shoeses, Precious

I became a believer a year or so ago when my boss suggested I try the same type of shoes he wears. My boss is a big, bulky guy like me, so I shrugged and told him I'd give the shoes a shot. They were Skechers—a relatively cheap brand often looked down upon by serious hikers and walkers. I made a lot of noise about how I might need to take along an extra pair in case my main pair wore out, but as it turned out, the shoes were great, being stretchable and not needing any tying or untying of laces. At the time, there were no black walking shoes in my size, but this year, the boss managed to find and order a black pair, which just arrived.

note the flared-out rear of the shoe, allowing for easier slip-on and slip-off

I could probably do without the funny red coins on the sole.

The configuration of the new shoes' soles is better than that of my previous pair of shoes: the previous pair looked like huge, puffy pieces of bubble gum, with large gaps in the tread that allowed pebbles to get wedged into them. This new pair seems less likely to trap pebbles.

While my feet aren't really size 13 (closer to 11), the 13 has a decent toe box, allowing my toes to spread fairly comfortably. I'm still going to end up with my usual blisters, wounds, and irritations when I do the walk this fall, but overall, the shoes will still be fairly comfortable.

I'll be taking my first long walk in these shoes tonight (my 9K route to the Han/Tan confluence and back) and will report whatever I discover. My main hope is that this new pair will turn out to be just as durable as the previous pair.