Quality shoes for the getaway

Listening to Adam Piggot's latest over at Pushing Rubber podcast.

So, first of all, if you haven't read his books, starting with Pushing Rubber Downhill, you should.

Now, attribution aside, on to the point.

Adam has been talking about dressing well for quite some time.  Since I am generally interested in dressing well I pay attention (not counting when I'm riding the Harley).  Today he was also talking about brick and mortar vs online shopping and that sparked something.

Recently I wanted to pick up some new shoes as my daily wear shoes are nearing end of life.  I did a bit of research and Allen Edmonds showed up pretty regularly.  High quality, reasonably priced (for good shoes).  Their nearest store is in Seattle.  I was going to order online as it's about a two hour drive but was struggling with sizing and read quite a few suggestions that the first time you buy a new brand you really should shop in store to get fitted.  So this weekend I drove down to Seattle with a friend and we went shoe shopping.

Arrived at the very small store and the clerk told us that he didn't carry a lot of stock but that he had enough to fit us and that he could then order the shoes we wanted and have them shipped to our homes.  His knowledge seemed to fit in with what I had researched so he seemed like a good resource.  Either A-E has trained him well or he came already knowledgeable to the company.

After trying on the shoes I was originally planning on purchasing I ended up looking at another pair of shoes as well as a pair of boots.  Neither the extra shoes nor the boots were items I ever would have looked at online.  I was hesitant to purchase three pairs of expensive shoes having planned for one but the clerk assured me that I could give him a ring and he could get them ordered for me any time.  I suggested online and he encouraged me to call him to help keep the store open.  I assume that he was on some sort of commission but he never pressured me.

After about a half hour in the store, during which time the clerk rang up my friend and fitted two other customers I decided it was worth the money and that I would, in fact, wear all three pairs of shoes on a regular basis.  Sale completed. 

So what's the point, other than rambling on like a woman about my day shopping.

1) Had there not been a brick and mortar I would have ordered one pair of nice shoes that might or might not have fit.

2) I learned more about good quality shoes from a knowledgeable sales person.

3) I helped keep him employed and I may have contributed to the ongoing success of their brick and mortar business, making it easier to buy the shoes I want instead of the shoes I think I want online.

4) Got to talk to three other men about style and fashion, not something that is generally prevalent in my circles.  My friends tend to ride Harleys and think that dressing up means wearing their good jeans and a Betty Boop tie.

As an aside, the third person to walk through the door had ordered three pairs online and none of them fit.  He was there doing in hindsight what I was doing in advance.  Getting properly fitted for a pair of shoes.

And to quote Mark Knopfler to finish up "To make your getaways in them, you're gonna need a quality shoe".