See these boots?
(No, that's not an orange spot on the top of it, that's the flash!)
They were my latest awesome find at Value Village last Friday night, while the boys and I were killing time, waiting for our 'meet and greet' with Col. Hadfield.
LOVE THESE BOOTS!
Or ... I did, until I was ready to go out the next night, put them on, and couldn't get my foot into the left one.
Strange.
I tugged, and pulled and twisted and made a few noises I hadn't made since trying to get into a pair of jeans back in the 9th grade, but finally ... got it.
I only took a few steps across the room, before I realized that, yup, these boots are made for walkin' ... funny.
I sat back down, and picked up that left foot to look underneath, and then compared it to the right ... damn ... it was TWO SIZES SMALLER.
Now, before you ask, yes, they were 'together' and being sold as a pair.
Yes, the tag on the bottom of them said, 8.5.
However, the printing on the bottom of the boots said, "39.5" on one, and "37.5" on the other one.
SERIOUSLY?!?!?!??!
No, I did not notice the small gold printing under the big white sticker that said 8.5.
My fault.
Did I wear them anyway?
Yup. For a short period.
Was it uncomfortable? Yup.
So there they sat.
My awesome new boots I couldn't wear.
Until almost a week later.
The same thought had been going through my head for days; 'What if the matching boots are back there. Back at the store'.
It was five days later. Long shot? Maybe.
Did I go anyway? Yup.
At lunchtime, I left work and hit the store.
I made a beeline for one of the boot sections, where I'd found the original pair.
Quick scan ... no match to my boots.
Turned around and walked the few feet to the other, larger boot section.
Scan ... scan ... scan ... wait! WHATSTHAT?!?!?
Is it?
Maybe?
Looks like them. Same colour. Same style.
Flipped them over ... no size printed on the bottom, other than the white store sticker.
Damn.
Scan ... scan ... scan ... wait! WHATSTHAT?!?!?
Is it?
Maybe?
Looks like them. Same colour. Same style.
Flipped them over ... "37.5" on the left ... "39.5" on the right.
BAM!!! YEAH BABY!!!
I hugged them, yes, literally hugged them to me as I immediately made my way to the checkout.
When my turn came, I laid them on the counter, looked at the cashier and said, 'Wanna hear a funny story'?
She looked at me, uncertain, then said, 'Sure!'.
So I told her what had happened with the boots I'd bought Friday night, and that I wanted to bring them in, give back the left one, and take this other left one, swap the 37 for the 39.
She said sure, no problem, to bring them back that evening and just look for her since she'd be working, then she put them under the counter and I went back to work.
Later that night, back I went with the boots, headed right for the same lady, standing behind the same checkout she'd been at earlier in the day.
She had her head down, looking at something when I came up to her 'closed' counter and said, 'You're in the same spot'!
She looked up surprised, then recognized me and said, 'Haven't moved all day'.
We did a quick, simple exchange, and voila ... the boots are BACK, Baby!!!
It's not often I get burned on a purchase like that, but that one hurt, cause I really, REALLY LOVE THOSE BOOTS!
So now ... I'm happy again, because they finally ARE made for walkin'. PERIOD!
And yes, from now on, I will always look for the actual size, written somewhere on the shoe/boot itself!
Lesson learned. The hard way!
K.
