I bought some new running shoes a couple days ago, I trekked all the way downtown to the Maginificent Mile (what a tourist haven) and the Nike store and laid down some serious cash for shoes. I know it's crazy - $160 for a pair of running shoes. I'm also kind of skeptical of Nike as a company. The shoes are made in China and I wonder how much cash actually goes to the people who did the sewing, cutting and putting together. I don't know if I'm part of a problem or part of a solution (shit I'd be willing to pay even more if it means better wages and conditions for the workers - WORKERS OF THE WORLD UNITE!). I mean "always the best price" means slave labor forever right?! But, anyway, I am happy with these new shoes.
I'm not recommending these shoes (Nike Air Max 360), I mean there's probably better shoes out there, maybe there's better deals. But damn, I lucked into a great pair, (I mean you are literally running on air), and well, for a runner, it's like digging up the rosetta stone or something. These are great running shoes. I had another pair that I ran into the dirt and when a shoe starts to wear down on me (it takes a year or less) I have to ditch them, or otherwise I start coming up lame. I mean, buying slave labor shoes is lame, but a tired shoe wreaks havoc on my body (is it the shoe or is it the man?), and well I don't think of running shoes as a luxury but as a necessity. Is that a lame rationale or what?
Of course, the Long Emergency is around the corner and well, these shoe aren't gonna do me a lot of good when the major shit goes down. Not long ago, the Lovely Carla asked me, "when are you going to stop running?" Somehow I don't think she meant just the literal act of it. My reply, "I'm not going to." Now obviously, this is beyond my control. I see myself running through fields of poppies forever!
I mean, I know I can't run away from all my problems, but hell, I can give it the old college try.