Previously-Owned Vans...My Humble Collection

 I have more pairs of shoes than my wife. I think, except for my daughter, I have more pairs of shoes than my wife and my sons. This is not something I actively pursued...it was more of a passive activity.

Shoe collecting.

Now, I'm in no way a big collector. To say I have more pairs of shoes than the rest of my family is not a big deal. Some of them only have a couple of pairs of shoes. Plus, of all the shoes I bought, only a few I paid retail. Almost all my shoes were bought at yard sales or thrift stores. And the shoes I find myself gravitating toward lately, are Vans.

Years ago, I used to buy dress shoes. I have several pair of Allen Edmonds. Once I recognized the brand, I found them quite regularly. Fast forward a few years and since I work at home, I almost never wear dress shoes. The luster has faded. Now that I'm home almost 100% of the time, I'm looking for comfort, casual footwear.

I think I had a pair of Vans when I was in high school...hard to remember, it's been almost forty years (still can't believe that...). It's not that they're the greatest shoe ever produced, but they are comfortable. I found a pair a few years back, unicolored, black. I wore them a lot, so much so, I wore a hole in the toe of one shoe. I still have them. The next pair was a teal and black combo with laces. I prefer laceless shoes, but when you're shopping at a thrift store, choosey is almost never an option.

Last year, a new thrift store opened up in our town and that's where I've found two of my favorite pairs of shoes, the black Vans with a white stripe, and the classic black and white checkered Spicolis. 

I wear those all the time now.

Each time I visit a thrift store, I check out the shoes. It's not the first place I check, but before I leave, I make it a point to scan the racks. I like wearing shoes out and considering my age, there's no way I'll ever wear all out the shoes I own. I don't need another pair, but if I spot another pair of Vans (or Converse, for that matter...) in my size that are not completely falling apart, I'll probably pick them up. Then, my biggest decision will be (as it is today...), which pair to wear?

Shoes...What Is It About Shoes?

I've seen the ads on TV, on the internet, even in print. What are they selling? Women's shoes. I think we all know someone who goes gaga over shoes. I remember seeing an ad on TV where you can sign up to receive a new pair of shoes every month for a low monthly fee. 

I thought, that's amazing. In no time at all, a person's house would be just full of shoes. How can anyone want so many shoes? I know they come in all shapes, designs, and colors, but come on--there ought to be a limit.

I don't have a lot of material things that I collect, but apparently, I collect shoes. I found and bought another pair today. I've got a lot of shoes. But am I as crazy about shoes as the people who have them sent every month?

I might be, but I don't think so. Here's why.

Last year the shoes I've been wearing to work for more than a decade decided to fall apart. They were so good, I decided to spend the extra money and spring for a new pair of shoes for work. I usually buy my shoes from a thrift store. Last month I scored on a couple of pairs of Allen Edmonds shoes. I didn't necessarily need them, but I bought them anyway. Both pair cost less than $10. That's hard to pass up.

Today, while browsing at our local thrift store, I found a pair of Vans. I've thought about getting a pair for a while, but I wasn't about to pay full price. Not because they're not good shoes--it's just I don't need them. I can't justify buying new shoes that I don't need.

Another reason why I don't think I'm like a shoe fanatic is because I usually buy name brand shoes. I found a pair of Converse lot tops at the thrift store--I bought them. Today it was a pair of Vans. If I saw a pair that looked like Vans but weren't Vans, I would not have picked them up.

I should probably get rid of a couple of the pairs I don't wear very often. Maybe I will. But there's a good chance I'll probably bring home another pair of someone else's shoes before that happens. That is, if I go gaga after them.