Thursday, June 29, 2006

Bye Bye Birkies

May we have a moment of silence to show some respect to my favorite footwear?

It is time to ditch my favorite pair of Birkenstocks. I thought they could be re-soled and live for another few summers. But it's the professional opinion of the local repair shop that they COULD be repaired. For a price. Which happens to be about $30 more than a brand new pair.

So I'll be heading out to the dumpster in a little while and I'll be coming back bare-footed and sad.

After all, these sandals have been with me since before I became AtHomeDaddy. The Talker was only five months old when I bought them. I did not become a stay at home dad until a few months later. And that is when the Birks got broke in real good. I am pretty sure I went months without wearing socks or other shoes, except to church.

The kids and I walked a million miles around the neighborhood and visited almost every park for 25 square miles. All while I wore my brown Birks. I had them on when The Princess was born. When The Talker went to the ER. When The Princess went there, too. A couple of different times. And when we all watched The Boss Lady roll by on a stretcher a couple of weeks ago, my favorite shoes were there.

Since buying my first Birkenstocks, I have gotten two more pair, both tan. And they are worn out too. But if I am in a hurry, like if someone needs to go to the Emergency Room, I always go back to the first pair.

So I guess if The Boss Lady will jar loose of $100 I'll be walking my bare-footed sad self over to the sandal store to start a relationship with a new pair of Birks.

2 comments:

Idaho Dad said...

I came late to the comfy footwear arena, only discovering sandals at the age of 40. I don't even know how this was possible, to go 40 years without sandals. Anyway, it wasn't Birkenstoks, but a foot-hugging pair of Teva sandals that made me fall in love. They're on their second season and have been hiking in the mountains, walking in downtown Seattle, doubling as water shoes while swimming in the lake... I love 'em and can't even imagine why I kept my feet cooped up in shoes for so long. My kids will not be repeating my mistake.

Mike said...

I loved my Tevas. Lots of good adventures wearing lots of different pairs. But since I finally broke loose of the $ for Birks, I never went back.

BTW. I could not do it. The Birks will have to rot off of my feet. I could not toss them. So I mowed the back yard in them instead.