Earlier this year, at the beginning of a long work trip, I bought a new pair of sneakers. I wanted them to mark the professional win the trip represented and I knew I was going to wear them a lot. They were expensive, I paid about $330 for them, but they were worth it. I ran in them, walked long distances and wore them to important meetings with suits and dresses.
When I returned home after six months of travel, they looked tired. The mesh at the balls of my feet had worn through, the outer had some superficial scratches and they were torn around my ankles and inside at the back of the heels. Plus, they were discoloured and starting to smell. But I didn’t want to let them go.
