dianie brownielocks and the four pairs

One upon a time, little dianie brownielocks and her little friend, alli salt&peppalocks, decided to fly in a plane from Penticton all the way to Paris, then take a train to Bayonne, and a bus to St. Jean Pied de Port at the foot of the Pyrennes so that they could take a very special walk.

They had read storybooks about this famous walk and learned that people just like them, and many people not at all like them, thousands and millions of people from all over the world, famous people and infamous people, over the last 1200 years, had walked this very same walk.

Over time it had come to be known as the Camino de Santiago de Compostela or the Way of Saint James of the Field of Stars (just in case you don’t know Spanish).
Brownielocks and salt&peppalocks thought it would be a really neat thing to do, and they were eager to get ready for this trip to a faraway land. All the stories they read, and all of the people they met who had done this walk said that the most important thing they needed to do was to have good shoes!

This is the story of dianie brownielocks and the four pairs.

Way back in December when brownielocks and salt&peppalocks were in Vancouver, dianie went shopping at a running shoe store and bought a pair of size 8 ½ New Balance trail runners. They were black, rugged and handsome. She thought that these shoes would be just right. But after four or five walks she found out that they were just a little bit too big, and no matter what she did, her feet began to hurt.
So a few weeks later, the friends went to Fritz’s Shoes in Penticton, one of the best shoe stores they have ever been in (and they have visited many many shoe stores over the years, because salt&peppalocks really likes shoes!). dianie had looked and looked on her computer doing RESEARCH to try and find the pair of shoes that would be just right for their special walk, and the ones she found were right there, just down the road at Fritz’s! She bought a pair of size 8 Vasque Breeze Low VST GTX shoes. She thought they would be just right. But after four or five walks she found out that they were just a little bit too small, and going downhill her toes smashed into the end of her shoes, and no matter what she did, her feet began to hurt.
So another few weeks later, brownielocks and salt&peppalocks went into Softies Shoes in Penticton, another one of the best shoe stores they have ever found, and brownielocks tried on a pair of Keens. She has loved Keens since the first day she saw her first pair in Nelson many many years ago (and she has been a loyal Keen wearer ever since). She tried on a pair of size 8 ½ Targhee II Brown/Olive beauties, and she thought that they would be just right. (Thankfully, allie salt&peppalocks is very patient and supportive when she goes shopping with dianie brownielocks.) But after four or five walks brownielocks found that the Keens were really hot and just a little bit too big, and they slipped off her heals, and no matter what she did, her feet began to hurt.
Now at this time, allie salt&peppalocks was very busy at the place where she works, and dianie was just starting a sabbatical (four months off!!!) from the place where she works to earn money to pay for too many pairs of shoes. So dianie went on a BIG DRIVE and during that drive she went to the Mountain Equipment Coop store in Edmonton. It was cold outside and too hot inside, and she was beginning to wonder if she would ever find the right pair of shoes. She looked at the shoes on the wall from a distance, trying not to get her hopes up, and then felt a strange power overcome her and was drawn to move closer. A warm welcoming voice said, “Can I help you?” And little dianie brownielocks almost burst into tears, sat down on the shoe trying on bench and told the story of trying to find shoes for her special walk that were just right to the very nice woman who had asked if she could help. The woman measured brownielocks’ feet, and brought out a pair of size 8 La Sportiva trekking shoes. “We just got these in. They are very well made and good for doing special walks”, she said. “I think you will like these very much.”
Brownielocks put on one shoe, then the other, laced them up just right, and then walked around the store, and walked some more, up the little climbing ramp, and back down again, and up and down, and around the store again and again for what seemed like a very long time. She didn’t want to buy the wrong shoes again. Finally, she took a deep breath and told the nice woman that she would buy them. She thanked her very very much for helping her.

That was two months ago, and the La Sportiva’s are still just right! Little brownielocks' feet are happy and there are only six more sleeps until she and salt&peppalocks get on the BIG plane to fly to Paris.

And that is the story of brownielocks and the four pairs.

(Postscript: brownielocks was very happy to be able to do a partial trade of the New Balance shoes for a print that she bought recently from a friend. The Vasques and Keens are still looking for a good home. Interested???)