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.

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.