Army & Navy Shoe Sale 2013

It’s that time of year again.  Imagine a room full of rows upon rows of racks of beautiful shoes.  More shoes than you would even have time to try on.  But you attempt to anyway.  That’s right, ladies, the Legendary Army & Navy Shoe Sale is only a few days away.  And I do mean legendary in every sense of the word.  On Wednesday, April 24th, Army & Navy will open its doors at 8:00 am sharp for eager women in search of the perfect shoes.  This is the 64th year that they’ve held this sale and things only get better with time.  I’ve been to this sale for the past three years and each time have been increasingly impressed with their selections.  They receive well over 100,000 pairs for the sale and are constantly restocking throughout the twelve days.

This year I had the privilege of meeting with footwear buyer Silvio Urbani, who showed me where all the many boxes of shoes are being stored awaiting the sale.  I was in awe when I saw all the boxes and skids in the warehouse, just wondering what shoes each one held.  I almost felt compelled to grab a box cutter and tear them all apart.  But I resisted the urge, as I did not wish to be banned from the store.  Instead I listened intently and contained my excitement.

With over 85 brands to choose from, there’s something for everyone.  Clarks, GUESS, Kelsi Dagger, BCBG, Nine West, Steve Madden, Qupid, Andrew Geller, just to name a few.  I hear that Pour La Victoires are supposed to be a hot seller this year.  But how could they not be?  They’re gorgeous.  And I’m not crazy or shoe obsessed.  Okay, who am I kidding, clearly I am.  But take my word for it anyway.  As a bargain shopper, I know what I’m talking about.  Just because you’re paying less for something, doesn’t mean that it’s cheap or that you’re not getting your money’s worth.  At Army & Navy, you’re definitely getting more than your money’s worth.  Every pair of shoes at the sale is priced at $40 or less, regardless of how much the original cost was.  You really can’t go wrong.

Sales this massive may seem intimidating to first timers.  But don’t worry, I promise you it won’t be the chaotic, dramatic, aggressive scene that you’re picturing.  Over the years, people have actually become more pleasant.  Rather than women fighting over shoes, there is now often a sense of camaraderie among them.  Last year, I met a lot of great people at the sale.  We sat together trying on our shoes, complimenting our various choices and giving our opinions.  The staff are also amazing and baskets are provided for those of us who like to try on as many as we possibly can all at once.  Shoppers are generally respectful and the sale is a real community building event where women can share their love of shoes.

There are usually about 30,000 customers between the 6 stores each year.  Store locations are in Vancouver, New Westminster, Langley, Edmonton, and Calgary.  I’ve only ever been to the  Downtown Vancouver location on 36 West Cordova Street.  That place is like my home away from home.  I always feel welcome there and they always meet my needs.  With over 100,000 pairs of shoes, you’re bound to find at least one perfect pair.  Last year, I believe I found eleven.  On day one.  Apparently that’s a lot?  Each person buys about 3.5 pairs on average at the sale.  So you know, there are a lot of practical and reasonable shoppers out there.  And then the few excessive and compulsive buyers like myself come along.  Because shoe sales are where we belong.

It’s recommended that you go early to make sure you get the deals.  I mean, everything’s a deal, but the nicest pairs go fast if you don’t hurry.  Doors open at 8:00 am on Wednesday, but people start lining up as early as 5:30 am.  Yes, while the rest of you are still asleep, a few crazy dedicated shoe lovers are out bright and early beginning to form what eventually becomes a massive lineup along Cordova Street.  Rain or shine, nothing gets in the way of a a new pair of shoes.

If lineups and ridiculously early mornings aren’t your thing but you don’t want to miss out on first dibs at shoes, don’t fret, there is another way.  Contests!  I’m not just a bargain shopper and a shoe lover, I’m also a contest enthusiast.  So I’m going to go ahead and tell you about the ways in which you can possibly win VIP access to the shoe sale.  Because knowledge like this is too good to keep to myself.  First off, what is VIP access?  Pretty much, you get to skip the line, enter the store before it opens to the public, and go try on shoes before everybody else.  So yeah, it’s kind of a big deal.

To win VIP access for you and 3 friends, plus a $250 shopping spree, simply click here and fill out the entry form.  I wish you luck!  Because we all deserve a new pair of shoes.  And the only thing better than a new pair of shoes is a free new pair of shoes.  There’s also a contest on the Army & Navy Facebook page where you can win a $100 gift card by uploading a 30 second video clip about your favourite Army & Navy moment.  I may enter myself, but there are too many good moments to choose from.  And you can win VIP access through their Shoe of the Week contest.  You can also win a new pair of shoes plus VIP access through Vancity Buzz.  It would also be worthwhile to tune in to your local radio stations and see if they might be giving away any VIP access prizes as well.

If you’re unable to make it first thing in the morning on day one, it’s okay.  New stock fills those shelves everyday.  There’s room for 30,000 pairs on the shop floor and staff keep busy filling them throughout the day.  Every two hours or so is a good time to hit the sale, in between the spurts of crowds.  There is more selection this year than ever before and always something for everyone.  It’s not just all about heels.  If you prefer comfort, you don’t have to sacrifice style, as there are plenty of great flats, sandals, athletic, and walking shoes to choose from.  If you’re anywhere between a size 5 and a size 11, there’s sure to be a pair for you.  And while men’s shoes aren’t advertised as part of the sale, the store actually does have a great selection of them at reduced prices.  Literally something for everyone.

So next Wednesday, I will be at 36 West Cordova Street at 7:00 am.  Because clearly I had to book a day off work for this.  It’s become a bit of a tradition for me.  It’s like a sign that spring is finally here.  And with spring, comes an excuse to buy new weather appropriate footwear.  Which in Vancouver is sometimes rain boots as opposed to sandals.  But Army & Navy has plenty of both so they got you covered.  The sale runs from April 24th to May 5th.  Hope to see you there!

Farewell red rain boots, you’ve served me well, but now it’s time for you to die

Remember a few years ago when I bought a pair of red rain boots at Army & Navy? Well I did. And they were wonderful. I loved them more than any other boot. So much so that I wore them all the time. Sometimes even when it wasn’t raining. Because I could.

Well folks, those days have come to a sad end. I knew they were worn out. But I like to wait until the last possible moment before I finally give up on something. I guess that moment was yesterday, when the zipper broke on my right boot. I have the worst luck with zippers. I’ve lost many a boot that way. But none that I loved as much as these.

And yes, I am aware I already acknowledged this travesty in one of my creepy poems written to inanimate objects yesterday. But I felt they deserved to be acknowledged in a slightly less creepy way as well. I feel I owe them that much.

It’s sad when the zipper breaks and you have to walk around in the rain with taped up boots.

My type of conversation

Guy 1: These shoes are not waterproof.

Guy 2: That’s okay, they look nice.

Confessions of a shoeaholic

On the weekend, I went to not one, but two shoe sales.  Well the second one was technically a boot sale.  But yeah.  Footwear sales, if you will.  I’m not going to tell you how many pairs I bought or how much money I spent.  Let’s just say I may have gone a little crazy and I may end up on a future episode of Hoarders or Intervention.

A while ago, I was thinking about how a lot of people have 365 days of blogging type blogs.  One in particular is 365 Days of Dining.  That would have been my dream job.  Except that I write more about shoes than I do about food.  I considered the possibility of writing a 365 days of shoes blog.  Each day, I would post pictures of a different pair of shoes, describe them, and maybe talk about where/when I bought them, or a memory of one of the times I’ve worn them.  I’m not sure how many pairs of shoes I own.  Not 365.  But if I run out, I could always start taking pictures of other people’s shoes, or shoes that I see in a store.

The problem is, I’ve barely had time lately to write regular posts on this blog.  And that one time I attempted to start another blog, it failed.  I mean I did start a blog where I wrote about TV shows and movies but it only lasted four months because it was just impossible to keep up.  I would imagine a shoe blog would be easier to manage, seeing as I already have the shoes so half the work is already done.

I likely won’t pursue this idea because I know I probably won’t have time for it.  Also I’m sure if I were to do it, you would judge me.  You know, even more than you already do now.  Which I’m fine with.  My friend who accompanied with me to both shoe sales doesn’t judge me because our friendship is based upon no judgement.  Although I’ve realized that can be a dangerous thing if you happen to have an addictive personality.  She’s pretty much my enabler.  If she hadn’t driven me to Army & Navy and helped me carry my bags, I would not have been able to make the purchases that I did.

Boots at the Army & Navy boot sale

As I sit here now, I’m not even wearing my new shoes or boots yet.  I’m wearing my old ones.  Which I love.  But the reason I’m not wearing new ones is because a lot of them are still sitting in the trunk of her car.  Because I couldn’t bring them all into the house at once because I didn’t want my family to see them.  When you start to hide things, is that the sign of a problem?  My friend said she would start calling me Imelda Marcos now and I informed her that my dad has been calling me that for years.  I’ll just blame it on Shoe Warehouse, my second mall job, because it was when I worked there that my love for shoes emerged into the chaotic mess it is today.

My friend who doesn’t judge me almost thought of staging an intervention.  But she decided against it since that would have been a form of judgement.  I guess when someone who doesn’t judge you wants to stage an intervention, that’s the sign of a problem.  But I’m not at the acceptance stage yet.  I think I’m still just in denial.  Which is an okay place to be.  I’m not sure what rock bottom looks like.  Perhaps it’s when I start going to sales by myself and buy more than I can carry?  Or when I fall and become buried under a pile of my own shoes and can’t escape?  Or when my Visa gets declined because I’ve maxed it out on shoes?  But none of those things have happened.  Yet.

At this point, I have cut myself off.  No more shoes.  Or boots.  Especially boots.  I bought a lot of boots.  I may force myself to return a couple pairs.  I felt total judgement was upon me the entire time I was shopping, both from the employees and from the other customers.  But I didn’t care.  Nothing mattered except the good deals I was getting on my boots.  And I justified it by the fact that some people spend a few hundred dollars on one pair, while I was getting several pairs at $50 or less per pair.  That makes sense, right?

We really should have gone to Army & Navy first.  If we had, I would have bought less at the shoe sale in Burnaby.  Or probably not even have gone to it.  But I was informed about it by friends and so I attended the shopping event at Gizeh Shriners Hall.  At first, I was complaining about the lack of size 8’s.  But then I proceeded to locate every size 8 I possibly could.  Let’s just say, these were not my proudest moments.  Saturday was an expensive day.

Shoes at the Burnaby shoe sale

But yes.  I am cut off.  No more footwear.  Unless it’s socks.  I’m always in need of more socks.  And that’s not an obsession, that’s just a necessity, since I’m constantly losing pairs every time I do laundry.  And I don’t think anyone ever went into debt from buying too many socks.  Although watch me somehow be the first.  But I’m not in debt and I will pay my Visa bill on time and I will refrain from buying anymore shoes or boots for a while.  I could probably get away with not buying anymore ever.  But for now I’ll just see how long I can wait.  Anyone want to place any bets on how long I can go without buying new shoes?  I promise if I win the bet, I won’t spend the money on footwear.

Oh, hello red rain boots. I’ve missed you. Did you miss me?

My red Cougar rain boots from Army & Navy

It was sunny for a while.  But not anymore.  It’s over.  It’s all over.  Now there’s just rain, rain, and more rain.  I pulled out my red rain boots last weekend when we had that crazy downpour, and now I’m wearing them once again.  Perhaps I should never take them off, since the rain is showing no signs of stopping.  I’m not a huge fan of the rain.  But my favourite thing about it is that I get to wear these boots.

I bought a new pair of sandals

The purple flojos I got at the Orb sale have little peace signs on them that actually end up cutting you between the toes. And so I bought these new Clarks Bendables sandals at Winners. Had my feet not been hurting me at the time, I probably wouldn’t have bought them, or even noticed them. But I’m glad I did.

I went to a shoe sale and didn’t go crazy

So on Friday after work, I went to the Designer Shoe Warehouse Sale by Petite Feet at the Richmond Olympic Oval.  I know, it was definitely too soon for me, as Army & Navy was only a couple months ago.  But whatever.  I had to at least check it out.  I’m sure people would think there was something wrong if hadn’t gone.

I thought the location of the sale was funny.  I mean it was right next to a basketball court.  Where a bunch of people were playing basketball.  I’m not sure who got more of a workout, the basketball players, or the shoe shoppers.

There seemed to be a lot of size 6s.  Everywhere.  I swear that was half the sale.  I guess because those are the sample sizes.  That’s always so upsetting.  I guess it was called the “Petite Feet” sale for a reason.

Flashbacks from the Army & Navy Shoe Sale hit me as I saw the racks.  But it really wasn’t as exciting at all.  I found the size 8 racks and looked through my options.  None of the shoes had prices on them.  And then I saw the signs which indicated them and I wasn’t too impressed.  The sandals were $50.  And then it was $60 for other ones, flats I think?  And then even higher prices for other heels and whatnot.  Boots were over $100.  At Army & Navy, each pair of shoes I bought was $39.99 or less.

You could get a free pair, but only if you bought 4 pairs first.  Forget that.  I was thinking maybe I could try and pool together some pairs with my friends and then get a free pair between us and then split it somehow.  But that idea was too complicated to pull off.

I saw these shoes on the rack and recognized them immediately.  I bought them at Army & Navy.  And here they were again, except this time more expensive.  This upset me, but also made me happier about my Army & Navy purchases.  It was funny seeing all these women scramble over the designer shoes at the Oval, when I had already found much better deals.

I threw a couple pairs in my basket and then walked over to a table.  A table filled with walking shoes.  I found this intriguing.  Mostly because they were only $15.  Now they were speaking my language.  They were interesting too.  They had these built in Dr. Scholl’s insoles.  They were all pretty much the same, but came in different colours.  I tried to see which ones looked the least like old people walking shoes.

I looked up from where I was and could see in the distance, a bunch of people on exercise equipment, like stationary bikes and treadmills working out.  I bet that from a distance, they could see a bunch of people trying on shoes.

I found a chair next to the table and sat down with my basket.  I looked down at it and thought it was rather sad.  I mean I barely even needed the basket.  Which is funny, since at the last shoe sale I attended, I was lugging around two full ones.  I guess this is a good thing?  This means that I’ve improved, right?

I didn’t really need anymore heels.  I needed something comfortable.  And built in insoles just seemed so cool.  I just needed to figure out what colour to get.  Normally I’d go with blue, but I already own a pair of blue running shoes.

I tried on other shoes anyway.  I mean you never until you try them, right?  I liked these Franco Sarto flats.  But they were $50.  Well, $40 with the VIP coupon.  Because you know I printed the shit out of those coupons.  Apparently I didn’t have to, because you get a $10 coupon just for checking into the sale on Facebook.  But I don’t check into places on Facebook anymore.

I also liked this pair of flats.  But again, did I want to pay $60, or more, or however much they cost?  I was also worried that the jewel part on the top might break off somehow.  Even if they seemed secure, count on me to find a way to cause them to break.  Because I tend to not take that great care of my things.  I love shoes, but I don’t always treat them very well.

These gold shoes were nice.  But not for my feet.  I think my toes are wider than the average person’s toes.  And as a result, pointy or narrow shoes don’t seem to work for me.  My toes were coming off of the shoe.  There was just not enough shoe there for them to rest on.  Such a pity.

I think these were Naturalizers.  So they were comfortable.  But they didn’t look good enough.  It’s also really awkward trying on shoes when they’re attached by that string thing that keeps them together.  I mean okay, it prevents you from misplacing one of the pair.  But it’s also quite annoying.  I often snap the string, accidentally on purpose, so that I can walk in the shoes properly to test them out.

These shoes were on a $30 table.  But they didn’t fit very well.  I was beginning to lose hope.  On one hand, I was upset that I’d chosen to come there and that the selection wasn’t as great as it could have been.  But on the other hand, I was grateful that I wouldn’t be wasting a lot of money there.

I kind of liked these flats.  But they were really flat.  Which yes, flats tend to be.  But I mean after a while of wearing them, I’m sure my feet would be sore from lack of support.  I didn’t really need another pair of black flats.  But the grey flower design sort of set these apart.

I sort of had my own little shoes trying on station set up at the end of the table.  It was quite efficient.  I’m really glad I found that chair and was able to claim it as my own before someone else was able to.

My friend tried on this crazy pair of heels with spikes on the back.  These killer shoes could do some serious damage.  I think they were one of the most expensive pairs there.  I guess because of the fact that they could easily double as a weapon?

In terms of support, walking shoes were the way to go.  I mean it made sense, I was at the Oval and next to a basketball court after all.  Not that I would be playing any sports or anything.  The problem with these was that, however comfortable, they were just too darn loose, even when I tightened the laces.

I opted for trying on a size 7.5 instead of an 8, which normally would be unheard of.  But for some reason, they did fit me better.  I decided to go with the purple ones.  There was also pink and red, but purple seemed best.  And the ones that were just plain white reminded me too much of old people walking shoes.

I tried on the flats again, this time with socks on.  Yes, I am aware of how ridiculous it looks.  But they were just so much more comfortable that way.  If I were able to pull off this look, I would.  But I guess after that it would be a slippery slope towards socks and sandals.

The socks weren’t as bad with the black flats.  But I guess it still just didn’t work.  Perhaps if I wore a different pair of socks?  Like plain black ones?  But then where’s the fun in that? I guess if I feel the need to wear sock with the flats, then it just wasn’t meant to be.

In the end, I spent $15.  Well $16 something after tax.  Unfortunately, the VIP coupon did not work towards the walking shoes.  I guess that’s because they were so cheap already.  What a waste that I printed out three coupons.  Oh well.  I like how they bag the shoes in plastic.  It’s as if they’re bagging them as evidence.  Evidence that you’ve spent money that you probably shouldn’t have.

I went back to Army & Navy

Don’t judge me.  Actually you know what, go ahead and judge me.  I don’t care.  I’m used to it.  Today’s reason for judgement, or one of them at least is due to the fact that I went back to Army & Navy.  Yes.  What?  I waited a week before going back.  That’s something, right?

I bought a pair of socks

It’s okay though, I didn’t just randomly go for the hell of it, I went with my friend to help her find a pair of shoes.  She’s a size 5, so it’s often hard for her to find a size that is small enough.  I couldn’t remember if there was a size 5 section at Army & Navy or not.  When I went last week, I just went straight for the 8s and never looked back.  But yes, they do indeed have a size 5 section.  It’s just very small.  Like half a rack.  But there seemed to be a good selection of heels on it, and they seemed to be pretty cheap too.  We had hope that we would find her a pair yet.

Running shoes, so I can pretend to be athletic

And there was me, still lurking around the size 8s, wondering if maybe it might be okay for me to purchase just one more pair.  I tried on these pair of Marc Fisher flats that I had also tried on the first time around.  I still kind of wanted them.  But I didn’t want to buy yet another $40 pair of shoes.  People already think I’m crazy.  Not that I care.  And so I sort of walked around in them for a bit while we shopped, hoping that would help me to decide.  Flats were missing from my first round of purchases. How could I go without a new pair of flats?

These Reeboks have some good support

I found myself wanting to try on boots and runners.  But I found myself without a pair of socks with which to do so.  And so I bought a pair of socks there solely for that purpose.  I was getting disappointed with the runners, and then I noticed a pair higher up in the shelf.  They were Easy Tone Reeboks.  And they were comfortable.  Throw them together with a dry fit tshirt and some spandex and I’ll look like I’m actually sporty.  No one needs to know how long it’s been since I’ve actually been to the gym.

A pair of short, black boots

I was also debating about a pair of short boots.  Rain boots were out of the question.  There were no pairs quite like my red ones.  I was hoping there would be, as my red ones are a little beat up from wear, but alas, nothing was good enough.  But these short leather boots were pretty classy.  And comfortable.  Comfort was key for them.  But since they were boots, they weren’t part of the $40 and under shoe sale.  Though they were still on sale, just not as cheap as the shoes.  I debated about them for a while, and eventually I caved and decided I would buy them for my mom as a Mother’s Day present.  And then you know, borrow them occasionally, since we conveniently have the same shoe size.  Hey, she borrows my shoes all the time, so it’s okay.

The boots even came in a box, how classy

And as for my friend?  She tried on the shoes.  But alas, came out of it with nothing.  I think I was more upset than she was about this.  Partly because having her buy something would make me feel better and more able to justify my own purchases.  By comparison to her, I just looked like I had a problem and no self control.  It was kind of upsetting.  She came very very close to at least buying a bag, but then ultimately decided against it.  Very disappointing.

Dr. Scholl’s insoles to add more comfort to my shoes

And so I ended up purchasing a pair of socks, a pair of runners, a pair of boots, and a pair of insoles.  Dr. Scholl’s for her comfort insoles.  I wanted these tana brand insoles that I liked that were cheaper but they only had them in size 5.  Go figure.  At least this time my purchases were more practical than last time.  And it doesn’t seem bad or unreasonable at all by comparison to buying eleven pairs of shoes.  So whatever, I’ll just take it as a sign that I’m improving.

I got to walk around with a considerably smaller bag this time

I would like to say that that was the end of my shopping day today.  But it wasn’t.  But that’s all I spent at Army & Navy.  Which is good.  The walk back to Waterfront was so much better this time.  It wasn’t raining as hard, I was with a friend, I didn’t look like a freak. All good things.  My shopping bag was considerably smaller.  And there was only one this time.  Well, technically two, but that’s cause she double bagged it for me so it wouldn’t break.  How very thoughtful of her.

She tied a knot in the bag to ensure my purchases would be safe

As for those flats, I did not end up buying them.  After walking in the store for a bit, I realized they would cut into the side of my foot slightly.  Which my friend assured me was a bad thing.  And so I reluctantly put them back on the shelf and we parted ways.  I know I have other flats, but I was hoping to get a new pair.  But there are still four more days left for the sale.  So who knows what could happen…

Army & Navy Shoe Sale, Part 3: The Aftermath

If you haven’t already, go read Part 1

And then when you’re done reading that, go read Part 2

Or don’t.  I really don’t care what order you read these in.

Travelling home with my giant plastic bags

And so I emerged from the store, with my two giant Army & Navy shopping bags, fearful that they were dangerously close to breaking.  Really they should have given me at least three bags.  The bags were quite weak, and eleven pairs of shoes could easily rip through them, especially the ones with heels.  Also, it was raining.  A lot.  So I had to somehow maneuver and hold my umbrella, my purse, as well as the giant plastic bags filled with shoes that I was trying so desperately to keep intact.

The 4 bags I came home with, 3 of which were filled with shoes

I had another bag with me, that I sometimes carry and use if I buy a couple grocery items, and so I stopped and put a few of the shoes in there, so as to even out the weight of the bags.  And then I held that bag in my right hand with my umbrella, and held the other two in my left hand, getting a good grip on them so they wouldn’t break away.  I don’t know why it had to rain.  I kind of wanted to wear one of the new pairs right away, but a lot of them were heels and not good for walking, especially in the rain while carrying too many things.  But I did stop at the side of the road to change into one of the comfortable pairs.

There are so many different doors & entrances to the store

Now, keep in mind I had been up since 5:39 am, and I had just been through quite an ordeal.  I was so disoriented upon leaving the sale, that I started walking in the wrong direction, further down East Hastings, instead of of back towards Waterfront where I was supposed to go.  Yeah, I was heading towards the police station and the fire hall.  Because I was so used to exiting the store from the other side, that I got confused.  I soon realized my mistake and thought “Wait, this isn’t right…”.  I seriously think that all my brain power went into finding and deciding on shoes, as well as fighting my way amongst the other shoppers.

How was I supposed to remember which direction to walk in once I left?

But it’s okay, I turned around and headed back in the right direction.  I was just annoyed at having added more steps to my walk.  Don’t get me wrong, I love walking, but not in the rain with two bags full of shoes.  People must have thought I was crazy.  Keep in mind, I was also still wearing my “Keep Calm & Buy Shoes” t-shirt.  They must have thought I was some sort of freak.  At one point, this guy asked me if I was okay.  I must have appeared really drained and out of it, lugging the bags of shoes and trying to get where I needed to be.

I should have turned left upon leaving the store

Normally, I would walk all the way back to Waterfront, but I was so tired that I finally found a bus stop and stopped there to collect myself.  Also, I looked down at the new shoes I was wearing, and the rain had hit them hard.  They were leather and I was worried I was ruining them, so I changed back into my black flats, hoping to preserve the new pair.  When the bus pulled up, I got on, and then I heard someone yell towards me.  I had left my umbrella on the seat at the bus stop, and this woman had been kind enough to retrieve it for me.  I was very grateful, as the rain did not let up as I made my way home.

My brown flats are okay after being attacked by the rain

When I finally got home, my mom asked me how many pairs of shoes I bought.  I said I didn’t know.  She asked “What do you mean you don’t know?”.  And then she asked if I bought ten pairs & I said “Yeah, I think so”.  And I remembered that I was supposed to look for runners for her, but neglected to do so.  But my mission that day was to scope out the pairs on the racks that might not be there or restocked the following day.  I intend to go back and look at the runners and boots and flip flops and such that I know they have plenty of in stock.  And I will find a good pair of runners for my mom because I’m a nice person.

These black heels will go with anything

I showed her a couple pairs of heels that I bought and asked if either would work for her, cause she needs a pair to wear to my brother’s high school graduation ceremony this year.  But apparently neither of them worked.  Oh well, I tried.  My mom, my sister, and I all have the same shoe size.  So that’s one of the ways that I justify my purchases, by telling myself that I can let them borrow them as well, so it’s not just for me.  Even though it is mainly for me, especially the heels, since they tend not to wear heels.  But still.  They could if they wanted to.

I love purple shoes

Later that day, my dad asked me where I was that morning.  Because he was obviously surprised when I was up before 6 am.  I told him I went to Army & Navy.  For the shoe sale.  Downtown.  And he asked if I went with anyone.  And I said no.  And he was like “You went all the way the way downtown just to buy shoes?”.  Yes.  Yes I did.  I guess he thought it would have made more sense if I’d gone shopping with a friend.  But he doesn’t understand that it’s one of those things I had to do alone.  I also explained to him about the VIP thing, as to why I was there so early.  He also tried to ask how many pairs I bought.   I think I said I don’t know, and then when he guessed, I settled on saying I bought ten.  I don’t know why that somehow sounds better than eleven.

I am the proud owner of 11 new pairs of shoes

So I am now content with my shoe purchases.  People are surprised when I say I bought eleven pairs.  But whatever.  Go ahead and judge.  I’m happy with purchases.

Stay tuned for Part 4…

Army & Navy Shoe Sale, Part 2: Crazy

Read Part 1 if you haven’t already.  

The shoppers started rushing in at 8am

As 8 am hit, the sale became open to the public.  The public referring to all the crazy people who had been standing outside, lined up in the rain.  They ran in.  Literally, I saw people running in.  As if they were running to catch a bus or a train or a plane that a loved one was on and they had to stop them to tell them they love them before they leave forever and it’s too late like in one of those romantic comedies.  Yes.  Lucky for me, I was sitting down at that point, so I didn’t get knocked over or stepped on or anything.

The place filled up pretty quickly

I looked around and I could see people everywhere.  It wasn’t safe for me to get up anymore.  If I were to wander away from my seat by just a few steps, I would lose my seat, or worse, my shoes.  Not gonna happen.  It’s okay, looking at the shoes in front of a mirror was not essential.  I could manage.  It was okay.  Everything was fine.  Or at least that’s what I kept telling myself.

I was surrounded by people

I had a problem.  I couldn’t narrow it down.  And as I looked around at all the crazy people around me, I realized something.  I was crazy.  And I hate to admit it, but I think I might have been the craziest person there.  Why?  While everyone else had one basket full of shoes, I had two.  And people commented on it too.  There were two nice ladies I was seated next to who I began to talk to.  And one of them looked at my full baskets and asked “Do you have a limit at all?”.  And I said “Yeah, sort of..”.  And she said “What’s your limit?”.  And I said “I don’t know…”.

There were too many shoes to choose from

We had to be careful too.  Because at this point, employees were walking around, picking up and taking away shoes and baskets that had been discarded.  They would ask if you were done with your stuff, and then take what you didn’t want.  But when approached, everyone becomes so protective of their shoes, as if the employee is a predator threatening to take away their baby.  You don’t want your shoes taken away while you’re still deciding.  There’s no way you’ll be able to find them again.  I would hate to have to work there during the sale.  It must suck.  A lot.

How could I possibly decide?

There were also cameras everywhere.  Like a film crew, recording everything.  I don’t know where exactly that footage will end up.  But I hope the part where I was looking bewildered, trying to spot something on a shelf, then realizing the guy had the camera aimed right at my face is edited out.  Because I know that will not be flattering in the least.  They were also going around interviewing people about the sale.  I overheard this girl ask some women if they would mind being interviewed but they declined.  Because they didn’t want to be distracted from their shoes, no doubt.  I might have done it, had they asked me.  But then didn’t.  All the better, as it gave me more time to focus on my shoes.

I can't believe I filled 2 whole baskets of shoes

I tried them all on, weeded out a few, but still had far too many.  I could eliminate those that were uncomfortable and might cut into the back of my feet or squish my toes.  But somehow there were still a lot that I loved.  This sort of thing never happens.  At least not to this extent.  I can see why people go early.  They get in new shipments everyday, but still, if I went tomorrow instead of today, I wouldn’t have been able to find as many good pairs as I did.

My version of a condensed basket of shoes

We sort of had this sense of camaraderie going, those us sitting in that space with our shoes.  Comparing, saying “Oh you have to get those ones!” and “Those are so cute!” and “Are there any more of those ones?”.  And even offering up some pair every so often.  I had some that were maybes or that I’d discarded, so I let another woman try them on.  And this woman let me try on these boots that she wasn’t sure about, just in case she didn’t buy them.

I lined them all up. I couldn't narrow it down any more than this.

At one point, the woman beside me asked if she could try on a pair of shoes in my basket.  I said, “Oh, those are my shoes,” and she said “But can I just try them?”.  And I had to explain to her that by “my shoes”, I didn’t mean I was going to buy them, I meant that I owned them, that they were the ones I walked into the store with that morning.  I knew that was bound to happen.  I overheard another girl say “My fear is that someone’s going to take the shoes I came in with“.  You and me both, sister.

I carried them to the checkout like this

A little later, I had managed to condense everything into one basket.  I told myself that was my limit.  Whatever I could fit into one basket.  Even if that basket was overflowing, apparently.  At one point I just sort of sat there, staring at them.  I knew I was going to buy them all.  I thought about taking them out and trying on each pair again, just to make sure.  But I knew there was no point.  Like it or not, it was going to happen.

With the shoes on the counter, there was no turning back

So I made my way over to the checkout.  It was now or never.  I felt judgement was upon me, as others had just a few pairs they were holding.  I had eleven.  Yes, eleven.  I just counted them again to make sure I got that right.  They advertise the sale as each pair being under $40.  So naturally, I picked up all the pairs that were $39.99.  I showed some hesitancy at the counter, but I gave in.  At least I had the $100 gift card.  I was hoping the girl might have given me the $500 by mistake, but sadly she did not.  Even with the $100 gift card, I probably still spent more than a lot of people there.  Let’s just say my total was under $500.

My 2 giant bags full of shoes

And so I was handed two large bags full of shoes, and sent on my merry way, filled with shame, excitement, happiness, and regret.  It was a confusing mix of emotions.  A shoe sale can do that to a girl.

Stay tuned for Part 3…