One Small Step

When I was a kid we always bought our shoes at the same shoe store.

I can picture it so clearly - the storefront display, the shoes all placed just so on either side. The same salesman sold us our shoes for years. I'm not exactly sure when the store closed, but one day the displays were of women's hats and scarves and clunky jewelry.

The store was called Stride Rite.

I love Stride Rite. Yes, the shoes are expensive, considering they get holes within two months, or are outgrown within four. But the less expensive shoes at other places get holes within two weeks, sometimes days, and let's not forget that time in New York I realized Nick's shoes had holes in the soles and water was seeping through his socks! Cheaper isn't always better.

So, for as long as I have been in charge if buying shoes for small children, we've gone over to Stride Rite a few times a year. A very nice saleslady would measure my boys feet, and then the boys would choose usually only one pair of shoes. The main pair of shoes. And then I'd buy a backup at Target. (Sometimes shoes get passed down as backups as well.)

Yesterday I took every pair of shoes the boys own and lined them up in the hallway according to size.

I meant to take a picture, because it was really impressive, but I forgot. What made it more impressive is that we recently inherited five pairs of very gently worn shoes from one of Nick's friends, who happens to have very large feet. Size 4. These are shoes he's outgrown - Nick is just a size 2.

Back to my point - I was trying to figure out who needed what in terms of shoes. But all I was able to find out from the great shoe lineup was that we had a billion size 11 shoes, and that Nick has been wearing Merrells that are a whole size smaller than his new (in June) sneakers.

I needed to know what sizes the boys needed.

So I made a plan, and this morning I packed everyone into the car to go to the mall. To Stride Rite.

We don't go to the mall often anymore. Gone are my teen and pre-teen days, when I would spend hours walking up and down, spending money on GAP attire and music albums (remember those?)

Stride Rite....

...was gone.

Oh, they still exists in other places, but not at OUR mall. No. Now there is a store there called The Good Foot where I think you can buy orthopedic shoes and / or inserts. Boo!

This is when I realized I depended on Stride Rite to keep track of the boys sizes. What was I to do? Ahhhhh!

I spent a very frustrating afternoon walking around the mall until we found another shoe store, one with all the shoes stacked up, and you have to find the shoes yourself, and know what size you are, and while you are searching the employees give you nasty looks as your kids try to tell you what they like, or that they actually do not like either of the two non-sneaker shoes in stock. The employee actually glared at me because the boys were sitting and trying on shoes in the area he was trying to shelve boxes of shoes... I'm sure it was hard for him. I know it was for me.

We actually found those foot measuring devices there, so I was at least able to size the boys and take it from there.

All I know is, with the carousel at the mall now replaced with some basketball throwing machine and the guys trying to sell the flying squirrels, I'm not planning on visiting a mall again for quite some time.