Comfort

I went shopping with Pam this weekend for the final piece to my wedding ensemble. Once that was obtained, we wandered about this great outlet mall west of us.

I hadn't been here in a number of years. Some of the stores had moved from where my admittedly faulty memory remembered them. Thank goodness Pam was around to map out the places we wanted to visit.

It's an outdoor mall with covered areas in some wings. It's also expanding and will have a lot more stores open by August. We got there right after stores opened. By the time we were leaving, people were circling the parking lot looking for spots. We were quite amazed. They need better parking, but if we went there again, we're the kind of people who would get there at or before opening time to make sure we had close parking.

Anyway, after buying the last piece I needed, we wandered about. One of the stops we made was at the Clarks shoe store. The last time I was here, I bought a pair of Clarks and I was in the market for another pair. This is going to sound like a commercial for Clarks but I like the brand so much, I want to tell you about this.

I need another pair of shoes for work when I am on my feet doing inspections. I need something reasonably lightweight because I don't need to be really tired because I'm dragging a pair of work boots around.

I need sturdy, too. Stylish comes way down on the list, after affordability. That's why I liked going to the outlet. I regularly price Clarks shoes and know what they start at regular retail price. I can wear last year's styles. I don't care. This pair won.

I had foot problems years ago and the podiatrist I saw recommended Clark shoes. My rheumatologist has said Clarks have great fit and support. These shoes were billed as a help for people with foot problems. That kind of sold me on them to even try them on.

The other thing I liked was the tread. We tend to go into places, like basements, which have accumulated dirt or be outside in mud or snow, where having treads on the sole provides me with that much more stability. In the snow of a Monday morning, they were perfect.

Clarks are expensive. That is without question. I really can't afford them when they are on sale. I had to put the wedding shoes into the budget and cut something else, even though they were on sale, in order to get them. But I will wear the crap out of these. I'm still wearing Clarks which are 10 years old. They gave me a free shoe horn too. I've found that sliding into some of my shoes has become a bit tougher in recent years.

Perhaps the best part of the deal, the box.

Beverage:  English Teatime tea

Deb