I remember getting new shoes as a kid, and for me it was magical. Growing up with nine siblings makes you realize how precious it was to get new shoes. Growing up in the 60s, and 70s shoes were made to last. They were made of genuine leather. You would usually out grow shoes before they wore out. This is were the shoe box comes into the story. When we out grew our shoes we put them in the big box full of shoes. Mom would say “go down to the shoe box in the basement. You will find shoes you can wear in there.” 

    We dreaded going to the box for shoes. We secretly hoped the box would not have shoes our size. Mom was usually right. Even when we said there are no shoes our size in the shoe box she would find a pair of shoes she could make work. We would say “sorry mom these shoes fit but they don’t have shoestrings” she would go look in her sewing drawer finding  shoestrings. Or we would say “these shoes are all scuffed up” Mom would say “we have lots of shoe polish” We would get those shoes looking like new complete with a spit shine. When you have polished your shoes as good as you can shine them, you spit on them while you keep shining your shoes. These shoes turn into a beautiful masterpiece almost every time.

    On rare occasions when the shoe box didn’t have my size my parents would say lets go to Junior Bootery. This was a kids shoe store in the Valley Fair Mall, in West Valley City, Utah near our home. I got so excited when I got to pick out my very own brand new shoes. This store had steps to get us kids up higher onto this platform almost like a mini stage. This is where the store worker would measure out feet with a special shoe measurer to make sure they brought out the right size of shoes. I would usually pick three different pairs of shoes, and the store worker would help me try them on and find the one that felt the most comfortable.

    After we decided which pair of shoes I wanted, the store manager would ask me if I wanted to wear my new shoes out of the store or was I putting them back in the box for later? I always said “I want to wear them now.” I was so excited to show everyone my new shoes. It has been fifty years since I last went to Junior Bootery, yet reflect with fondness the joy I felt when I was able to get a pair of brand new shoes.