Prologue: The Soccer Shoe
The indoor soccer shoe is by far the most comfortable every-day shoe available. They are form-fitting, sleek, and extremely light. Most importantly, they are the one type of athletic shoe that won’t make you look like a doofis. I hate soccer, but I love their fashion. Try on a pair; you’ll be sold for life.
The History of the Samba
In 1998, I purchased a pair of soccer shoes: the Adidas Samba. They are a simplistically lovely shoe: black with white stripes and an extra long tongue to cover the first few laces. More importantly, they fit my feet nice and snug and I thought they looked pretty rad. For eight years, I have been buying the Sambas. Each year they wear out and each year I get a new pair. There were times when I’d even plan ahead and purchase 2 pair at the buy-one-get-one-half-off sale so I’d be stoked for 2 years straight.
Ever since I had the financial responsibility to purchase my own footwear without the help of my maw, I’ve been an Adidas loyalist. They fit my goofy feet and they have good style. My basketball shoes, my running shoes, my Sambas… all Adidas. Back in Kindergarten we all new what A-D-I-D-A-S meant and I stayed true to the philosophy of the three stripes.
On Sunday my wife and I made the annual trek to Famous Footwear to get my replacement set of Sambas as they were looking pretty ragged. On a whim, I tried on a pair of Nike Air Tempo Rivals. I felt a bit ashamed so I made sure that I did this a few rows away from my Sambas. The Nikes looked pretty rad, plus they fit a bit… (gasp!) better. To seal the deal, they were $10 cheaper.
The Betrayal… or The Midlife Crisis?
I bought the Nikes.
I don’t know if my feet just perked up after 8 years of being in the same shoe or what, but they told me to do it. Maybe my arches are in a midlife crisis and they need to fulfill some sort of Indonesian Sweat Shop fantasy or something. My ankles seemed to have perked up as they look down upon a white shoosh.
Say goodbye to your rivals in this throwback
I felt guilty as I walked up to the Famous Footwear counter, leaving the 9.5 US Sambas behind. Karla gave me a pat on the back and told me that all would be okay. Oh well, most guys buy floppy hats and convertibles when a midlife crisis happens. I bought shoes. It could be worse, I suppose.
Requiem for a Samba
I would now like to take a moment to thank my many pairs of Sambas for the 8 years of happiness you’ve given to my feet. Yes, you had no arch and you had little cushion, but boy you were light, streamlined, and really cool looking. You are the true sneaker as I could imagine ninjas donning Sambas before infiltrating some secret dojo. Yeah, the extra long tongue flap would occasionally flap upwards and make me look dorky. Yeah, you gave me blisters when I forgot my basketball shoes one Wednesday night. Yeah, you wore out a bit faster than most shoes… but we’ve been through a lot together, Samba, and my feet miss you already.
2 comments:
You shoulda stuck with the A's.
Sorry to rub it in, but Nike is evil.
~Drewbacca
MoviePatron.com
Good stuff on Nike, I also like to wear perfect nike air force one shoes. I think , there is a lot of choice in colours and style in comfort shoes with this brand.
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