nude highway driving

Spent the weekend getting ready for the adventure on the high seas, and realized all my footwear consists of hiking boots, Doc Martens and a pair of dress shoes. This will not do for a pirate! I’ve never been a sandal guy, so I set off in search of a pair of good cruise shoes.

What better than low-top Chuck Taylor All-Stars?

Chucks have been an important part of my life since I was a 15-year-old back in The Day. At one time I had five pairs of high tops, including the rarely worn and now-embarrassing denim style with flannel lining. My blue Chucks high tops accompanied me into my first Fishbone pit in 1988. My white Chucks made great skateboarding brakes, displayed a comprehensive history of punk rock logos and flapped when I walked. My red Chucks lived for 10 years.

Chucks are an American institution with an edge. One of the greatest ads ever was in Spin magazine (it used to be good) in the mid-80s. A photo of a pair of tattered, bloody Chucks covered in broken glass. The copy said something to the effect of “Iggy Pop wears Chuck Taylors.” Cool kids got it.
My Chucks world changed a little in 1993. I needed shoes that spring. I wanted Chucks. I went down to get a pair, but suddenly high tops didn’t appeal to me anymore. They just didn’t seem right. My world was different.
I bought my first pair of low tops. They were dill green. I felt as if had stepped into a new stage of Life.
Now I have a sweet new blue pair to take on my first cruise since I was 17, the year I split my chin open skating drainage ditches while wearing Chucks. I don’t have the same fashion sense as I did then, but I do have some of the same heroes.
I also have a full-time job, which means I probably shouldn’t be writing about canvas sneakers at 2:30 in the morning. Or I should find a different job …