February 1st, 2010

I kind of have a funny story about these Ottorino Bossi boots. I used to wear them a lot when I was still in university because they are so comfortable and look good with pretty much anything. Anyway, this one time I went to get a bite to eat on Bloor St. and as I was walking back to campus I noticed that a bum with a shopping cart was following me. He never took his eyes off the boots – it’s like he was mesmerized by them. It was freaky how he stared at them, as though they were speaking to him. When I said hi to the man he started trying to convince me that the boots were his. I just laughed and walked a little faster. I looked back and there he still was trailing behind me and mumbling something to himself about where he wore them last. I just thought, “I wonder what’s going on in that head of yours.” Maybe their vintage look triggered some memory from his past or he might have just been completely out of it. He started speaking with more conviction and determination and the more passionate he became the faster I walked. I ended up running to lecture…I lost him pretty fast though (I used to be on the track team). If it wasn’t for his sh0pping cart full of useful goodies (cans and other garbage) he might have had a chance to catch up. I still wonder what he was thinking. Who knows what he used to be in his better days, maybe even a shoe designer.