Max Riffner

The Parlor

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New Kicks, New Digs

Let me hit you with my new digs first: Markosia gave me a forum for Golden Boy. I’ve never had my own forum before. Let’s see how I screw this up!

And now to my my new kicks! I haven’t purchased any new shoes for several years now, relying on my pair of New Balance to get me through most situations (also known as “the pair of shoes that will hopefully get me running again,” and we know how that turned out – painful).

After cycling off and on for a year, and more intensely over the last couple of weeks, I’ve noticed that my feet hurt or fall asleep after riding for over 30 minutes. The New Balances, while a good running shoe, were not stiff enough to accomodate pedalling. Yesterday I got my first pair of cycling shoes. If anyone wants to know the difference, they are like strapping boards to your feet. The sole is so stiff that it is completely inflexible. I bought a pair of mountain biking shoes that allow for somewhat comfortable walking and SPD clipless pedals (whenever I get around to upgrading). Having velcro straps on them are a bit weird, but it is much better than having to tie my laces in interesting configurations so they won’t get caught up in the gears or chain. Their performance on my ride last nide was excellent: no pins, needles, or pain in my feet whatsoever.

For my second pair of kicks, I bought my first pair of Medium shoes, which are basically sneakers plus high design concept. They are built for the “creative class,” and while I start feeling my eyes drifting towards my navel after reading the selling points on their website, I have to admit that these shoes are well-designed. No distracting logos, good construction, and clean aesthetic make appeal directly to my philosophies. Here’s a shot of the pair I purchased (in snow color, even, because nothing beats a clean pair of white sneaks), though $90 for what is basically a pair of Chuck Taylor’s is a bit much. I got mine at Zappos.com (perhaps one of the coolest e-commerce stores online) for half that price.

I love new shoes. I just feel better about life whenever I put new shoes on. What was the last good pair of shoes you purchased?

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