It all looked like candy; shades of grape, cherry, lemon, and sour apple. They were shiny bites of sweetness sure to get stuck in your teeth, or under foot.
My daughter was all over it.
"I want this one. And this one. I like that one."
She was a kid in a shoe store.
"Sweetie," I said. "Those are rain boots. You have rain boots. You need snow boots."
My wife held up a pair of Uggs.
Ugg, it's insane to buy Uggs for a four year old. But I was prepared. And really, I should have mentioned it earlier. I just didn't know they made Uggs that small.
"We can't," I said. "I've read too many bad things about Uggs."
"They're supposed to be really warm."
"Yes, but they treat their animals bad."
"Really?"
"Like really bad."
"Bad bad?"
"Bad bad."
My wife held up an Uggs boot with sequins. I shook my head and took out my phone.
"I can send you a link."
"No, I trust you. They're so cute, though."
Meanwhile, my daughter was on a double stitched welt high.
"These ones!"
She was a holding an Uggs leopard pink boot with a thick purple sole; something a tween astronaut would wear.
"No, sweetie. That's not a good one."
"But I like it."
"I know. How about this one?"
I held up something mostly black with pink accents. It looked tough, yet girlish.
"I don't like it."
A salesperson came over.
"Can I help you?"
"Yes," said my wife. "We need a winter boot that's warm, easy to take off and on. And pink."
"Or purple," my daughter chimed in.
"Or purple," said my wife.
The salesperson pointed out the different boots that were available. The 'cool' boots didn't come in my daughter's size. She was too little. And what was available they didn't have in her size.
Sigh...
"I like these ones. They have a kitty."
"Those are rain boots, sweetie."
Right next to the rain boots was a rack of rain accessories. My daughter reached for an umbrella just her size.
"I want this," she said. "It's just my size."
Double sigh.
My wife and I did a quick huddle.
"We know her size," I said. "Let's just order online."
Done.
I've been a Zappos customer for more than a decade. I have a comfortable shoe fetish that goes beyond whatever brands are available in a local shoe store. Yes, I know it's important to support small businesses, but the tiny lizard part of my brain demands I get something I haven't seen before, and that it sounds European (or Hawaiian) and include the word ergonomic somewhere in the description.
Further, I'm a VIP customer. I've actually received a hand written note from their customer service dept. I think it had something to do with the fact that at the turn of the century, I was the very first person in my office to purchase shoes online. Everyone said, 'That's crazy. Why would you buy shoes online? No one buys shoes online.' Now on any given day, it's commonplace to see a Zappos box up at the front desk.
When I get my daughter dressed, I can't present one pair of socks for her to wear. She will ALWAYS want a different pair. So I take out TWO, and she picks ONE.
Sunday night my wife and I ordered three pairs of boots. They each looked like a wad of chewing gum with a hook and loop closure or adjustable collar drawstring, but the reviews said they are warm, and easy to take off and on. They will arrive Tuesday.
UPDATE.
My daughter went with the Khombu Kids Juniper.
Peta video with Pink about sheep - http://youtu.be/KSw9XE5skj4
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