These boots were made for walkin'...

The most comfortable walking boots I've ever owned. I never actually got on with boots up to the ankles, and despite the apparent better support I prefer things like this for added mobility. These are about 6 years old, bought for a trip to New Zealand, and have served me well up and down hills all over the UK since then.

Bit of an ignominious retirement really, sat outside the back door to throw on to go out and see to the chickens and work in the garden. Just worn a little too much, with a sole now letting through every lump and bump, and a lack of grip evident on rocks. Replaced with an almost identical pair, also from Merrell.

Could these boots be an allegory for life? Would that be too depressing a thought? It's pretty much the way with everything, and perhaps one of the reasons I like to save old things and bring them back to life, and another reason I can't quite put these out in the bin yet. Hoarding tendencies need to be curbed sometimes. Which might explain why I've got a load of stuff listed on Ebay just now.

Then there's the inevitable regret of selling something you later realise you actually really enjoyed. Whether it's an old toy car you'd had for years, or the Sony PSP you came to miss on long travel journeys with work. Of course with Ebay everything is replaceable, but it never really feels the same as first time around.

Much like the boots. The new ones have been all over India, christened in the same way as the old ones with an active holiday, but they're just not the same. I like these old boots. And I like seeing them waiting for me outside the back door.

How in god's name can I get so nostalgic over a pair of boots?