Sole Mates

When a compliment surfaced yesterday about my shoes, I wasn’t expecting the thoughts that followed. What makes a pair of shoes stand out to someone? While I initially accepted the answers of style and comfort, I became more satisfied with the answer of association.

In elementary school, before school started, students would congregate in the playground area. This was the time popularity status was revealed to all. It was then that I started taking mental notes on the “coolest girl in school.” She was pretty and, it seemed, liked by most (especially boys), not to mention several years older in age. But most importantly, she wore Adidas Samba Classics. Needless to say, I practically wore my Adidas Samba Classics to bed that year.

Several years later, in my early high school days, I was intellectually inspired by greatness. And greatness just happened to wear Converse All-Star low-tops; navy, to be exact. Those shoes, eventually blanketed with blue and black pen-ink designs, logged many the miles of self-discovery prior to driving eligibility.

A rapid or two later, during my summers throughout college, I worked as a whitewater rafting guide. This community of people took my love for the outdoors to an entirely different level. They also wore Chacos (an outdoor, water-friendly sandal). It’s been a staple in my life ever since.

These are the three styles of shoe that still, to this day, catch my attention when worn. And, right or wrong, I am immediately interested in the person sporting these pairs of soles. I might even go as far to say that I think positively of them just because of their shoe selection. Is that absurd? Of course. Could there be some truth to the association with regard to potential relationship development? Of course. But, to be on the safe side, a person should never rule out a soul mate just because he or she is not a sole-mate.