[at-l] I'm a trail shoe failure

[shane@theplacewithnoname.com (Shane Steinkamp)]

> I am very sad.  My boots won't last forever, and trail
> shoes aren't looking like an option.  Now what?
>
> -woefully, amy

Amy, sorry to respond so late, but I feel your pain.  You
have three options:

Bare foot

Sandals

Or...  RedWings.

(Before anyone asks, no, I don't work for or own RedWing
stock...)

Straight out of High School I worked for a shoe & luggage
repair shop.  I learned a lot about materials and such, and
what was junk and what wasn't.  I was leaving for a hike and
needed boots.  We had a business relationship with the
RedWing Store, and I was offered a discount.  Well, even
with the discount, all the boots there were way out of my
price range.  I tried on a few things to be polite, thinking
they probably couldn't fit my wide (read duck) feet anyway.
After three or four tries, I put on a pair of RedWing 2156.
The first thing you notice about them is that they are ugly.
The second thing I noticed was that they were the most
comfortable thing I had ever put on my feet.  Relatively
light, and feeling more like a tennis shoe than a boot...  I
walked three or four times across the floor, ditched my worn
out athletic shoes in the trash and paid the man his money.
I took them back to the shop and dyed them black, which
helped the looks.

Two days later I left for Carlsbad Caverns for two weeks of
caving and hiking.

"What?  In brand new boots?", you ask?  Yep.  Never once did
I develop a blister, and never did my feet hurt.  How far
did we go?  125 miles.

I still carry and sometimes wear sandals, since the RedWings
aren't truly water proof, but I wouldn't trade them for
anything.  That first pair was chewed by a friends dog, but
the second pair I got I've had for eight years.  They are on
their second sole (a Vibram 100 Lug, rather than the
original), but have many miles left in them.  This pair has
seen about 6000 miles, including day wear.

Just go to any RedWing shoe store and have them fit you with
a pair of 2156.  (They have a cool foot measuring machine.)
I'd be willing to bet that you'll try them, buy them, and
wear them out of the store.  My wife has a pair, and her
words were, "These are the most comfortable shoes I've ever
worn.", when she first put them on.  Many of my friends (and
hiking buddies) wear them now too.

Am I belaboring the point that I love my RedWings?

(www.redwingshoes.com)

Shane