You'd think that a blogger who puts 'independence' in his title would at least be good at it. I have a concrete example of how perversely difficult it is to be truly independent about buying and using an item that you use everyday.
Footwear is one of the few consumer items that I can be suckered into overpaying for. Don't even get me started on disposable sneakers, the worst of which are made by Keen. Unlike walking or running, bicycling puts easy demands on footwear; despite that, my cycling footwear was causing problems.
The footwear di moda for a cyclista is made by an Italian company of course; it sells for the molto allegro price of $200. Italy is famous for tight, uncomfortable, and over-priced shoes; but you just won't win the respect of your fellow cyclists otherwise. (Recall the father in Breaking Away of the Bloomington IN kid who fancied himself an Italian bicycle racer, saying, "Evelyn, we are NOT EYE-talians!")
Fortunately old age makes a person less sensitive to peer pressure, so my still-expensive shoes were made by an "American" company, in Taiwan no doubt. Still, they were a bit uncomfortable for a guy whose little piggies stick out past the big piggie.
From my experience with cycling sandals I knew that cycling footwear needed no toe-box whatsoever. But sandals lack straps with ratchet mechanisms. They also lack rigid heel cups, which are crucial for a strong backstroke at the bottom of the spin.
So the solution was obvious: cut away the toes of the cycling shoes in order to gain comfort, while maintaining the advantages of a (non-sandal) cycling shoe. Can you believe that I thought about this for a year before I finally got the nerve to do it?! I was worried about a sharp edge at the toe causing a blister, or subsequent fraying of the material; in fact, maybe I was cowed by a foolish reverence for a high-tech, expensive consumer product. Cycling shoes are, after all, the most expensive bicycle equipment I own, next to the bike itself. Still, I knew that a shoe -- no matter how much marketing mystique it is wrapped in -- is nothing but an assemblage of nylon, rubber, plastic, and hot melt glue.
Finally I did it. The toe was easy to cut out. Everything worked perfectly. I didn't even feel cold air hitting the toe, as I had expected. Why did it take me a year to do this!
The result is, arguably, the best and most comfortable cycling footwear in the world. Maybe I should patent it. At any rate I feel more satisfaction on finally winning on this matter than I have felt in a long time.
One last thing, take the toes out first, before using the blade.
Footwear is one of the few consumer items that I can be suckered into overpaying for. Don't even get me started on disposable sneakers, the worst of which are made by Keen. Unlike walking or running, bicycling puts easy demands on footwear; despite that, my cycling footwear was causing problems.
The footwear di moda for a cyclista is made by an Italian company of course; it sells for the molto allegro price of $200. Italy is famous for tight, uncomfortable, and over-priced shoes; but you just won't win the respect of your fellow cyclists otherwise. (Recall the father in Breaking Away of the Bloomington IN kid who fancied himself an Italian bicycle racer, saying, "Evelyn, we are NOT EYE-talians!")
Fortunately old age makes a person less sensitive to peer pressure, so my still-expensive shoes were made by an "American" company, in Taiwan no doubt. Still, they were a bit uncomfortable for a guy whose little piggies stick out past the big piggie.
From my experience with cycling sandals I knew that cycling footwear needed no toe-box whatsoever. But sandals lack straps with ratchet mechanisms. They also lack rigid heel cups, which are crucial for a strong backstroke at the bottom of the spin.
So the solution was obvious: cut away the toes of the cycling shoes in order to gain comfort, while maintaining the advantages of a (non-sandal) cycling shoe. Can you believe that I thought about this for a year before I finally got the nerve to do it?! I was worried about a sharp edge at the toe causing a blister, or subsequent fraying of the material; in fact, maybe I was cowed by a foolish reverence for a high-tech, expensive consumer product. Cycling shoes are, after all, the most expensive bicycle equipment I own, next to the bike itself. Still, I knew that a shoe -- no matter how much marketing mystique it is wrapped in -- is nothing but an assemblage of nylon, rubber, plastic, and hot melt glue.
Finally I did it. The toe was easy to cut out. Everything worked perfectly. I didn't even feel cold air hitting the toe, as I had expected. Why did it take me a year to do this!
The result is, arguably, the best and most comfortable cycling footwear in the world. Maybe I should patent it. At any rate I feel more satisfaction on finally winning on this matter than I have felt in a long time.
One last thing, take the toes out first, before using the blade.
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