Farewell to Two Friends

It finally happened. My trustworthy boots bit the dust. They were good friends of mine. They kept my feet dry and warm through miles of snow, ice, drifts, water puddles, icy puddles and puddles of a suspicious nature. They stood near my front door like faithful little soldiers, ready to be put through their paces, always reminding me, "It's time to walk."

I first noticed the breach in my footwear when a small crack smiled up at me about a month ago. It was just a small fissure so I believed I could keep on going without a replacement until our next winter season. Two events made that thought just a dream. Larger cracks joined the little guy and our winter season is showing no end until, hmmm, July?

Stubbornly, I trudged onward but moisture and feet are not the best of friends so the inevitable had to happen. New boots. My requirements were simple. Slip-ons, no laces, low ankle rise, insulated and above all, excellent tread for icy navigation. In other words, I wanted my same boots. A quick check of the L.L.Bean site yielded my original boot but with a few modifications that gave me pause. I also hate returning products through the mail.

Time to check out a local sporting goods store and snap myself out of I-do-not-want-to-change mode. The helpful clerk went through the pros and cons of their selection of winter walking possibilities. Keeping an open mind, I opted for a pair of water resistant walking shoes with the dreaded laces. The box also stated that a tree would be planted for each pair of shoes purchased from their company. I like trees so bring it on.

That afternoon I gave my new shoes a test drive. There was snow, ice and water on my route so it was off to the races. The good news is my feet stayed dry and relatively warm. The super bad news is I got an angry blister on the back of my heel within twenty minutes of my walk. Deal breaker.

Back to the store I must go. A cheery clerk who was about my age helped me with my return. "Anything wrong with the shoes?" she asked. I told her they weren't comfortable enough for me. She smiled and said, "Don't you remember the days when we were young and could buy any cute shoe we wanted and it would be fine? Now, it has to be about comfort." I nodded in polite agreement but my thought bubble said, "I don't think I have ever been in the "cute shoe" department but thanks for thinking I might have had style at one time. Also, I am not sure the shoes I just returned qualify as a cute shoe. Functional, yes. Cute, not so sure."

We finished the transaction and as I drove home I remembered a question I forgot to ask.

"Will they have to dig up my tree?"

(Update: I am now the owner of a new pair of L.L. Bean boots, very similar to my original pair. Their mulberry color qualified them for a twenty-five percent discount. That is my kind of cute.)