How I Choose My Shoes

Sneakers, trainers and hiking boots. Oh my!

There I was, alone in Taiwan and in desperate need of gym shoes. Kim had gone back to the US to attend to some family matters, leaving me behind in tropical Kaohsiung. While I could survive in flip flops and Birkenstocks 90% of the time, those choices wouldn’t work in the gym. I needed podiatric security only lace-up footwear could provide. I needed to figure out how I choose my shoes.

I had finally worn through the soles of my old running shoes from a 2023 purchase at a Decathlon in China. Similar to China, Taiwan is teeming with an overwhelming variety of shoes. I took a page out of Kim’s book and took my time, patiently visiting several stores and comparing prices. Finally, it came down to a decision between two different styles: did I want to look like a runner or a hiker?

Either shoe fits, literally

Either style would have worked, depending on my mood and the time of day. I sat with two open shoe boxes beside me in the store. The debate in my head went something like this: alright, we love a good hike. We try to stay connected to our social medias but when we can get away, we love our quiet time in nature. And when we’re traveling, if biking isn’t an option, we’d just as soon walk anywhere rather than ride in a car. What doI want to do all my walking in? Sometimes I like to run if there’s no gym available. IF there’s a gym, get outta my way! Would hikers be less comfortable than runners? Would runners be less stable?

I had to let my inner monologue out. Being 14 hours ahead of Kim on the east coast, I did my best to time my final shopping excursion for when she’d be awake to contribute. We messaged back and forth. We scrutinized pictures. Eventually she needed to sleep. And I needed to decide.

Seems to be a pattern here…

I sat and thought about our future adventures and what kind of footwear I wanted. Something comfortable, versatile, and rugged. I remembered the Mofork hikers I’d gotten in China in 2019 and chuckled to myself, thinking that this pair was so similar. But I knew I needed a shoe to mirror my self-image and nodded to myself as I reshelved the running shoes. I just didn’t know how much this pair would literally mirror the Moforks.

Daydreaming of hikes in Utah, New Hampshire, and China, I strode up to the cash register with my new Jump hikers. Made in Taiwan, they had the added souvenir factor of a Taiwanese stamp inside on the insole. (It’s the little quirky things like this that help me decide how I choose my shoes.) This stamp has since been worn off, on our many hikes we’ve already taken as well as all our other adventures. Hopefully they have enough life left in them to last until my next pair of hikers. Or maybe I should get running shoes?