer the phone, plans change all the time, being alone is not the worst thing that can happen, It’s ok to do nothing, It’s a blessing to smile for no reason. stepping away from the hustle and bustle of life’s challenges can help you move forward.

[soleconnection]

Christine

My shoes have brought me to New York City, where I finally feel free to pursue my dreams as an artist. While I am thankful for those shoes, I no longer want to wear them. They are too emblematic of the past, of a person I no longer am. That person was too constricted to tell the stories she knew she had to tell. A scholarship to an MFA program where I know I am appreciated and supported has changed me. For the first time ever, I have true confidence in my point of view. I’m here to develop it and I never want to return to that dark, emotional place where I felt so small.   

[soleconnection]

Kathy

125 Years of Friendship 

These three pairs of shoes represent 125 years of friendship.  The shoes on the left belong to Janice; the shoes in the middle are Cheryl’s; the ones on the right are mine. 

Cheryl and Janice met when Cheryl moved into Janice’s neighborhood when they were both 10.  They have been best friends ever since.  They were in each other’s weddings; they had daughters around the same time.  They are now 60, so that represents 50 years of friendship.

Cheryl and Janice’s daughters, Natalie and Dawn, were born 4 months apart and have been friends since they were born.  They are now both 37, so that’s another 37 years of friendship.  

Though Cheryl, Janice, and I attended the same high school, I did not know either of them.  I met Cheryl when I started working “downtown”. I joined a carpool and she was in it.  We had many good times during our sometimes very long, boring, traffic jammed commute.  There was another lady in the carpool, Wanda, who had been friends with Cheryl for a very long time.  The three of us would go out partying on the weekend and relive it on Monday mornings in the carpool, filling in the gaps of each other’s memories, with a lot of “oh no’s” and “reallys” and laughing our butts off!  There were two “older”, married people in the carpool, and they lived vicariously through our weekend adventures.  I moved to another state, so Cheryl and I became separated by distance, and lifestyle.  She was living in the country, married with children, and I was single, living in an urban environment.  I eventually retired and moved back to my hometown.  Cheryl and I reconnected and it was like we never went away.  Our friendship represents approximately 38 years of friendship. 

 In this picture we are at the beach in Cape May, NJ.  We had taken the ferry over from Delaware.  It was a first time experience for us.  It was a very stormy, rainy day and the ferry was rocking!  But we enjoyed it!

I am sure these shoes will see many more years of friendship!

[thekingoftrainers]

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Good Afternoon Kingdom!! 👀👀👀 Please do me a favour and check out my dudes M&M lol 😁 @mannynorte & @themagdi as they chop up their Top Releases of 2016 and if you listen carefully you may hear a little mention of one of my favorite drops of 2016 which could be my fav 🇬🇭 click the link in @themagdi BIO and watch the Sole Connection 👌🏿 #SoleConnection #👑 #KingOfTrainers (at Sole Connection)

[soleconnection]

Haley

These shoes have been the pair I have worn since I was in sophomore year of high school. The backs of the soles have worn down over the years of wear and tear. The reason I prefer to continuously keep wearing this pair of shoes is because of the sentiment I hold to them. These shoes have carried me though the toughest parts in life thus far. Back in high school, I was stuck in family court trying to escape the verbal and emotional abuse form one of my parents, with the help of the other in the addition to switching high schools. My shoes were what carried me all the walks home from school, allowed me to meet my friends, allowed me a form of freedom away from my home situation.

These shoes were a way for me to show what I liked, nothing frilly or “girly”. Someone who liked to dress more androgynous during the time of questioning who I was, not wanting to conform to the idea of being a “girl”, a person who was characterized as weaker, needing to wear makeup and heels, and needed someone to take care of me. This was my way of showing I could be strong on my own without the ideals of our society’s look on females, which lead to a more personal growth of who I am now, and allowing me to be more comfortable with myself. 

Now, these shoes are worn out, but I still prefer to wear these over any other shoes because they have become the most comfortable shoes I own, having grown with me. The soles of these shoes are a reflection to my life, they might have gone through hard times and are torn and damaged but they are still in great condition considering for being worn everyday for over 5 years. 

[soleconnection]

Jamie

Four years ago I moved to Baltimore from a small town in Northern Illinois. It was an abrupt move, and one done mostly out of desperation; there was no room for me to grow there anymore. The hardest part of leaving my home of 25 years was the thought of leaving the people behind… it might not seem like a big deal, what with technology being so versatile these days, but it certainly was daunting. One of my oldest buddies, Erika, took me out for a day during the final week I was in town. We had lunch, shopped around, tried to talk about anything but my impending launch. Just before we parted ways we wandered into a local shoe store and found these beauties. So simple, light, and comfortable… they instantly suited both of our tastes, so we bought matching pairs. Four days later, I wore them as I drove the U-Haul for sixteen hours, and after four years, I continue to wear them  frequently. They aren’t without their share of small tears, and the side of the right one is worn so thin that I can see my skin through it when the lighting is bright. But they’ve only gotten more comfortable over time, and sometimes when I slip them on I think of smiling faces in my sleepy home town. Once in a while, Erika sends me a text message: “I’m wearing our shoes!” And if I’m wearing them when I go to somewhere new or exciting, I’ll take one of these snapshots and jot down where I was. To me, they’re home and new possibilities all wrapped into one.

[soleconnection]

These shoes were ruined by painting and renovating a 200 year old cottage I lived in for 18 years. It was originally built to house the workers who would have worked at Lyme Hall in Disley, Cheshire.

from

Eleanor Leonne Bennett