What's it going to be then, eh?

It's been raining here in Beijing as if the end of the world is coming.  Huge thunderstorms bang and clank, along with a pissload of downpour within a short period of time.  Sometimes it happens so fast, I get lucky and completely misses the event while I ride the subway.  This weekend, I wasn't so lucky.  It rained enough that I couldn't go outside to climb, which was a shame.  Matt was going to take Maggie and I trad climbing, which would have been plenty of fun since I was so sick of climbing sport (there, I said it). 

What's it going to be then, eh?

I am given no choice but to accept the urban life and all its temptations.  Sometimes this is a good thing.  As I spend more time alone or in small groups out in nature, I am farther removed from the rest of the society.  I am not sure when this switch happened, as I have always been a relatively urban person.  Most of the time these days, I don't generally care about how I look or wear, unless I'm going out for work or for a special event.  Other than climbing, food, and traveling, I really don't spend too much on anything else.

Don't get me wrong, I do like to shop for nice things once in a while too, and I toggle these days between buying Karen Millen dresses at the outlet and browsing the aisles of Goodwill.  And those of you closest to me these days know about my shoe OBSESSIONS.

I go into relapse when it comes to shoe shopping.

I'm not just talking about ladies shoes here.  I'm also talking about rock climbing shoes.   I am THAT crazy shoe lady, I know.  I can talk and analyze about shoes all day.

If you don't want to hear about shoes, don't read the rest of this post.

Buy low, get high
 
Here is a little crazy fact about me and my climbing shoes.  I own 9 pairs.  Three different models, two of which they stopped making.

The shoe that I have been wearing the longest is the Mad Rock Mugen, a great sticky face climbing shoe.  This shoe was being pushed out by other products and were selling for $25 each.  That's cheaper than resoling.  So I bought 6 pairs of them.  Still on my 4th pair.

The other shoe that I wear often is the 5.10 Anasazi, which is also out of production.  The shoe has a nice stiff sole and is great for bouldering and edging on small footholds.  Why they would stop making them or change the model is still beyond me.  It's a really popular shoe.  People point them out when I climb in them at Baihe.  I'm that cool kid.    I bought the first pair many years ago for $45 at REI, didn't like it at first.  I grew to love it more as I bouldered more.  The other pair I got at EMS recently in the used pile (worn once) for $35.

The last pair I have is La Sportiva Muira, also a popular shoe and a relatively new model.  It's a very comfy lace-up and I save these mostly for crack climbing.  Many people also like this shoe for sport climbing, but then you probably have to buy them a bit tighter.  Again, I got lucky and bought them on Backcountry for $80 last year.  Should have bought two but I resisted.

Buy low, sell high

Selby from etsy

I once told my coworker Tom about this story, and he stared at me like I'm some sort of alien.  He just didn't get it, and couldn't imagine that I had this hidden side.

I am obsessed with vintage shoes.  I love walking into Goodwill and looking at the shoe section.  The shoes made back in the days were made to last a much longer time, and made in the USA.  Often times they are real leather, which I would need to pay a lot for these days.  Because women love to shop for shoes and not necessarily wear them, many of the shoes donated to Goodwill were hardly worn.  Goodwill in the Boston area are a bit pricey, with shoes selling from about $5 and up. When they recognize a fancy brand, they sometimes jack up the price a lot.  When I was dating Kurt, his parents lived next to a gigantic Goodwill in Pennsylvania.  It was my favorite store, since it was clean and had an 'outlet' section.  Can you imagine, an outlet for used goods.  The shoes at the outlet section were $1.50 each.  One time I bought 20 pairs of vintage shoes.  I was ecstatic.  Kurt was HORRIFIED.

When I spot a pair of vintage shoes, I study it like a precious piece of artwork or artifact. I hold it by its heel and toe, inspecting its wear, the sole, and its last.  If I really love the shoe but it is a bit more worn on the sole, I would buy it and take it to the Davis Square cobbler and he and I would admire the shoe together and figure out how to make it look new again.  He would often say to me in his thick eastern European accent,"thiz iz a guud shu. Guud leder."  He also told me that he is retiring in three years to move back to Europe, and that his son is not interested in taking over his business.  Maybe that's my second calling.

I don't actually keep most of the shoes that I buy.  Generally, I clean them up and consign them at higher end vintage stores like Second Time Around and Poor Little Rich Girl.  I make a few extra bucks, and it feeds my thrifty-shopping habits.

Buy low, get happy!

Buying used clothes and shoes is not so acceptable in Beijing.  Once in a while, they do buy used clothes on the street for dirt cheap ($3), but the quality varies.  So I browse the new shoe section here near my house as a way to kill some free time.  Most of the shoes I found at the stores are surprisingly expensive (even for the US) and not necessarily well made.  There are a few major brands that all the ladies go to, but even on sale their shoes are priced at $60 or higher.  I might as well shop at TJ Maxx at that point.

When I was in Qingdao a few months back, I actually found a store that I really liked.  It just happens that one of the few stores they have in Beijing is right next to my house.  The shoe last they use really fits my foot, and most of the shoes are made from genuine leather and have durable soles.  The styles from this store are more conservative than the trendy shoe stores, but that was fine by me.  Perhaps it's the styles that make their prices more reasonable than the other stores, but at anywhere between $20 and $60, it was a steal for well made, brand new shoes.

I went binge shopping on shoes.  Who knows when I will be back in Beijing again.
Ladies, I'm ready for sexy shoe night when I get back to Boston!  Well, they are not all sexy shoes, but they are comfortable.  I also hope my vegan friend is not reading this...

studded sandal - 180 RMB on sale

flats with jeweled skulls, totally awesome - 250 RMB

oxford shoes with small metal studs, my favorite - 350 RMB

oxford pump with lace lace :) - 250 RMB

lambskin wrap sandal with small metal studs - 180 RMB on sale

Every shoe came with shoe storage bags, and the pumps even came with spare heel studs!  Talk about service and quality!  Call me crazy, I don't care.  I think I'm good on shoes for the next two years!

This is what happens when I don't climb.