Cobbling Along
May 29, 2007
February 20, 2007
Feet and fingerprints
Feet and fingerprints, no two are exactly alike. That's why we cannot expect every shoe out there to fit each us perfect right out of the box. If you are close, or as like many folks, bought a pair a hair too narrow don't fret! Find a local shoe repair shop,
preferably one with 87+ years in the business like American Shoe Shop, Inc. in Wenatchee, WA (sorry for the shameless self promotion). They should have the know how to fit you just right. Stretching is always easier to do in the width of a shoe, but usually a small bit of length can be gained as well. If you have lumps or bumps on your feet, many attachments and or specialized stretchers are available to suit your individual needs. Don't sacrifice the fit of an entire shoe just for a small bunion on the outside of your foot. What I'm saying here is that if you have a small spot on a shoe that bothers you, don't go to a size that is too big for the rest of your foot just to fit that one spot. Stretching is usually $5-$10 a pair and certainly beats having to buy a new pair.
January 26, 2007
Necessity vs Accessory
Faster and cheaper seems to be the theme in retail today. It's unfortunate, but today's society has become accustomed to instant gratification. As the saying goes: Good, Cheap, Fast, only two of those can occur together. Good and cheap will never be fast. Fast and cheap will never be good. Good and fast will NEVER be cheap.
Even as recent as 10 years ago the majority of footwear available in my store was in some way able to be repaired to prolong it's usable life. Since then, each year a greater percentage, nearly nil, have fallen victim to planned obsolescence. The shoe will be out of style in a year or so so why build it to last? When styles change drastically in a matter of months, fashion has become a factor in determining a shoes "usable" life. When will the trend finally buck towards sustainability in footwear again? I see such rhetoric these days about sustainability. Even the largest corporations claim it as their goal. Some of the biggest "greenies" I know still drive throw away cars and wear throw away shoes to the local recycling center.
Maybe I am a little biased watching our shoe repair income drop each year. I am in my mid 30s and don't consider myself old-fashioned but something deep down just tells me that there has to be a balance here. So really the argument comes down to how you view your shoes, as a necessity or an accessory.
