Comings and Goings

Charlotte Mecklenburg Airport
Charlotte, North Carolina
Gate E20



My eyes landed on these colorful kicks while waiting to board a flight to Austin last weekend. As I mentioned in my first blog post, I absolutely love people watching at the airport. It ranks right up there with peanut butter and designer jeans. I love speculating about what they're doing and where they're going, and often their attire factors in heavily when making these conjectures. Is it an investment banker in a business suit, frantically running to make his connection en route to close a huge deal in Manhattan? A college sorority girl, proudly (often obnoxiously) displaying her Greek letters on her chest as she flies home for the weekend? A family of four, all decked out in matching Mickey Mouse ears as they return home from their first magical trip to Disney World?



In this case, the girl who claimed ownership of the colorful sneaks appeared to be in her early 20s, possibly college age but I suspect recently graduated. The tights/skirt/shoes combo was a bold choice, particularly on a chilly evening in early February, but I respected her unspoken desire to differentiate herself from those around her. She exuded confidence in herself and in her sense of style, which was certainly best reflected in her unique choice of footwear. I found myself looking down at my ripped jeans and nondescript flip-flops almost guiltily, as though I should've put more thought into my own appearance. After all, if people like me are assessing the wardrobe of those around me, I'm sure the reciprocal is also true. Guess I better bring my A game next time.

D-M-X! If You Want It, We Got It. Come and Get It!

OK Runner, Norman, OK


A big fella strolled into OK Runner one afternoon wearing a pair of the original Reebok DMX shoes. They might have actually been the second generation or color way, but I remember them vividly. When I was in junior high Reebok ran an advertising campaign on this new technology they had invented. It was the company's goal to compete with Nike in the running market at the time of visible air pockets, so Reebok came out with air chambers on the bottom of the shoe. The air was supposed to move through the chambers to provide a more natural transition and overall more comfortable fit. Air that could move? I had to have some. I think I was the first fool in line to buy these guys when I was going through puberty. Such a foolish decision. The shoes sucked. I couldn't tell that the air moved, the shoes were heavy and they rubbed a blister on, what I now know to be, my lateral malleolus. Simply awful.

I still have the original pair, or at least I should if my mom hasn't thrown them out since I've been gone. They probably have only been run in for 50 miles and maybe worn another dozen times. It was surprising to see these old foes on a customer's feet. I'm sure he was happy to put something else on considering the horrible fit the 'boks are known to have. I know the Native American/American Indian looking dude had the shoes for quite some time because he told me so, but I wonder where they were purchased. I'm certain the shoes weren't tucked away in his closet for a decade. My guess is that he bought them at a discount store like DSW or Ross. And, no I'm not making a socioeconomic reference to the dude being Native American/American Indian. If I were I'd being saying something about alcoholism or diabetes. My conjecture is that since the shoes haven't been made in quite some time I suspect that a place like Ross would be one of the few stores to have some in stock. I really need to remember to search for my pair when I'm back home. The DMX 'boks are a classic shoe flop in my book.

Your Grandma Wears Skeleton Shoes

OK Runner, Norman, OK


This little grandma was a badass! She gave a whole new meaning to your parents' childhood phrase "your mom wears combat boots." Cookie came into the store one afternoon looking to kill some time browsing the apparel section of the running store. Yes, that's right, her name was Cookie. With a name like Cookie, she's gotta be sweet! I could see her handing out business cards with something like that printed on the back of her contact information. It's too bad she wasn't a real estate agent or baker because I really think she would have done well for herself. Instead, I believe I heard her say she was a former elementary school teacher. I wonder if she wore such cool shoes to class. She would have earned the respect of her students immediately if she had chosen to do so. My teachers in elementary school were certain to rock out in the ever so lovely S.A.S. leathers. Actually, I don't remember, but that probably was the case.

Cookie had a lot of spunk. She was definitely the type of figure who could remain upbeat even under the most depressing of circumstances. I see Cookie taking the news of a doctor telling her that she has breast cancer in a positive way. It would take a lot to get Cookie in depressed spirits as her attitude exuded positivity. Ms. Cookie immediately bonded with Anna as the two talked about grandkids and the teaching profession.

When I saw Cookie walk in the door I knew her shoes had to be posted because they seemed to be one of a kind. However, a few days later I spotted another person wearing shoes quite similar to Cookie's. That was a little rain on my parade. The shoes were probably purchased at Target for $19.99 and are most likely seen on the feet of teenagers. Regardless, I like the bedazzled look of the Chuck Talor-esque Converse shoes and think they were the perfect fit for someone like Cookie. Rock on grandma!

Keeping it Classy (And Sassy)

Panera Bread, N. Decatur Rd., Atlanta, GA


These sassy boots immediately stood out to me while I was grabbing a coffee and some World Wide Web action at Panera the other day. This shop is located within steps of Emory University, which means it is 90% populated with college students wearing Ugg boots, "retro" Converse sneaks and other "I want you think I just casually grabbed these shoes from my closet but really I bought them because all my friends have them and I wanted to make sure I merge seamlessly with them" styles. These boots were dressy and sophisticated and most likely designer, so the wearer clearly did not blend in with the bourgeoisie. Given the proximity to Emory, I would be inclined to think she was a professor or otherwise employed there, but she didn't really give out that vibe. Maybe an administrator at the hospital? Don't those people wear uniforms of some sort?



I really wanted to snap a shot of the gaggle of girls sitting next to me to illustrate the groupthink shoes I mentioned above, but it would've been too obvious. Had I done so, I could've described in detail their conversation about the pros and cons of living with one's boyfriend before marriage (or just living together and never getting married), but I guess I'll have to save that for another day as well.

We Are Not the Champion

OK Runner, Norman, OK

I snapped these bad boys while a customer was outside testing out a new pair of running shoes. He was an odd but educated man who worked in the exercise science department at OU. He had been sent in for a bit of advice by OKC Marathon winner and OU student, Jenny Graef. When I was about to hand the left shoe to the guy so that he could try it on, he specifically asked to see the right one first. I wonder if he has a quirk where he needs to put on the right shoe first similar to how I have to tie my left shoe first. It doesn't matter the order of which the shoes are put on but the left shoes has to be tied first. I'm not sure why, but that's the way it's done. The guy today didn't seem too particular with other things but I was only around him for a few minutes. I wonder if there are certain ways to make a sandwich or eat a pancake? I just know that I wouldn't want to be a part of his lab or conduct any experiments with him because I would guess that the method of doing something would be more important than the results.

I'm getting detached from the shoes that he wore in which weren't in too bad other than the fact that they were made by Champion. Doesn't Champion make beefy t-shirts and jock straps? These were definitely from Champion's casual line of sneakers and hopefully weren't designed to be worn during athletic endeavors. The leather upper was generally clean and had a sense of old school simplicity to it. I liked the four stripes which reminded me of Adidas Sambas. I'm sure I will have a post about the classic indoor soccer boot at some point so I will save those comments for another day.

Business on Top, Party on the Bottom

Rising Roll Gourmet, Northside Drive, Atlanta



I stopped in to Rising Roll for a tasty and delicious lunch and spotted these bad boys when I walked in the door. They first caught my eye with their day-glo coloring, and then I quickly noticed they were Mizunos. This intrigued me because, while the shoes were clearly designed for running, this guy was neither dressed athletically nor was particularly built like a runner. He and his two colleagues were sharing a table and discussing a large set of blueprints they'd spread out on top of it. I tried to sneak a peek at what the blueprints were outlining, but didn't want to blow my cover, so I'm left with only the conjecture that they are architects.



If so, why the sporty kicks? Mizuno's US headquarters are located just 20 minutes north of Atlanta in Norcross, so perhaps he purchased them to show loyalty to a local brand? Or maybe he even knows someone who works at the corporate office and snuck him some freebies on the side? Either of these are plausible explanations, but neither explain his affinity for their flashy appearance when the rest of him seemed so professional. Granted, he wasn't dressed in suit and tie, but he did have the pulled-together look of someone who carefully strategizes his appearance. I noticed that one of his companions was also wearing athletic sneaks, but his were Reebok, so there's no connection there. Maybe shoes are his outlet for expressing a funky personal style while making sure the rest of him remains fairly neutral. As I mentioned before, he didn't look especially like a runner (nor did the shoes look worn or dirty), which leads me to believe he only brings them out for the sake of fashion. Whatever the case, any friend of Rising Roll is a friend of mine.

Rich Boy Hungover Travels

Gate 31, San Diego International Airport, CA

I snapped these two characters catching a bit of zzz during my brief stay at the SD airport. I was on the first leg back to Oklahoma and I spotted a curious duo napping off what I could only imagine to be a serious hangover. I was intrigued by the guy's shoes on the left because they resembled bowling shoes, but they most definitely were not a stolen pair of kicks. Notice the matching hat on the floor? I'm sure it was pricey because the hat in his arms was Gucci as was the bag in his lap. These guys' outfits were casual yet expensive, at least it appeared that way. Big time ballers, or so it seemed. The dude on the right was wearing a Burberry sweater/jacket with a matching Burberry bag that is tucked between his legs. I can only imagine that it contained diamonds or, possibly, marijuana brought back from their trip to Mexico. It was 2 in the pm and these gentleman were hurting for some rest. With Tijuana only a few minutes across the border from Mexico, I'm sure these boys had a stellar time at the donkey show.

I have no idea where they were headed, but I sensed a bit of Euro in them. I want to picture them as "trust fund babies," but I know Mexico sells a lot of faux designer merchandise. I'm going to stick with my gut and say they shelled out some major cash for their threads and shoes. The style behind the kicks evoked Puma, yet they certainly were not. The bit of cursive writing behind the bowling shoes is what made these shoes intriguing. I couldn't quite make out what it said and I wish I had been able to catch a glimpse the brand, but it wasn't meant to be. I'll have to say that from an Imelda Marcos perspective the shoes were choice and I would sport a pair any day. I hope these boys traveled home safely to the confines of their parent's mansion

Bowling shoes? I think not!

"Those donkeys were crazy man."

Stuck at O'Hare

Terminal H, O'Hare Airport, Chicago



I had plenty of time to scope out footwear on my delayed layover in Chicago, and I noticed these kicks right away. The kid who was wearing them looked to be in his early to mid-20s and had casually slung a retro Adidas bag over his left shoulder while he awaited his flight to Newark.



I've always been fascinated with airports, much for the same reason I find the concept of this blog intriguing. With shoes we wonder, what's the story behind them? How long has someone worn them? What made them wake up on this particular day and choose this particular pair? At the airport I'm constantly looking around and observing people. Some are hurried, some walk slowly; some appear annoyed, some sit patiently at their gates; some travel alone, while others are accompanied by their wives or husbands or sisters or mothers or children. Where are they going, and why? Fascinating stuff.

As for this gentleman, I wonder whether New York City is his home. Or perhaps he is a denizen of Chi-town and is heading off for the week to visit friends before his college classes recommence. Or maybe, like myself, he is in between destinations, caught in between a place or a memory he is leaving behind and a new life or challenge that lies ahead. I left him behind without knowing the answer, yet feeling strangely comforted by his presence.

Usain Bolt Sells Pumas

Hillcrest, San Diego, CA

This afternoon I was standing in line for a movie and spotted a gentleman roughly of 60 who was sporting a pair of flashing new Pumas. The shoe was packing a thick Puma Cell crash pad which I guess is Pumas current cushioning technology. The line for the movie was exceedingly long which meant everyone near Hillcrest had the same idea on this crappy weather day. A movie was the perfect way to spend the afternoon and Slumdog Millionaire, Doubt, The Reader and Milk are atop the box office hit lists. The shoes looked relatively new and I doubt they were purchased at a discount store which meant the guy wanted something that was athletic yet casual. The bright yellow brought a little pop to the shoe but the brown leather was probably more familiar to the guy. Perhaps he was inspired to wear a pair of Pumas after witnessing sprinter Usain Bolt take on and dominate the world at this year's Olympics. I highly doubt that to be the case, but considering the shoe's lack of weathered appearance they were probably purchased post Beijing Games.