fallen along the way

Again.

Another pair demoted to short journeys and cycling.

I dread to think what's happening to my knees and ankles, transmitting the same forces which are pounding the life out of the sole and especially the heel of a pair of trainers in just over six months. Then again trainers don't have a magical self-repair ability. It's fairly clear that they're being made more cheaply all the time too; the first pair of this general ilk lasted a good year before being cruelly thieved. The second pair kept going for about the same period before giving up and mangling the skin round my ankles though the soles were still tolerably un-knackered. The third pair (same model as the rearmost two pairs) had to be thrown away when the sole wore away from the bottom though the heels were still just bouncy. The pair at the back started squeaking at the back end of last year and were replaced by those one step ahead of them which started squeaking in the first quarter of this year then collapsed at the heel shortly afterwards. Second-from the front have been around since April or May, are starting to squeak quite severely and are painfully uncushionable to walk in at anything approaching full speed.

I could solve my problems by wearing a more shoey-type walking shoe but that would require the wearing of trousers in order to not look like an idiot and I would overheat far too quickly wearing trousers. Walking boots are obviously sturdy but are far too inflexible for everyday semi-urban use. I did manage to carry off boots-and-big-socks-with-long-baggy-shorts from 1995 to 1998 but it probably didn't look as remotely acceptable as I thought it did at the time and those boots (which required replacing after five months apiece but only cost £20) cannot be found any more. The replacement boots shortly turned hideously uncomfortable and are now only used for stancing and formal occasions where no dancing or walking is required. I'll see how the next in line work out; I do rather like Vibram for grippiness and can be nothing but fond of a shoe style which permits my foot-width without too much spare toe-space.