The return of the Birks....

Back in 1993 I was in the 7th grade, and a student at a private school. It was a good school, but the snobbyness factor was at an all time high. You were super cool if you owned Birkenstocks. And coolness could reach an all time high if you even sported them with some tricked out birkenstock brand tye dye socks with the sandals. Needless to say, I needed those sandals. They were in all honesty the ugliest things ever, but hey, Crocs were not invented yet. I begged for those shoes. My parent, didn't seem to understand that I needed those things, as for one, they are $100 sandals, and being I was in the 7th grade they knew my foot had not stopped growing yet, so why spend that much if within a few months they wont fit anymore, and why are those damn things so expensive anyways? It's rubber, cork, and some leather material.

My parents did the next best thing, or so they thought... they bought me an off brand pair that cost next to nothing. For that weekend I was excited, but Monday morning when girlfriend wore them to super snobby school my excitement was soon crushed...My sandals did not have embossed on the sides and buckle the Birkenstock name so soon my school mates were fast to point out I had on fake birks. I remember this ass named James pointing at them and talking smack. Damn my parents sending me to school with generic birks. Sure I tried to tell the kids that they were real, but who was I kidding? I didn't wear them to school anymore to say the least.... It was a huge blow to my self esteem and another reason for me to hate that school.

A few years later my parents gave in and bought me some real birks. I have since owned many pair, and right now I probably have some in my closet. They are comfy, but damn if I will be caught dead wearing them with socks these days. In all honesty I can't even tell you the last time I have worn them, as my passion has since moved on to cheap flip flops. I wouldn't even dream of spending that much on shoes for myself these days. With that being said I am a sucker for designer jeans, and expensive purses, but hey, I am making progress.

This week though I went into my favorite kids consignement shop in Williamsburg, and guess what I found? A pair of brand new Birk sandals that should fit one of my kiddos this summer. I checked them over and found the embossed name, etc, and pretty soon I had paid nothing for the shoes that were only marked $10 to begin with, ( I have a lot of credit at that place as I sell the kids outgrown items there now). I was super excited to get home and show the girls. I thought to myself that my kids would be looking pretty spiffy in this sandals, that I agonized over for years and wished for. My kids? Not that interested. They didn't even want to try them on. Shame on me for corrupting their clueless minds with name branding already, and good for them for not wanting to put those ugly things on. I should appreciate these years that they don't care before the peer pressure sets in, and they are asking for $100 shoes. Hopefully still someone will want to wear them this summer so they can get some use.