Rediscovering My Shoes

With the arrival of spring I've been going through shoes that I have stored in the basement and under the bed, evaluating potential eBay sales and such. And, as has happened before, I came across a pair of shoes that I've had for a while, but haven't worn much.

One of my favorite styles of shoes to wear in non-winter weather is the four-eyelet moccasin, which is variously referred to as a blucher moc (L.L. Bean) or a camp moc. I have a pair from Bean in the traditional saddle-brown leather, but I also wanted a pair in suede. Three years ago I somehow stumbled onto the Urban Outfitters website, a store I hadn't shopped in since the 1980s. They had four-eyelet mocs in two colors of suede, made by Eastland. In fact, I wrote about them when I ordered them.

Bean also offered a suede version of its blucher for a while in its Signature line. This past fall I ordered a pair because they had been marked down, presumably for clearance since they are no longer available. But unlike their regular mocs, the Signature shoes were only offered in medium width, and they just weren't comfortable for me. The Eastland shoes are also medium width but they have a more generous fit. Even so, I haven't worn them very much since I got them.

I think it's because I was always a little uncertain about their color. It's called "acorn" on the box, and I've also seen it called "peanut." At times it looked a little too orange to me. But last week I brought up the box from my basement and took them out. The suede is only a couple of shades away from a color called "snuff" that is frequently seen on Alden shoes and is one of my favorite colors for suede footwear.

I decided that I need to make the effort to wear these more. They look good, they're reasonably comfortable, and they fit, and whatever imaginary aversion I may have had to them seems unfounded. But I have to do something about those laces. Not only do I find them unattractive, they're much too long. When I tie them the loops stick out way past the edges of the shoes. I think maybe some plain brown cotton laces will do it, or maybe I'll try something a little more colorful.