New Boots (CAT)

The new boots are not bad. That is my very first impression. the true test is asking a week in. I went with CAT this time instead of Wolverine only because the couple of boots I tried on that were in my price range fit differently. The CAT had a more level feel to the toe and heal. I've noticed, the more the heel feels higher than the toe, the more problems I have with the boots. I'm testing out that little theory with my own health.

I agonized for twenty minutes over which boots to buy. I went back and forth up and down the isle weighing features and ascetics. Weighing the boots. I felt silly, Until another guy came in after me and was doing the exact same thing.

This was Academe. I've done tons of boot shopping there. No one offered to help me. no one got in my way. The sales people were very helpful. I think they have learned to leave the guys pacing the work boot isle alone and leave us to our pondering. There was no shoe polish or leather protector that I could find. I asked one person, but they didn't think there was any around.

The new feel of the boots kind of throws off my balance. In the store, while walking in a circle, I nearly lost my balance twice. The boots just react to my movements differently. The walk in this morning proved there is a bit of acclimating involved to new boots. I feel pretty confident now.

The old boots died because the sole was separating. They squeaked. The noise was getting worse and worse and it drove me up the wall. They were old and had given many years of adequate service. They had gotten wet, as in walking in floods, a couple times. The tread was nearly warn off in the middle of the ball of the foot. The heal was warring in to the spongy bit. it was time. They are in the closet in case I need to do some dirty job like taring a driveway or something.

Every time I get a new pare of boots it reminds me of a story. A friend of mine was starting a job at a construction site. He got picked up by an old timer who stopped, made him get out of the truck and take off his boots. The old timer then bashed the brand new boots against the curb and scraped them across the concrete until they had some noticeable scuffing. "Never show up to a construction site on your first day with a new pare of boots." said the old man. My friend figured out later that he had been saved a tremendous level of grief.