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February 27, 2006
"Like father like son..."
I usually try to avoid this sort of thing but indulge me.
A few years ago the Converse tennis shoe company was in dire straits. The long time U.S. Manufacturer, despite enjoying a steady cycle of being considered "hip" time and time again, was in big trouble. They were facing going out of business until Nike swooped in and bought them.
Before Nike rescued them, and pretty much left them alone afterwards, the shoes were all manufactured in the U.S. by the same people who had been making Chuck Taylor All Star's for generations. I grew up in them and have always had a pair floating around. Typically low cuts were what I had but the high tops got popular (again) when I was in High School and that's what I settled into.
If there's an All American shoe this is it. It's not those technical abominations that require pumps or bridge loans to purchase. It's a pair of shoes that wear out over an active summer and are discarded with the full knowledge that another pair will be purchased in the spring. It's the shoe that you get blisters for the first week or two of heavy use and then you're fine for the rest of your days. It's a shoe that doesn't offer support because, well gosh darn it, you really don't need that do you? (Your dad and your grandfather didn't have support and they turned out fine so quit your complaining.) It's a timeless classic and one of the few items of the last 100 years that deserve to be enshrined in the Smithsonian.
When Converse started to sink I searched around and bought a couple of pairs for the long run. One were a pair of white high tops and the other were a pair of "special" all black high tops. (Black rubber instead of white.) When I'm feeling spry they sneak out of the back of the closet.
This past week, after buying shoes for Jack, I hit eBay with an idea or two. Sure enough a quick bid, a win later and payment sent brought a package on Saturday in the mail.
The result?
Matching shoes.
With my luck he'll end up with feet bigger than mine. lol
Posted by Jim at February 27, 2006 11:25 PM