We went to the mall first, and while we were there we went to JCPenney, The Children's Place, Sears, Track 'N Trail (twice), Trade Home, Macy's, Footlocker, and Finish Line. Occasionally, we would see a pair of "super shoes," but most often Ian would say, "These are ugly," and we would leave. I can't say that he was wrong, though. Have you been shopping for shoes this spring? This spring's collection could be called, "The Shoes that Taste Forgot." Hideous!!! All of them.
Ian kept telling me that super shoes "look like this" and would swing his finger through the air. He also kept insisting that super shoes are orange, so I dragged him back to Track 'N Trail to look at the ONLY pair of orange shoes we had seen all day, a very tasteful pair of Merrell's. He mulled over the shoes for a very, very, very long time. Finally, I said, "Will you wear these...yes or no?" He said, "No," and we left.
I don't remember what store we went to, but eventually we went into a store, Ian pointed to the ceiling and yelled, "Look! That means super shoes!" It was a Nike swoosh. That also explained why he kept insisting super shoes are orange...the Nike shoe box is orange. Finally, we were getting somewhere! Well, like I said earlier, every pair of shoes we had seen was atrocious, but the Nikes were by far the most offensive. I was feeling defeated by this point, but I refused to give up! I was going to find a pair of super shoes if it killed me.
We left the mall and went to Gordman's where I quickly found Eli a pair of New Balance sneakers. This was a huge deal for me because Eli has NEVER owned a pair of name brand shoes. Never! I'm not into spending mad bank for shoes that will be destroyed in a week. These were only $32 so I was okay with it. Plus, I have already laid down the law that these shoes will NOT be played in. These will stay nice and neat. Still no super shoes for Ian.
Eli's new kicks
We then went to Kohl's where Ian thought he had finally found the super shoes of his dreams. The only problem was, they were a size too big. I kept scouring the shelves, searching desperately, while Ian kept telling me, "I've found them, Mom. I'm just going to go to the register." I felt really bad making him put them back. I know his little heart deeply desired these super shoes, but I was not buying shoes that didn't fit.
We then went to Mosser's (they don't sell kids' shoes), then Meijer (nada), and finally we went to Shoe Carnival. Let me tell ya, by this time I was ready to pull my hair out....one strand at a time. We were past the three hour mark of this ridiculous shopping trip and I was quickly losing my patience while the boys were losing their ability to make choices that make a mom proud.
At long last, we found one, yes ONE, pair of acceptable super shoes. The criteria: velcro closures, as I will not assist with shoes and neither will teachers at school, and they could not be vomit inducing. While these are definitely not the most attractive shoes I've ever seen, they are by far the best looking pair of the season. Good gracious, I saw some disgusting footwear today! I was not very pleased with the price, but I thought about the cost per month, assuming he'll wear them for the next 6 months, and decided it was alright. He was so happy he could barely contain himself. He can't believe he has a pair of super shoes. I told him, "Super shoes are called Nikes," to which he responded, "Oh, I love my Tikes!" (<--not a typo) He can't wait to run the track and see how fast he is. This is also the first pair of name brand shoes I have ever purchased for Ian. Poor Anderson kids...Old Navy is like Saks Fifth Avenue at our house so they really only know the wonders of Target.
Ian's new shoes
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