Honeymoon Prep: Shoe Hunting

26 Apr 08 - Do you ever worry about what your shoes say about you? My shoes now announce my status as an official member of "uncle-dom", you know, the state you're in when you're actually more concerned with comfort than whether the people you just walked past are discreetly snickering behind your back while pointing to your feet.

I am now the proud owner of a pair of Clarks leather shoes. The brand that ignited my parents' fashion imaginations and which, naturally, came highly recommended each time I went shoe-shopping during the past 20 years or so.

After holding out for 2 decades, my resistance finally crumbled last Saturday. Her Royal Majesty and I had gone to Queensway to shop for walking/hiking shoes for our honeymoon in Europe. After consulting a friend who had backpacked across Europe, my goal was to find a pair which was waterproof and had good traction.

Looking around the many shops littered throughout the complex, we found out that the only ones which fit my criteria were those Timberland-type hiking boots. There were other brands available of course, but generally the styles were all very similar --- brown/grey high cut boots with hard rubber soles. Somehow they just don't seem to go well with jeans, which was what I intended to have on for most parts of the trip.

We gave up on the first level, and trudged upstairs where we had caught a glimpse of even more shoe shops. The second level seemed gloomier and most of the shops sold leather business shoes, with one or two odd ones with cowboy boots in their windows. We eventually ended up at this shop called Boots and Decks, where the shop-owner, a guy who looked like he was in his late twenties, talked to us about his own experience travelling in the winter season.

Apparently, he managed reasonably well in normal running shoes, even in minus-zero-degree weather. With that in mind, he suggested that a good pair of leather shoes will probably do the job nicely. Especially since we didn't really have extreme outdoor activities lined up in our itinerary.

I tried on the Clarkes, and they were probably more comfortable than most leather shoes I have worn. Plus, they went well with jeans. It was the last pair, and we quickly pounced on the chance to shave a hefty $30 off the original selling price. The shop-owner was also probably eager to get rid of his stock and agreed after doing some quick calculations.

It was only later at home that I realised that the shoe box wasn't even from Clarkes! But I wasn't too bothered, and in fact, was kind of glad that shoe hunting season is officially over.

- Melvin