Dude with a beard

When Sam was 6 and still an autism wild child, we were asked to leave Kenwood mall when we tried, unsuccessfully, to buy Sam a new pair of shoes.  Over the last nine years, he has made substantial progress in shoe shopping.  He now actually enjoys getting a new pair that look nothing like the previous pair.  This is a very good thing since buying Sam shoes is still a production.   

Sam has flat wide feet.  He is in the smaller range for men's shoes.  Stores carry few styles in those sizes and even fewer in a wide.  I decided that since he is now marathon man, okay, almost one mile man, he should have actual running shoes.  I'm worried about that combination of low muscle tone and pronation causing future knee problems if he doesn't have the right shoes.  Of course, the hipster factor is paramount.  Just because somebody has a disability, doesn't mean they don't want to be stylish.  It certainly doesn't mean they want to be dressed like a dork.

First store was cheap shoes, sweet staff, wides in a definitely uncool style that didn't fit quite right.  Next store was a giant sporting goods store, with clueless staff and zero selection.  I humiliated Josey by yelling "HELOOOOOO! (Store name) staff person needed in shoes!" because nobody could be found in the surrounding three departments.  When I finally spotted and flagged down a guy from the front of the store, he told us that wides aren't made in sizes larger than 8.5 even though I could clearly see them on the shelves in random sizes above a 10.  I suggested he look on the on-line kiosk.  No luck there either, which was probably for the best because again, they were not cool.  If Josey says I can't wear mom jeans, Sam cannot go to school in dad shoes.

We were just about to go to Ronker's, when I remembered that Buckeye Running Company was just around the corner.  The young man who helped us may have said his name, I probably just wasn't paying attention.  He did have a beard.  He suggested we try Adidis because they are just a wider shoe.  Hallelujah!  He was right.  On top of that, they are bright yellow.  Surprisingly, this is a very chic color for junior high boys and not the least bit dad-like.

Buckeye salesperson dude with a beard....thank you for taking the time to listen to our concerns and find the right pair of shoes.  I particularly appreciated the fact that you took the time to start by looking at the cheapest ones first and hung in there with us until we found the right ones.