Summer adventure

Author – Tomi

It happened quite a few years ago, when my friend and I collected the tent and kettle on Friday and went camping to the nearby lake. There were two of us, the others joined us the next day. It was summer, you didn’t need much warm clothes, swimming trunks and a towel at most. We cooked a good Hungarian goulash soup, everyone contributed something, and it was a real joint lunch. In the evening, the others left again, two of us remained, but we didn’t plan to leave until the next afternoon. We agreed that before going home, we would also stop for ice cream, so we left the relatively clean t-shirts and shorts outside as we started to pack up the tent. I saw my friend’s Scott t-shirt and Nike shorts next to his blue CAT shoes, in which he had already prepared his socks. I wanted more and more to put on his shoes before we left, because unfortunately I didn’t have the chance to do so until now, although it’s true that I put on his slippers several times, there were times when he used mine too. We had one size, but that blue CAT, he always looked so hot on it, and I never dared to ask his to lend it to me.
– Come, before we take the tent apart, let’s pack everything in front of the tent – he told me and brought water to yesterday’s embers. I’m going right now! – I said, only I had already started to get dressed. If not now, then never. I thought. My boyfriend is busy now. I took his socks out of his shoes, that’s what he was wearing when we came. But I didn’t put it aside, I automatically started to put it on my legs, I didn’t even understand why, but when I looked at his prepared clothes, my heart started beating faster and I already put on his t-shirt, took off my own swimming trunks, and changed them to his Nike shorts , and finally his long-desired shoes. I stood there in the cramped tent with a heart pounding that I had never felt before. -Well you? He poked his head into the tent. – I changed my clothes. I said in a hushed voice. -I do not believe it. – I saw that the shock was on his face, which was already starting to turn into anger. “And what should I wear now?” That’s when he thought he had to go home half-naked in his swimming trunks. “There’s mine,” I said with a smile. I wanted to tell you, but then you probably wouldn’t have changed clothes with me. Please, let’s go for ice cream like this, I looked at him with innocent eyes. But also my socks? he said smiling and took out my t-shirt. “I can’t believe it!” he grumbled as he put on my t-shirt and shorts. He didn’t claim my shoes, he put on his own slippers. I admit, we didn’t change it back immediately after the ice cream, only after a few days, but whenever I could I even put on his clothes and socks at home, and even played with his shoes in the evenings, making sure that they were clean… 🙂

Two Faced Theif

Author – Wantthemback

Last summer some friends and I decided to spend a weekend at an Airbnb in Barcelona. We planned the trip as cheap as possible, so we were light on luggage to avoid fees and ended up cramming as many people as we could in the apartment. I had never met some of these people before, but they seemed cool, so I didn’t mind. One of them, let’s call him Ben, even complimented my Nike Blazers, I thanked him and didn’t think anything of it at the time.

The trip was great and the food amazing, but on Saturday evening the heat was unbearable and my feet were hurting from walking all day, so some of us decided to go to the apartment early.

When I got there and took my sneakers off, my feet stunk from wearing them all day, so in order not to bother anyone I put them on the windowsill of the bathroom, hoping that the night air would freshen them by the next morning.

I was so tired that I fell asleep pretty much immediately, I didn’t even wake up when the rest of the group, which included Ben, arrived.

Our train back left early on Sunday, so we had to pack quickly to get there on time. I had all my stuff ready, but when I went to get my sneakers from the bathroom window they were missing. I was sure that I had left them there, and everyone remembered seeing them the night before. We searched all over the patio bellow and in the apartment but they were nowhere. We were running out of time, so eventually I assumed that they must have fallen down to the patio where someone grabbed them before we got there.

I called off the search and resigned myself to walk to the station in flip flops since I had nothing else to wear. But when Ben saw me, he offered me his spare Vans. He had packed two pairs of shoes and said he didn’t mind giving them to me, so I thanked him and put them on. His Vans were very worn and molded to his feet, but they fit me fine.

We got to the station just in time and left for home. During the train trip I had time to look closely at Ben’s Vans and was starting to enjoy wearing them. They didn’t make up for my lost Blazers, but I still liked them.

Back home, before everyone went their ways, I offered Ben his Vans back, but to my surprise he said I could keep them, and, I quote: “Even though they’re not as good as your Nikes”. Again, I thanked him, and I went home happy to have his old sneakers.

Since then I’ve worn his Vans from time to time. Despite being rather thrashed they remind me of him and that trip to Barcelona.

This should have been the end of this story, and that’s what I thought as well until last week, when I saw a photo Ben had uploaded where he was wearing the exact same sneakers I lost in that trip. A pair of white and blue Nike Blazers Mid, and I’m 100% sure they’re the same sneakers I had.

He had shown interest in them, he had the time to grab them while I was asleep, and I know for a fact we have the same size. Those Blazers are mine and he stole them from me!

I haven’t seen Ben since last summer, but I’m definitely asking him where he got those sneakers from.

I’ll update as soon as he responds back.

The dripped out drunk guy

Author – Anonymous

I was on a public bus on my way home when someone drunk guys came into the bus. I spot a drunk guy get on the bus wear black Nike fleece tech pants and sweater, wearing adidas Ultraboost 22 Speckled Midsole Black White, the other guy only wore Nike shoes, nothing else Nike or adidas or big brands. He sit two seat away from me to the left. Then after a while I noticed he fell asleep, his kept moving so his pant was slipping down, I saw some black short peaking out, then he woke up 10 mins later and I ask cool outfit, then he say yes it is all drunk and asks me to help him be he was about to puke so I helped him, gave him a bag to puke in, as he was puking I was admiring and he tell me to wake him up when we get to The northside of town and he fell asleep. But before that a couple of people were looking at him because of the puking sounds. Then we got to the stop so I tried waking him up and he woke up I was looking at his Nike clothes admiring him, I want to have his Nike clothes and his shoes. But then he fell back asleep, I was worrying what to so I stared at his Nike thing and started taking off one of his shoes and check the size, the size was a 9 1/2, I said in me head wow just my size so I took off my dirt shoes Reebok shoes and put them down on the ground with his, take off his Nike pants and I see that he has shorts under because I saw them poking out earlier and then I take his a Nike socks that I didn’t see before and swapped them out with his and then take of his Nike fleece tech pants quickly and take of my dirt-ish Jean and put on the pant after check the size and if was the same size XL then I took of his Nike fleece tech pant and put them on, take off my Reebok sweater too, switched it with his then I put on his Nike fleece tech sweater, then put on his adidas Ultraboost 22 Speckled Midsole Black White size 9 shoes and shoved my shoes on to his feet, then I ran away. The person who was driving the train went out to go the toilet and ask for me to stay for a bit and turn off the lights, he didn’t get a good look at my clothes, his too. The End

true story I wonder if he even remembered or remembered he was not wearing my clothes.

Shopping in Peti’s clothes

Author – Tomi

Shopping in Peti’s clothes

I met my friend Peti through a cousin. Although there was a good couple of years of age difference between us, we became very good friends, we hung out together a lot in our free time. Once I went over to them in work clothes, and then we were going to do something, but I felt something in the air, it was very tense. Later, she blurted out that she had a fight with her mom because she was her mom, because she made up the idea to ask me to take them to the supermarket in the nearby town, since she didn’t have a car or a license yet. My eyes immediately lit up because I was in work clothes and I had an idea. I’ve always liked his hiking boots, so I said that I don’t want to go home and change, lend me a T-shirt, pants and his hiking boots and we can go. We were about the same size, but I didn’t even ask about the foot size. He found the idea strange, since it wouldn’t have taken long for me to go home, but he said yes. My heart was pounding as I took off my clothes and started to put on his. His sports t-shirt was freshly washed, but it was his! He gave me a pair of gray velvet pants with pockets, just the right fit for me, and the hiking boots… they felt so good to wear. It was Petin all the time at school, and now it’s on me, adorning my legs.
While shopping at the store, all three of us went in different directions, and then suddenly I heard my friend’s mom calling after me. “Pete!” I turned and saw that he was very surprised that I was not his son, I had deceived his clothes.
After we went home after shopping, I put on my own clothes, we had dinner and I went home. At home, I still had the feeling of changing clothes, my heart started beating again, I took off my socks. I could feel the smell of the leather hiking boots on it, since it took over and mixed with mine for about two hours…

Boss’s Dunks

Author – Mat

Late last year I had an office meeting and while we usually don suit and tie for work, we were allowed to go casually dressed since we would get some drinks at a nearby bar afterwards. So, I put on my pair of white Nike Air Force 01s with some black trousers and a plain white t-shirt. I got a bit late and got just in time to greet my boss at the office’s lobby. He complimented my kicks – not the first time, I wore them to work some months earlier – and we headed to the meeting. He was dressed not unlike me, sporting a pair of Dunks Panda 2.0 that he mentioned that he had bought a few months ago.

While at first I did not find his shoes that interesting, during the meeting I started to get a crave to put them on. And I wanted for him to put mine on too. With the meeting over, we headed to the bar and I decided to ask to try them on. Just like me, he’s a sneakerhead and we wear the same size – we swapped shoes back on 2022, I offered him to try on my black Nike Air Max 97s and I got to wear his dirty white and navy Adidas Superstars –, so I figured I had a chance.

We sat facing each other and talked about work over some drinks. A while later some of our colleagues were talking amongst themselves, not paying attention at us – best chance I could hope to get my boss’s sneakers. I casually mentioned I was thinking of buying a new pair of shoes since it was reasonably close to Christmas, and I asked whether if he was going to buy some too. He did say that he wanted but commented that “having good taste is quite expensive”.

I pointed out that the Air Force 01s are somewhat cheaper than Jordans, Dunks and such, and my boss said that he would very much like to acquire a pair of them. I then offered him to try mine on, and he promptly accepted it and started to unlace his shoes. I got mine off and handed them over to him. As he was putting them on, I said that they’re one of the comfiest I ever got to wear.

He did hand his Dunks over to me, and I eagerly asked whether if I could try them on. With my shoes on his feet, he once again complimented my kicks and told me to try his sneakers on. Quite excited, I put on first the left foot and then the right one, and laced them up. A bit worn and dirty, but it felt amazingly nice, to have his kicks on my feet. I was taken aback at how comfortable they were, and they did get nicely on me – just as mine got wonderfully on my boss.

Later on, everybody started to head home and I figured it was time to give back the Dunks. My boss just said goodbye and went on his way. I got to keep his shoes and he got to keep mine, and I can’t quite describe how happy I was. The next day, he messaged me on some work stuff and said that only as he got home did he notice that he was still wearing my shoes. In any case, he said that he would give them back to me once we met again, and that he would take good care of them.

I got to wear his worn Dunks for two weeks, and did so as often as I could. Every single time, it felt right to have them on my feet. I was hoping that he would ask to keep my Air Force 01s, as much as I was missing them, but we swapped them back at an end-year work celebration. At any rate, I ended buying my very own pair of Dunks later on, and I do keep some pictures of my boss’s shoes. Here’s hoping that I’ll get to try on his other Nikes.

1/2 Marathon Trainer Swap

Author – Chris Wall

I used to be a member of a running club and at week ends I would take part in various runs. 10K and 1/2 marathons.

One of the lads at the club, Luke become good friends with me. We even visited the same running shop (Running Outlet Canterbury Kent) to buy our shoes.

I always like what Luke wore, he always seemed hot in them.

We’d been out and both bought new shoes, I bought Nike and he bought Asics, this caused a little rivarly. When we arrived at the club the next day Luke had his new Ascics to start wearing them in.

They looked so good on his feet and during our training run I deliberately run behind so I could watch his shoes on his feet, thinking about his feet in them.

He was enjoying my attention and he knew I liked shoes and would tease me slightly, by asking me to pass his trainers out of his bag and putting his foot up next to me in the after training pub.

One Sunday Luke and I had entered races, Luke entered a fast road race & I entered a later cross country/road 1/2 marathon. We cheered each other on, I waited and Luke soon came running flat out to finish 5th, which was amazing, he did very well.

My race was 1 hour to start and Luke came over to my car to sit and have a drink and snack.

I decided to get ready, I slipped my track bottoms off and looked for my running shoes, but I could only find one.

I looked all round and the right shoe was missing.

I called home to my girl friend, she checked and found it laying on the drive, it had fallen out of my bag as I got in the car.

Well the trainers I had on were no good for a race, they were my football astro shoes, Adidas World Cup, which were no good and I couldnt run in one shoe, I was so disappointed.

Then to my surprise Luke slipped his Ascis off, he handed them to me, here they may be a bit warm and smelly but use these.

I was shcoked, my dream had come true, to wear his trainers, warm and fresh, my heart pounded and I went a bit wobbly but I couldn’t, running shoes are personal and to lend them would change the foot bed and make them feel different.

But Luke insisted, go put them on. I held them, so excited but so nurvous. To add humour to the situation, I held them up and sniffed them. Wow! they smelt so warm and nice.
Go on just get them on and jog about to get used to them, Luke insisted, I slipped my old shoes off my World Cups and untied his laces and slipped my feet into his warm trainers.

I felt an instant excitment of energy come over me.

“How do they feel” Luke asked, winking to me, as I walked about to get used to them.

They felt amazing, this was my try of a pair of Ascics for a few years and i was impressed.

I stood moving my feet feeling were his feet had been and the warmth and comfort of the shoes, when Luke pipped up, “Wheres your trainers?”

“Why” I asked.
“Well I cant walk about here in my running socks can I!” He relpied.

I lent into the boot of my car and handed them over to him, he took them and smelt them, Nice! he muttered, and then I watched him, slip each one one.

Again he looked amazing in my trainers, with the over sized tounge flopping down.

My heart was almost pounding out of my chest.

Then my number was called and I grabbed my stuff and walked to the start, Luke patted me on the back and said, “go on go do Em”

Soon the starting pistol fired and I set off.

After running through mud a stream and along a pavement, I managed a respecable 3rd place.

Luke was there at the finsh line cheering me across the line. All I could see was Luke in my World Cups and I pelted to get across the line.

When I finishd, I got a podium place and picked up a small medal, I was so pleased.

I met Luke back at the car, I sat on the boot seal and untied the laces, the shoes had got damp and muddy, “I’m sorry” I said, Luke smiled. I removed his Ascics and banged them to dislodge the mud.

I handed them to Luke, “cheers mate” I said.

Luke looked at me and smiled, “keep em” he said.

Oh wow I was so excited. I slipped my feet back in them and felt so horny.

Luke then said, “Ill borrow these” looking at my World Cups on his feet, “and hand them back at the club next week.

Swapping Shoes with a Mate

Author – Jayme

One of my most memorable sneaker swap stories was when me and a mate with similarly sized feet were hanging out at a third friend’s house.

Coincidentally we’d both worn black running shoes and black socks and left them side by side by the front door. After a few drinks we he went out and accidentally put my socks on. As soon as he realised, he burst into laughter and was like “whoops, these aren’t my socks, haha.” before shrugging his shoulders and walked off still wearing them. After he came back, he decided to leave my socks on continue to wear them around the house.

Seeing him wear my socks got me excited. Later in the night we decided to go for a walk, so all three of us headed to the front door to get ready. Since my friend was still wearing my socks I decided, why should he have all the fun? So I said “Since you’re still wearing my socks it’s only fair that I take yours.”

Before he could even respond I had already picked up his socks and slipped them onto my feet. I Then Grabbed his trashed Nike Pegasus Sneakers out of his hand and began loosening the laces to slide my foot in.

To my surprise instead of getting mad and trying to get them off me, he instead picked up my Adidas NMD’s and put them on his feet. It was so hot. We completed the rest of the night wearing each other’s shoes, and through a couple occasions he asked if we could swap back, to which I responded ha-ha maybe later. As we dropped him home he kicked my shoes off his feet and I did the same giving his back. But both of us were too lazy to swap back socks, so I was allowed to keep them. Now every now and again if we’re both out and take off our shoes I’ll occasionally grab and put on his shoes to swap for old times sake. It gives us both a little laugh.

Here’s him wearing my Adidas NMD’s and me Wearing his Pegasus Nikes.

Instagram: BestFootFoward2000

Helping out a friend

Author – Matt

Last summer I was working at a construction site of a small historic house, just a ground floor and a roof. It has lots of intricate details around the gutter that needed to be hand cleaned and restored. It’s was a very hot summer. I am wearing short work pants and a t-shirt, and because it’s a constructions site I also wear (high slip-on) work boots.

I am sitting on the scaffolding and working on the stone decoration, at eyelevel, my legs hanging freely over the edge, when I hear cursing coming from inside the house. After a bit I see my colleague (and friend) walking out of the house wearing only his right safety boot and just a solid black sock on his left foot. He is holding his left boot in his hand of which the sole has come loose. I ask him, “what happened?”. He walks toward me and tells me that he ripped his boot on the pile of steel beams inside. To my surprise he walks normal on his socked foot, no hopping in his part. He says, “I know these boots were getting old, but not that old. I don’t know what to do now. I can’t work wearing just one boot”. I look at him and think, “Fuck it”. I stick out my left foot toward him and say, “you can borrow mine for a while”. My friend says, “I can’t, you need your boots as well”. I say, “I will be up on this scaffolding for a while, maybe the whole day” and I wiggle my foot in front of him. He thinks for a moment but says, “alright thanks”, grabs the heel of my boot and pulls it off my warm foot, revealing my solid white work sock. You couldn’t see my socks before because my boots are just a bit higher. “Nice white sock”, he says, “almost need to use my sunglasses to look at you now”, I wiggle the toes of my left debooted foot and we laugh. I feel my foot slowly getting cooled by the outside air. My friend puts on my boot. It looked quite funny, his own mid high (laced) work boot with his black sock sticking out on the top and mine high work boot completely covering his black work sock.” Looking good, two different shoes” I say. He laughs and says, “thanks, you too, wearing just one boot”. I stick my white socked foot out toward him while smiling. He says “thanks again” and goes back to work inside. To be honest its actually quite nice not having a boot on my left foot, it’s a very hot day and my boots are quite warm.

I continue working for a bit. I feel the summer breeze against my socked foot and look down, just as another colleague walks by, with a big question mark on his face. I say, “go inside and ask”, he goes inside and after a bit I hear laughing. After that its almost lunchbreak, so I climb down and hop to the lunch area where the five of use eat together. While I rest my socked foot on my booted foot my friend tells what happened to his boot. When everyone looks at me, I shrug and say, “I’m sitting on the scaffolding anyway. And to be honest its actually quite nice not wearing shoes in this hot weather”, while wiggling the toes of my left foot, showing off my white sock. We all laugh. One colleague says, “but you should be careful not wearing protection on that foot”, I say “its fine”. After lunch I hop back towards my work spot but realize in need to use the loo first, so I start hopping that direction. Pretty soon the hopping starts to become tiresome, so I decide to just walk on my socked foot. After using the loo I walk back, careful not to step on anything. It feels weird, the ground beneath my single socked foot. Back at my work spot I climb on the scaffolding and continue working.

When the workday is almost over, around 4 or so, my friend comes over and tells me he’s leaving a little early to buy a new pair of boots. He asks if he can borrow my other boot as well, so he doesn’t have to walk in two different shoes. I laugh and says “its fine, the day is almost over anyway”. A little while later he comes back. I stick my other foot out, het grabs the heel again and pulls it off. He takes of his own boot and puts mine on. He starts to give his good boot to me, but I say “what do you want ME to do with it!?” He smirks, a little embarrassed, and says, “no idea”. While he walks away I say, “make sure you take my boots with you tomorrow”. He says, “don’t worry” and I see him throwing his single good boot in the container on his way out. After I finish my task for the day I climb down, wearing just my socks, haha. One of my colleagues sees me and says smiling, “did he steal your other boot as well?”. I say, “yeah”. He says, “you go home we finish up”, so I walk to my van and go home.

The next morning, when I arrive at the site, I see my friend wearing the same boots as I have, but a newer version. I comment on it and he says smilingly, “your boots were so nice, I had to get the same”. Luckily my he brought my boots with him as well, so I change from my sneakers into my work boots and we start the day. While I work the morning sum becomes hotter and hotter. After a while I think back to yesterday and how nice it was not wearing my boot in this heat. I take off my boots, revealing my white work socks with Grey on the heel and toe, and place them on the scaffolding to the left off me. It’s quite nice feeling the summer breeze on my worm feet. After a while I see a colleague walking past me. I shout at him because I have some things we need to discuss, but he doesn’t hear me over the noise of the drill. I shout again but still nothing. I notice my boots next to me, so I pick up the right one and shout again. Still nothing, so I throw my boot. It lands next to my colleague and he turns around. I wave him over, he comes over and we discus some matters. Afterwards I ask him if he can get my boot for me. Het turns around, walks towards my boot, picks it up and continues walking. Not toward me but the other way. After a while my colleague returns, minus my right boot. I ask, “what did you do to my boot? “. He shrugs and walks away smiling. I continue working as well, “I am sitting anyway”, I think to myself. But after a while I get a little self-conscious about not wearing boots on a construction site. I got some strange looks from a delivery man delivering some tools. So, after finishing my current task I put on my left work boot, wiggle the grey toes of my right foot, climb down and start looking for my other boot. I look everywhere, but can’t find my boot. Meanwhile my colleagues watch me with a smile on their face. I walk normal on my socked foot, so after a while my white sock with grey on the heel and toe starts to get a little dirty, even though it’s very dry and dusty. I walk towards my colleague and ask him where he put my boot, he tells me, “It is MUST be somewhen”. I go back to my search and after a bit I find my boot it behind a pile of sandbags. I dust off the sole of my sock and put my boot back on, just in time for lunch.

Reasons to travel by train

Author – Beaten-up Work Boots

Once, I was heading back home after helping a friend move out. I took the train, and since it was late there weren’t many people onboard. There was a guy sprawled next to the window with his feet up on the seat in front of him. He was good-looking, wore sweatpants, a hoody, and a loose pair of gleaming white and red Jordan 4s. I wanted to get a closer look, so I sat in front of him on the aisle-side seat.

The guy was young, and his patchy short beard made him look even younger. He was constantly shuffling and on his phone, generally not minding the other passengers (me). It had been a while and was starting to get annoying, and since my stop was still far off, I decided to annoy him back, so I put my own beaten-up boots on the seat next to him. I could tell he noticed, but he either didn’t get the message or didn’t care. Finally, he put his phone away and said “nice boots”. I told him that they weren’t as nice as his shoes over there, but he still wouldn’t put them down. I was expecting him to get confrontational, so I was surprised when he asked me if my boots were cop’s boots? I didn’t know what he meant, so I explained to him that they were safety boots from my previous job. I still wear them because they’re molded to my feet and comfortable for working in. He then asked me if he could try them on. That was even more unexpected, but by now I liked where things were going, so I asked him what size he was. He said a 43, close enough, so I agreed.

He kicked both of his sneakers off. His socks were white and as clean as his shoes. Mine were definitely not as clean after humping boxes all day. As soon as I had untied and taken one of my boots off he shoved his foot right in, apparently not minding the warmth and dampness that had been baking my feet all day. He fumbled with the laces and tied a clumsy knot. When he was done he planted his foot firmly on the floor and looked pleased. I handed him my other boot and while he was struggling with that one, I decided that I was getting something out of this too, so I leaned down and grabbed his Jordans. Even though this wasn’t part of our agreement he didn’t seem to mind. They were a nice pair, probably brand new, I almost felt bad for stuffing my sweaty feet in. There was no way he was a 43 because it felt tighter, my toes were hurting. He, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying himself. He had put his feet back up on the opposite seat, took a picture of himself, in my boots, and started texting. This took a while, so I passed the time supporting the weight of my feet on my toes and trying to crease his sneakers, something for him to remember me by. When he was done, he put his feet back down and asked to swap back. When he pulled his feet out of my boots I could see that the sole of his socks weren’t as white as when he had put them on. I was relieved to take his Jordans off and put my feet back in my still warm boots. Once he had put his sneakers back on, he got up, thanked me, went to the doors and stood there until they opened, getting off.

Fireproof but not Waterproof

Author – Lucas

I live in a small apartment in a college town. With most of the residents being college students, our fire alarms go off often. The first time the fire alarm went off, I had just moved in and was chilling on my couch in a pair of white no show socks. I had only brought one pair of shoes with me, which were placed neatly by the front door. My black Sperry boat shoes were worn and the leather was soft and molded to my feet, these had the white sneaker soles so I’ll call them sneakers because that’s what they are really. The bright blue insoles of my sneakers weren’t very bright any more, the cloth was torn in some places and the shoes were honestly trashed but I only ever wore these because they were so comfortable. Anyway, the fire alarm rang and me being new to the place I wanted to get out as soon as possible. I slid my feet into my sneakers and left the apartment, now these shoes were tied loosely and my heel would pop out of my shoes every time I took a step. When you’re running down a hallway, this makes it easy to just step out of your shoes, and that’s what happened to me as my boat shoes just slipped right off my feet as I ran. I had no time to turn back for them so I just kept going in my socks. Getting outside my white socks became very dirty and my feet were getting very cold, I regretted not going back for my sneakers and hoped that they would still be there when I got back. Finally after an eternity the fire department let us back into the building and I sprinted up the stairs, I really wanted to get back into my Sperrys. To my horror when I reached my floor the corridor carpet was wet (sprinklers must have gone off) and my sneakers were nowhere to be seen. Those were my only pair, so I was now basically shoeless. I walked sadly back to my apartment in my damp and dirty white socks, I’d be stuck in my apartment for the week while I ordered new shoes online. I was really sad that I’d lost those shoes, but just as I was going inside, a neighbor called out to me and said “hey are these your shoes”? I turned around and this young man in a freshman T-shirt was holding up my sneakers by their laces. I never thought I’d see them again, and I was super happy that I got them back. Even though they were soaked, I still put them on, I really loved those shoes. I went back into my apartment and did some shoeplay with my shoes, just wanting to feel my feet running over the torn insoles, but my socks were pretty dirty and my shoes were wet so I had to take them off and leave them to dry. It was a long few hours for me, the torn insoles let water seep right in, but at least I managed to get them back.

Then I had to go out to get food in socks as my sneakers were wet. In the elevator I saw that same freshman neighbor looking down at my honestly trashed white socks. “You’re the guy who lost his shoes!” I blushed and explained that those were my only pair and that they were wet but I had to go out to get food. To my surprise, he then said “do you want to borrow mine? We’re the same size, I looked just now and saw that you were a 9.” I gladly accepted and followed him back upstairs where he took off his white Adidas Superstars and slid them over to me. “Here, my shoes are pretty old but I think they’re pretty comfortable”, he was right as the lining of the shoes was totally trashed, but yet the soft leather felt just like having my worn Sperrys back on my feet. Damn I missed those shoes. He said I could keep the sneakers until mine were dry and put on a pair of green Nike running shoes as we exited. I seriously lucked out, after getting my dinner I went back to my apartment and I couldn’t stop playing with these sneakers.

By the next morning my boat shoes were finally dry and I could finally put them on again, I was overjoyed when I slipped my feet into them, but also felt bittersweet returning the trashed Adidas back to my neighbor. I wish I could keep them, but honestly, I was just happiest with my Sperrys on my feet. Being without them had been the longest hours of my life so far and I was just glad to have them back.