Manolo says, the Manolo’s internet friend the Fat Mike has put up the amusing article under the title “Walmart Manolo” in which the Fat Mike he discusses his love of the shoes and the thinness of his wallet.
Much to the chagrin of the Manolo the Fat Mike relates to us that he loves to buy the shoes, and wear the shoes, but that he is terribly hard on the shoes, destroying many pairs of the inexpensive shoes in under the year.
I love the shoes the way Manolo loves, well, the shoes
Only his love is the classy love – Prada, Rene Caovilla, etc.
Where as my love is the no frills kind of love, the Walmart love – Bata, Aldo, Steve Madden, Lugz, etc.
Why? Why would a lover of shoes not rise up to the high level of the Manolo?
Simply put, I can not justify paying $200+ (that’s Canadian dollars, eh!) for a pair of shoes…
…because I am a shoe murderer.No matter how much I protect them, clean them, spoil them, etc, etc, etc, they never seem to live longer than 6 months.
Sad, I know, but true.
There are two things the Manolo he would say to his friend the Fat Mike.
First, because the men of size they are hard on the shoes, the man of size who would be well-shod must take the special care with the shoes. This it means not just the polishing and the shoe-treeing at the home, but also the visits to the cobbler for the frequent re-heeling of the shoes.
The heels of the heavy men, they wear down faster, especially along the inside of the edges. This it must be corrected whenever it begins to appear or the stress on the shoes as they become misaligned, it will destroy them. (The correct heels they are also better for the back.)
Second, and this it is no secret, the shoes of cheapness they fall apart.
Most of the shoes the Mike he mentions in his blog, they were made in the China, probably from the leather of civet cats or pandas or something that you would not like to know you were wearing on your feets.
The fault for the failure of the shoes of the Mike it is only partially because of the size of the Mike, and probably more because of the cheapness of the shoes.
This it creates the vicious cycle. The Mike cannot justify paying much money for the shoes because he is “hard” on them, so he buys the cheap shoes, which then fall to the pieces, thus proving to the Mike that he was right to not spend much of the money on the shoes.
The Mike, he must trust the Manolo. The shoes of quality, they are more durable than the cheap shoes. Plus, the incentive for doing the proper care of the shoes, it is much the greater, when the cost of the shoes they are higher.
The Mike he has included in his post the list of the ten types of the shoes that he believes every man he should own. Here it is.
The Guys Essential Pairs of Shoes — a list:
1) The black work/weddings/funerals/court appearances shoes
2) The city walkers
3) The workout shoes
4-6) The drivers — dark, tan & light
7-8) The sneakers — dark & light
9) The sandal
10) The shit kicker boots
Manolo says, this it is not the bad list, although the Manolo he would have the very difficult time limiting himself to just ten (or even 20, or 30, or 40) pairs of the shoes.
And, of the course, many of the Manolo’s shoes, they would be the custom made. Nothing is there that can compare with the custom made shoes for the man.
Yet, there are three or four places on the list where the Manolo he would reccomend the shoes that were not only not custom made, but were indeed surprisingly affordable.
#3 The Workout Shoes.
Manolo says, the shoes of the workout, they must the first and the foremost be practical. This is not the time for the crazy spring-loaded shock-absorbing air-bag-cushioning techo-shoes. You want the shoe that does the most with the least amoung of the fuss. And likewise, you cannot be swaning about in the fancy designer shoes, after the all, is not the first word in the workout the “work”?
This it is why the Manolo loves the shoes of the New Balance.
He himself has owned three consequtive pairs of the New Balance 603s.
#8 The Light-colored Sneakers
The Manolo he has recommended these before, but it must be said again, the Adidas Rod Laver, it is the classic sneaker shoe of the casual wear.
The Manolo he has lost the count of the number of the pairs of the Rod Lavers he has owned. Above the dozen, at the least. (Yes, the Manolo he is somewhat the creature of the habits.)
#2 The City Walkers
As for the shoes for the walking in the city, the Manolo he has become increasingly disposed towards the Mephistos. This monk strap, it has the beautiful classic styling that the Manolo appreciates.
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