Saturday, May 31, 2008

Sole Searching

Close your eyes for a minute.
OK, now open them so you can read, but pretend they're closed.

Remember your first pair of really good running shoes?
They fit just right and for the first time you felt like you were in the PERFECT pair.
They held your foot snug, but not too snug.
They supported your arches. They protected your soles.
They never rubbed you the wrong way.
You would go miles and miles with no friction.
They were cute and just perfect in every way.

Or so you thought.

Suddenly and out of nowhere, the shoes seem to be falling apart.
Something is amiss.
And before you can say "Sneaker Freshener" they're gone.

Everyone tells you that there are plenty of shoes out there. You have to just look around. So you go to the local dive shoe store. Nothing there. People suggest going online, but that just isn't your style. And who knows what you'll end up with. You go to the fancy shoe store with professionals there to help you. You have to give it a try.

You take a pair home. They're OK. They fit and they're even a kinda cute. But something doesn't feel right. You can't get the other pair out of your head. What is with the first pair that made them so great? If only you could forget about them, then maybe you would be ready to slip into the new ones.

Then everyone tells you to stop looking. You'll find a pair on accident somewhere, probably on sale, when you're not looking at all. This is not what you want to hear. This does not make an iota of sense. If you don't have a great pair of sneakers, then aren't you ALWAYS looking, even when you're not technically "looking?"

So what's a girl to do? Just go around not wearing any sneakers? There are those incredible barefoot runners, but this girl is not one of them. This girl needs a new pair. And now her standards are so high, she is holding out for a pair that will really knock her socks off in ways she can't even imagine.

So the search continues.

20 comments:

Judi said...

You are nuts - go to zbsports.com and pick out some damn shoes. LOL.

audgepodge said...

We're not really talking about shoes are we??? You'll find an awesome pair, I know it. ;)

Judi said...

OH BIG ASS DUH!!!!!! LOL LOL!

Tigerlilly said...

A good pair of sneakers is exactly like a good man....except for the part where you wear them out and have to throw them away... but even the stinky part fits! LOL

Good luck... I found my fav pair at JC Pennys!

Marcy said...

Yeah chica, I totally thought you were talking men LOL.

The right pair will come soon enough :-) I'm sure!

P.O.M. said...

Hi guys. I'm not talkin' about shoes. But what is better to compare men to? Shoes, of course. Running ones, at that.

The Laminator said...

Yeah, you never get over your first love...in terms of shoes of course =)

Unknown said...

Haha, I knew where you were headed with this ;)

It takes TIME to find the right shoes. You have to try on many pairs...Maybe even take them home and wear them around the house a bit....So why not have a bit of fun while shoe shopping?

And you know...Everyone loves Zappos for a reason - there is fun to be had finding shoes online too.
You never know!

Tina Mickelson said...

So in response to your comment. I feel that way too! I'm starting out at the front and kept to the side and watched the guys go by me first, then the girl with her daughter and I'm thinking... damn she's old and she's so much faster than me, then the girl with the headphones, bitch. The guy and the dog? well the dog was dragging him along so I guess that doesn't really count now does it? this is my first 5k and my second race in 16 years. I guess I'm not doing too bad.

Angry Runner said...

HA! Silly girl.

Laura said...

Jess, whatever you do, don't go see the Sex and the City movie. It made me cry myself to sleep last night because I want to find my perfect pair of "shoes" and your post basically sums up exactly how I feel right now. IT SUCKS.

Jess said...

I think the detail that tipped me off about the metaphor was the label "I'm not talking about shoes at all." I guess not everyone caught that, eh?

Anyway, you'll find the right fit eventually, and when you do, you'll appreciate waiting for the perfect pair.

AddictedToEndorphins said...

HAHA! oh man. I was going to leave you a long comment about how I can`t find the right shoes either and since I try every pair on it would`ve made me sound like a skank. hahaha..

But it`s true. You will find one. Keep your standards high. You don`t deserve anything less than the best. Or you can do what I do. Or am thinking about doing. Run 100 mile weeks or train for an ironman. haha yeah then you`ll have no time to miss them:P

And I agree with the above commenter--DON`T go see Sex and The City...

Oh--and what place with professionals..For men. What an idea.

Christine said...

The Brooks Trance 7 are pretty cool ! :) I might be biased though...hha

Amy said...

I'm starting to think that maybe the perfect pair of shoes doesn't exist. And the first really, really great pair were just a mirage. Or they just felt really really gooooood when you wore them making them feel like the perfect pair of shoes when they were in fact just like the rest (only with better skills).

Uh-oh. Who let the bitter girl comment? Let's try this again.

I'm sure the perfect, 'made for you' shoes exist out there somewhere. And I pray he has a brother. If so, call me.

Until then, I'm getting a dog.

Hugs!

P.S. You were really talking about men and not shoes, right? If not, disregard. LOL!

Run For Life said...

I know how you feel.

Lily on the Road said...

Yup, I'm with you in the "shoe department", but, one day when you not looking.....

LMAO!!!

teacherwoman said...

I am right there with you chica... still searching for a good pair of shoes.. still searching.

AnnaBanana said...

I don't really mind being barefoot a lot of the time.

I just got back from seeing Sex & the City. Didn't make me wish I had shoes. In fact, really talked a lot about the problems with "shoes."

chia said...

I often wonder how many I can try on before my Mizunos get jealous and find out I've been cheating on them for a while with the Saucony's and plan to leave them for a Brooks. It's just so epic.

*hugz*