Breaking up is hard to do. Especially when it is your favorite pair of sneakers. You ever been in love with a pair of sneakers so much that you thought you could withstand the test of time? You loved the way the leather felt when you would caress it. You loved how comfortable the insole was. You loved the color and the craftsmanship. It was your go to!
You and this sneaker have been through so many highs and lows together. You experienced lows together where you didn’t think you would see the other side. Highs that you couldn’t imagine celebrating in any other sneakers. They were perfect to dress down or dress up. When someone saw you, they generally saw those sneakers.
You have grown together! When you had good news or a milestone, you knew that they were the perfect sneakers. But overtime, the sneaker seemed a little tight on your foot. Like the half of inch of space you once had now felt like your toes were choking and needed air. It was as if the insoles were swollen. The stitching started to fray but you would just cut the stray thread. But you still wanted to hold on. The seams started to come a part because the glue was giving out.
The sneakers you once knew started to crack in the creases. Even after months of trying to make the sneakers work–trying to clean them, applying glue, changing the laces, removing the insoles-they still didn’t work. They ended up falling a part one day which felt like out of the blue, but you knew it was coming. Each time you put them on, there was a chance that they wouldn’t last throughout the day. Once the sole came off, it was like a piece of you had been ripped from your heart. You feel heart ache because you know that is this point it is over. The sneakers could maybe be salvaged but they would never be the same.
You know that all of the wear and tear on them would never provide their original shape. They would no longer feel the same or offer the same support. The feel would be different and the amount of wear that they can handle would change. There are so many pictures to remind you of all the years you spent together and the many memories you made. All the plans you made are now also memories and you have to walk through your daily life without your favorite sneakers. You just ache randomly but you know that at some point the pain will end. So do you jump back in and look for a new pair or take time to see what you would like in a new favorite pair of sneakers? I mean really, is this what divorce is like?
