On sneakers, part 2: my new kicks

I have a general rule for sneaker ownership. I buy one pair of shoes, and I wear them every day until they are worn into the ground. I'm talking seams ripped open, heels broken out, stains, holes, and general total busted-ness. At that point, and no sooner, will I begin to look for a replacement pair (this applies to my wardrobe in general--one good pair of pants? I'm all set--but especially to sneakers).

As such, many of my former purchases have been primarily utilitarian. I like my shoes to look nice, but I prefer if they cost less than twenty bucks. I splurged on my most recent acquisition and got sneakers that feel comfortable and look good. I believe the total was forty dollars, a considerable sum, but supplemented by some gift money from my grandma.

The new shoes look nice. In fact, they might be a little too nice. For one thing, they are very white. The morning after I bought them, it was raining. I looked outside and started thinking about the mud, and what a shame it would be to get my new shoes dirty so quickly. Sneakers are supposed to be all-purpose, but I wanted to protect them. I started to seriously entertain the idea of purchasing an alternate pair of shoes.

Such a thing has never been done before.

(next: the thrilling conclusion!)