"You can tell a lot about a person by their shoes." - Forrest Gump

Some shoes seem like they were meant for my feet. Such is the case with these Nike Hyperfeel training shoes, that made me feel as if I could run 100 miles an hour.

There they were, in new condition, smiling at me from a shelf in a used clothing store in Portland, Oregon. It had been a hard year for me but things were picking up. These shoes brought a smile to my face, as if the universe were saying, "Hey, lighten up, dude, life is supposed to be fun!"

I bought them on the spot. They probably came directly from someone who worked at Nike, whose headquarters in Beaverton  were within ten miles of the store. I loved these shoes and wore them cautiously at first, afraid to tarnish their day glow lime color. But eventually I wore them everyday for six years. The soles showed signs of wear, but the shoes held up until that fateful day I overdid it on a rocky ledge, and gouged a small hole in one of them while fleeing a hornet. Ah well. It took another two years before they said to me, "We've had a good run, mate. It's time to find another pair."

The price and availability of this retro style surprised me. Even if they could be found, they were quickly purchased, and sold for almost $180. Then they disappeared altogether.

I had a backup pair of casual shoes I'd owned even longer, but wore less frequently. I forget where I bought these SWIMS. They took a long time to break in. Then one day they felt nice. They whispered, "You know, orange is just as lovable as lime green. How about taking us with you on your next trip to Santa Barbara?" 

My trip to Santa Barbara has become my tradition near the end of every September. I went three times while working in Orange County. My unpretentious SWIMS make me look like a local, as if I've just taken my sailboat around the postcard perfect Santa Barbara coastline. The SWIMS lack the form fit of the Nike Hyperfeel shoes, but they make up for it with their laid back attitude. They look good while eating fish tacos, or shopping on State Street in downtown Santa Barbara.

I suppose a lot of people have friendships with their shoes. Clothes may not make the man, as the saying goes, but shoes do say a lot about a person. Forest Gump reminded us of that. They tell a story of the places we've been. Every time I look at a certain pair of Italian dress shoes I think of the outfit I wore at my son's wedding. Maybe that's why some people have so many pairs of shoes. They have a lot of memories they want to keep.