I recently bought some loafers from a man with a prosthetic leg.
How can I know this? Good question. I've never met him. I've never seen him. I bought some shoes on eBay. But I'm pretty sure he has one leg.
I love finding old vintage Brooks brothers sports coats. Something that was made before we landed on the moon.
As soon as I took them out of the box I realized there was something. The loafers on the left had natural wrinkles on the top of the shoe. As you know, when you walk, you will find a crease where your legs are bent. These are the shoes used, which is normal. However, the loafers on the right did not have these natural creases. The top of the shoe looked essentially new.
I put them on and my suspicions were more verified. The loafers on the right fit a little tighter than the left. It felt like it wasn't worn. It felt new. You know how you feel, right? hard. tight. It will take some time for the shoes to break. The loafers on the right were not broken at all. I also noticed that there was little wear on the back of the right sole.
All of this supported my theory. The loafers on the right did not bend just like fully functional feet. In this way, the shoes are not broken. Roll forward behind your heels with all your weight, just like you would when you walk.
All this together explains the asymmetrical state of used penny loafers purchased on eBay. They were worn by a man with a prosthetic leg.
I put the shoe stretcher on the loafers on the right for a day or two. It stretched well enough and was pretty close to fit the size on the left. After several weeks of regular wear, the left and right inconsistencies were almost gone.
This whole saga is what I like to save money on used things on eBay. It's not just about the price. The ability to find incredible deals on clothes you normally can't buy is great, but what I like to save is more than just a price tag.
It's not just vintage elements. Unearthed forgotten styles that are virtually impossible to find a rack is total gas, but there's still something.
It's a story. It's a unique thing that you can't buy. It's something you can't get when you buy brand new ones.
I love how these shoes have a strange backstory. I love not being able to know that either. I think I can reach out to the seller and ask about this inconsistency and try to pry some information. But how boring is it? Where is the mystery within it? Where is your fun? It's much better to try and connect it all together in the old fashioned way. A little mystery is fun.
I love finding old vintage Brooks brothers sports coats. Something that was made before we landed on the moon. Standing on my closet, I look at the slightly ripped tag. The name is worn around the elbows, written on the inside pocket. I stand there and wonder who he is. How often did he wear this jacket? Was this a mainstay or did you wait most of your life in the closet? Is he alive already? Probably not. Probably not. Dead man's jacket. Now my jacket.
When you buy something new, the story begins with you. At that point there is nothing truly human. Even if the work is handmade, it's just business. However, the existence of other stories – stories you will never know for sure – adds human depth to the work. Some kind of connection with someone else. Even if you've never seen him, there's something shared. In our world of inhumane, disposable cultures, there's something really refreshing about it.
It feels good to maintain and maintain something. Deeply, in our minds, we feel that is right. An old jacket that was sewn long before you were born. A tie as old as you. Keeping those things alive and carrying them throughout decades is humanization. We feel like we're back in time, grabbing something physical and moving it forward into our world today.
Do I know beyond reasonable doubt that my loafers are worn by men with prosthetic legs? no. I certainly don't know. But I think they were, and that's the story I'm stuck with. It makes them unique. It gives them a backstory. It makes them special in a singular little way. It makes me love them more. That's the great thing about Rift.
