Alright, so I got this idea in my head, you know? Burgundy sneakers. Not just any cheap pair, but something decent, something with a bit of style that wouldn’t fall apart after a week. Sounds simple, right? Well, let me tell you, it was anything but.
I started looking around, mostly online, ’cause who has time to wander stores aimlessly these days? And man, what a rabbit hole. Pages and pages of ’em. But the more I looked, the more they all started to blur into one big pile of… well, junk, mostly. You got your super flimsy ones that look like they’re made of paper, then you got the ones that are just plastered with giant logos. Not my style. And the prices! Some of these brands are asking a fortune for stuff that feels like it’ll disintegrate if you look at it wrong.
So, my “practice” for this week, or rather, this whole past month, became this epic quest. I actually tried, you know? I ordered a couple of pairs from these new online brands everyone’s talking about. First pair arrived, felt like cardboard. Seriously. Sent ’em back. Second pair, looked okay, but then I noticed the sole was already peeling away from the shoe, and I hadn’t even tried them on! Straight out of the box! Can you believe that? Back they went too.
I even remembered some old brands, ones that used to be my go-to for good, solid shoes. Checked them out. It’s like they’re not even the same companies anymore. Quality seemed to have taken a nosedive. Guess they’re all cutting corners now. It was frustrating, to be honest. Like, really frustrating. All I wanted was a decent pair of burgundy sneakers, and it felt like I was asking for the moon.
Here’s what I ended up doing. I was rummaging through my closet, feeling pretty defeated, and I found this old pair of sneakers. Not burgundy, unfortunately, but they were a style I really loved back in the day, and they were built like a tank. Proper leather, good stitching. They were looking a bit sad, though, all scuffed up and forgotten.
So, I spent a whole Saturday cleaning them. Got out the leather cleaner, some conditioner, buffed them up, put in some new laces. Took a bit of elbow grease, not gonna lie. But by the end of it, they looked almost new. And you know what? They felt amazing. Solid, comfortable, real.
It wasn’t the burgundy sneakers I set out for, no. But this whole annoying hunt made me realize something. We’re so caught up in buying new stuff all the time, chasing the next trend. And half the time, the new stuff is just… disappointing. This whole “practice” of trying to find those burgundy sneakers, it ended up being a practice in appreciating what I already had. And a good reminder that sometimes, the best things aren’t brand new from a store. Maybe it’s about putting a bit of effort into what you’ve got. Still want those burgundy sneakers, mind you, but I’m a lot more skeptical about where I’ll find a pair worth my money.
