the Mundane & the Potpourri........

An ode to the sneaker

786.

Yes, 786. No, I didn't mean the lucky number Amitabh Bachchan sports in his various capacities as coolie, robber, cop, don-on-the-run, etc in his movies. Nor did I mean its religious significance for Muslims. No, its not someone' GRE score. Nope, neither the number of US soldiers killed in Iraq' "liberation". Neither the number of attempts it took me to rectify an issue with my bank (with ICICI, you need to make at least 3 gazillion attempts before they even begin to understand the issue! And they are rated India' second best performing bank - can you imagine how 'good' the others might be?!).

All I meant was, I looked at 786 pairs of sneakers before deciding on one a couple of weekends ago! Yes, you are right, 786! Does it mean I am snooty? Snobbish? Style-conscious? Wannabe stylebhai? Wanting to be in sync with whatever' currently in? You can say that again, but the answer to all of the above is a plain NO.

Is it my fault that market forces (read BIG sneaker firms with BIG superstars as their mascots) want me to wear what they produce? Is it my fault that at age 30, I dont fall into their most lucrative target segment, i.e., 12-24? Is it my fault that they pass off anything ludicrous as being 'cool'? My grandma would have had a heart attack if she had seen some of the stuff these guys make. God rest her soul in peace. All sneakers had a minimum of 7 colours. And we are not talking 'rainbow ' here. Most sneakers had at least one fluorescent colour. Most sneakers had glow light on them. I dont want my sneakers to glow in the night, its not as if it will be difficult to find them when the power's out at night. Most sneakers had tacky plastic stuck on the sides. Most sneakers made me wish I was colour blind. Most sneakers had circular contraptions on the side to let in air between the soles or whatever they are supposed to do. Most sneaker sizes didnt fit me. Most sneakers were for tennis, football, basketball. Something for plain walking, anyone?

Most sneakers were a tad too expensive. Ok, ok, a lot expensive.

Whatever happened to simple, old fashioned jogging or walking shoes, typically a 2-colour scheme (heck, plain whites will do) , pleasant to look at and affordable? And just made for walking?!!! Guess they dont make them no more. Sad. Rest in peace (or, pieces).

PS: I compromised my valour and integrity and finally bought something very close to what I was looking for. Only thing they have miniscule reflector-type shiny stuff in the front. Oh and another thing, dont go buying with two 24-year old types. That would be suicidal. Believe me.

posted by rishi shankar @ 4:32 AM