Fallen Arches

"If the New Balance sneakers I ordered don't arrive here on time, I could always wear my Converse sneakers to the basketball game," I said.

Ritchie winced. "Don't do that," he said, "They've got no support. You'll get hurt out there."

Ritchie, Russell, and my Dad are just a few of the people in my life who have offered that trenchant (and all too true) observation about canvas sneakers. And yet I feel strangely drawn to them. Growing up, by the time I realized how cool Vans and Converse sneakers were, retail outlets weren't selling them in my size.

Thank Xenu for the internets. My wife just bought me a beautiful pair of black Vans. I'll only be able to wear them once, or maybe twice a week, when I know I won't have to do a lot of walking. I still love 'em. I do think it is odd though, that unlike other classics of American design - the Zippo, Levi's, the iPod - the shoes are all aesthetics and no function.

Update: Now that I've had a chance to walk around in them, I realize I haven't been entirely fair to the good people over at Vans. The shoes offer much more support than the classic Converse sneaker - similar to what a good loafer would offer. I wouldn't want to run a marathon in them, but the shoes do allow for a more vigorous range of activity than just a little bit of walking.