That occasional consumer's joy

Every so often I feel the full effect of the shoppers high. Those rare occasions where I buy something that makes me happy, that makes me feel good, something that almost makes me proud; that fully satisfied feeling that I stumbled across the exact thing that I was looking for, even moreso after getting it than I when I was looking for it. Something that just ends up feeling right. It is a rare feeling for me. Usually such a feeling occurs with an item that is ultimately useful and practical. In this instance it was a pair of boots.



I'd never seen Keen shoes before, but then again I rarely go shopping for shoes. But my insulated Timberlands have endured 5 winters and the soles are peeling so it was about time. I went shoe shopping in Harvard Square and stumbled across these boots and a bunch of similar ones. Oh joy! No laces! Just what I was looking for. And water proof. Perfect for puddle jumping and trudging through the snow.

Drat! They didn't have my size. Couple more shoe stores nearby. Curses! They didn't have my size either. I looked online and lo and behold there they are and $20 cheaper than in the store no less. And no tax either. And free shipping. I ordered a pair. The site I ordered from (Zappos) was fairly well designed, had a good return policy, and more importantly a forum section survey for each shoe noting such things as how well the sizing is and arch support and other comments. After reading some I was sold. I've always been weary of buying clothing items over the internet. I'm so skeptical of clothing sizes to begin with. But with features like

61% of Fit Survey respondents said this shoe "Felt a half size smaller than marked"
82% of Fit Survey respondents said this shoe "Felt true to width"
76% of Fit Survey respondents said this shoe had "Excellent arch support"

I felt just a tad safer. It was worth the risk. The comments led me to the smart decision of ordering a half size bigger than I normally get. I'm so glad I did. The boots arrived and they were everything the comments said they would be. They are surprisingly and remarkably comfortable and warmer than I expected them to be. I've worn them one day and it's already obvious that I won't need to break them in. And of course the beauty is I can pull them on and kick them off without mucking about with laces thanks to the stretchy Gortex. Ok so they look kind of like galoshes but that's kind of what I bought them for in the first place. I'm just immensely pleased at acquiring something I will likely use daily (at least for a few more months while it's still cold) and is almost precisely what I wanted. It felt almost as exciting as when I first encountered Moleskine notebooks. Ah the simple pleasures. I wish that match of desire to item occurred more often. Shopping has always been a pain and a chore for me.

Now to see if I can get myself to toss the still-usable slightly dressier shoes that they were meant to replace.