Hey Everyone!
So I don’t know about you, but I LOVE looking good for “working out” (AKA when I DO actually exercise!). No not hair and makeup lol, but clothing! If you are like me, we wear out exercise clothing even for not exercising, which probably influences me to dress nicely even when I’m at the gym. Anyways, I buy a ton of brightly colored and unique patterned gym clothing.
I do have a funny store about my shoes I bought from Sport Chek a while ago. One day I was talking to my mom and she would not stop dropping hints about buying new work runners. Basically, I wore these shoes to Italy and everyday would involve me walking 30 minutes to work. Then at work I was working with dusty boxes of artifacts and walking around all day. After I would walk 30 mins home or sometimes it would take us an extra 10- 20 mins to go to the grocery store and longer to catch a train. You get the picture, it was A LOT of walking and my beautiful shoes were trashed. I had been putting off buying shoes when I got back, because funds were tight and I was also slightly attached. Anyways, my mom got sick of looking at them and offered to help pay. We went to Sport Chek, because one of my friends gave me a discount card, and was like buy Nikes to which I was like fine, whatever.
There I was looking at all of these florescent and beautifully patterned shoes- holding up the brightest pair of red shoes when this worker comes over to ask me if he could help me. So, I wold him I wanted to a size 7 and he looked at me, then back at the shoe. He grabbed it from me and looked it over then said “No you don’t want these shoes.” To which I was starring at him all weird and saying “Yes, I do?” He then looked at me scrunched up this shoe into a little ball and retorted- ” Look, no support. These are terrible shoes and expensive. Let me show you these shoes that I know you’re going to hate.”
I just looked over at my mom mouthing “What the fuck?” to her as she was trying to hold back a laugh. So I followed him over to the shoes he was looking at to amuse him, even though I knew I was going to buy those bright red shoes. I could just imagine myself showing them off to all my work friends. He picked up the UGLIEST shoe ever and tried to scrunch it up into a ball and couldn’t. “See the support on these babies?”. My mom’s response was something like on these babies?”. My mom’s response was something like ” Ya….. Great….. Those really aren’t her style,” He was like ” You know kids today don’t appreciate well supported shoes anymore. All they want are the colorful ones”
I’d like to take a second to say that I am 24 and was being lectured by a guy a year older than me- which makes this story even better! Also, I started having flashbacks to the days my dad would ship for me. Style was VERY much second to support and practicalities of staying warm in winter. One time, I got a pair of these mittens that basically went up to my elbows and were the ugliest things ever- even though they were warm.
After saying this, he decided it would be better to try to sell us pretty shoes that were half supported. I looked at them to not offend him, but my heart was dead set on these bright red shoes. I didn’t need them to exercise in, just to walk in everyday- especially at a job where I walk a lot. Support is great for exercise, but these are meant to be walking shoes- which I had of course told him. I basically looked at my mom for support, because I’m a combination of socially awkward and a person who can’t stay no.
My mom was like ” No…. Thanks… I think we are done.”
“Phew, thank god I don’t make commission!” was his last response before walking off LOL. We were laughing so hard on the way out!
To conclude this story, I would like to say that we are chickens and went back on his lunch break to buy the shoes. AND that is how I got my beautiful, bright, red Nikes!
Thanks to the worker for an awesome story!
-Erin xo
Avenue 23 