Walking on RedBacks
April 4th 2008 11:45
Over here in Australia, aside from the deadly spider named the redback(actually Ive heard rumours they arent deadly. One old guy once told me - "They make ya wicked crook but they dont kill ya") we also have a brand of boot named Redbacks. I first made my acquintance with them last year on my first day at what is now my old job. I had been wearing my tissue soled, smooth surfaced riding boots and to me, those redbacks felt like heaven.
The sole is nearly 2 inches thick. 2 inches! Its like they bred sneakers to workboots!
But they felt like heaven for only about 10 minutes. Boots are still boots, leather is tough especially when its new, and I had to walk a fair whack to get to the station, then once the train ferried me home, I had to walk even further to get home. Well, I was in agony for weeks.
Lucky for me agony and I dance it out frequently and while my softer hoofed companion moaned, cried and pasted many bandaids to her feet I gritted my teeth and assumed that this would just be one more hellish item in a great big pit of despair. I was prepared to have bleeding and blister torn feet every night I came home, and man, blisters that get full of sweat and muck as well are something to be reckoned with.
I ended up coming up with a sock combination that padded them out acceptably.
I did not notice as the months crawled by that I was choosing the redbacks over my other shoes - I only own 3 pairs, a black suede pair that come to mid calf that Kman bought me back in 2003. Theyre too big cos when he bought them I was still a 95kg heifer and had to go up a shoe size so the boots would fit over my elephant like calves. I remember the first day I zipped them up without cursing God - it was like glimpsing salvation. I own my riding boots - cheapest of the cheap thinnest of the thin only good for being on the horse as they dont get stuck in stirrups, and the hiking boots I lifted.
Whoa! Not STOLE.....Im not in the habit of 'lifting' things let me assure you, but we went looking at a property that had been abandoned. It was creepy - clothes pouring out of closets, beds left in loungerooms, even bread and milk going off on the benches. I spied the boots by the front door, deemed them an ample fit, and, judging by the wallaby poo in the loungeroom, the boots were unwanted and I gave them a home. Everybody wins!
I LOVED that property....A mighty 60 acres in the REAL bush with kangaroos and everything....A HORSE property where no one had dropped a glass bottle, a nail or a piece of wire for at least the last 30 years. Horse people think of things like that - mending roofs, fencing whatever you're doing, you never drop a nail or a piece of wire, because you know if you do, you'll end up digging it out of a hoof, paying a couple of grand to a vet, and if youre unlucky, loosing the use of your horse forever. Its true you know - No Foot, No horse. We didnt end up taking that property because mum and Kman didnt like the wallabies peeking through the holes in the walls and the birds flying in through the holes in the ceiling. Looked like heaven to me - I was gonna set up a bathtub on the back porch.
BUT....I only own 3 pairs of shoes, (I know, Im not entirely sure Im female either) and the Redbacks made 4. I just started wearing them everywhere, all the time, I liked the feel of power they gave me. Almost 2 inch sole, so I feel tall. Heavy, I felt confident I could kick my way out of any situation if I was wearing my trusty boots and felt safe traversing the most dangerous of bushland. I even wore them with dress pants, with my suit to job interviews, and to parties.
To my utter horror, when unexpected circumstances ended my time at the job, they wanted the boots back. I loved them so, full of my sweat and blood and moulded to MY feet I didnt think that was fair - Please! I begged, couldnt you just take a pound of flesh instead? (Or should that be as well?)
I was desolate. Part of me grieved. I said fucking strap it on K - they are only boots! Buy a new pair!
I searched the internet the moment this idea struck and was instantly worried - this particular brand is a government issue boot. Luckily, it is sold to the public. I couldnt find a single boot that looked like my old ones in the sale catalouge and thought Id check out a workwear joint, when I had time. I was sure theyd be monstrously expensive and Id have to 'make do'.
Well, didnt I have fun when it came time to go out? I went to visit a mate a pulled out the old suedes. Always served me well, purchased for comfort and style. After my visit, I walked a hundred metres to the train station.
In agony. It wasnt till I got home that I realized the suedes had paper thin soles too! Being a size too big, even in double socks, had not saved me. My feet were covered in blisters and I just felt, well, upset.
Too scared to wander my dangerous land in the riding boots, I went back to the ol hiking boots. Thick soled, ankle supports, yeah, these are cool....Except that the laces mysteriously untie themselves and I kept tripping over under stampeding horses. Perfect.
I plunged on with no hope of repreive which is my normal custom. And today, I happened to enter a work wear place with mum, to see the big red boxes adorned with scary looking spiders on the box. We found that they are MUCH cheaper than I expected, and mum, dear lovely mum, says....."Oh, I'll get them for you. But its a birthday present ok?"
OKAY!
I compared the Redback to its counterpart - the Blundstone, which mum wears. The sole is noticeably thicker. "Yeah," says the guy behind the counter, "They take some getting used to" looking at me warily as if my skinny girl legs wouldnt be able to lift my feet with such manly boots on them.
Back at the car, in the wrong socks and knowing I was going to be in serious pain breaking them in - again - still I hurled the offensive riding boots into the back seat and adorned myself in my new - BLACK - pair of Redbacks. Now I feel ready to face the world again!
Saw a job that might want me right after that too.
Its amazing the effect a decent pair of shoes can have, dont you agree?
The sole is nearly 2 inches thick. 2 inches! Its like they bred sneakers to workboots!
But they felt like heaven for only about 10 minutes. Boots are still boots, leather is tough especially when its new, and I had to walk a fair whack to get to the station, then once the train ferried me home, I had to walk even further to get home. Well, I was in agony for weeks.
Lucky for me agony and I dance it out frequently and while my softer hoofed companion moaned, cried and pasted many bandaids to her feet I gritted my teeth and assumed that this would just be one more hellish item in a great big pit of despair. I was prepared to have bleeding and blister torn feet every night I came home, and man, blisters that get full of sweat and muck as well are something to be reckoned with.
I ended up coming up with a sock combination that padded them out acceptably.
I did not notice as the months crawled by that I was choosing the redbacks over my other shoes - I only own 3 pairs, a black suede pair that come to mid calf that Kman bought me back in 2003. Theyre too big cos when he bought them I was still a 95kg heifer and had to go up a shoe size so the boots would fit over my elephant like calves. I remember the first day I zipped them up without cursing God - it was like glimpsing salvation. I own my riding boots - cheapest of the cheap thinnest of the thin only good for being on the horse as they dont get stuck in stirrups, and the hiking boots I lifted.
Whoa! Not STOLE.....Im not in the habit of 'lifting' things let me assure you, but we went looking at a property that had been abandoned. It was creepy - clothes pouring out of closets, beds left in loungerooms, even bread and milk going off on the benches. I spied the boots by the front door, deemed them an ample fit, and, judging by the wallaby poo in the loungeroom, the boots were unwanted and I gave them a home. Everybody wins!
I LOVED that property....A mighty 60 acres in the REAL bush with kangaroos and everything....A HORSE property where no one had dropped a glass bottle, a nail or a piece of wire for at least the last 30 years. Horse people think of things like that - mending roofs, fencing whatever you're doing, you never drop a nail or a piece of wire, because you know if you do, you'll end up digging it out of a hoof, paying a couple of grand to a vet, and if youre unlucky, loosing the use of your horse forever. Its true you know - No Foot, No horse. We didnt end up taking that property because mum and Kman didnt like the wallabies peeking through the holes in the walls and the birds flying in through the holes in the ceiling. Looked like heaven to me - I was gonna set up a bathtub on the back porch.
BUT....I only own 3 pairs of shoes, (I know, Im not entirely sure Im female either) and the Redbacks made 4. I just started wearing them everywhere, all the time, I liked the feel of power they gave me. Almost 2 inch sole, so I feel tall. Heavy, I felt confident I could kick my way out of any situation if I was wearing my trusty boots and felt safe traversing the most dangerous of bushland. I even wore them with dress pants, with my suit to job interviews, and to parties.
To my utter horror, when unexpected circumstances ended my time at the job, they wanted the boots back. I loved them so, full of my sweat and blood and moulded to MY feet I didnt think that was fair - Please! I begged, couldnt you just take a pound of flesh instead? (Or should that be as well?)
I was desolate. Part of me grieved. I said fucking strap it on K - they are only boots! Buy a new pair!
I searched the internet the moment this idea struck and was instantly worried - this particular brand is a government issue boot. Luckily, it is sold to the public. I couldnt find a single boot that looked like my old ones in the sale catalouge and thought Id check out a workwear joint, when I had time. I was sure theyd be monstrously expensive and Id have to 'make do'.
Well, didnt I have fun when it came time to go out? I went to visit a mate a pulled out the old suedes. Always served me well, purchased for comfort and style. After my visit, I walked a hundred metres to the train station.
In agony. It wasnt till I got home that I realized the suedes had paper thin soles too! Being a size too big, even in double socks, had not saved me. My feet were covered in blisters and I just felt, well, upset.
Too scared to wander my dangerous land in the riding boots, I went back to the ol hiking boots. Thick soled, ankle supports, yeah, these are cool....Except that the laces mysteriously untie themselves and I kept tripping over under stampeding horses. Perfect.
I plunged on with no hope of repreive which is my normal custom. And today, I happened to enter a work wear place with mum, to see the big red boxes adorned with scary looking spiders on the box. We found that they are MUCH cheaper than I expected, and mum, dear lovely mum, says....."Oh, I'll get them for you. But its a birthday present ok?"
OKAY!
I compared the Redback to its counterpart - the Blundstone, which mum wears. The sole is noticeably thicker. "Yeah," says the guy behind the counter, "They take some getting used to" looking at me warily as if my skinny girl legs wouldnt be able to lift my feet with such manly boots on them.
Back at the car, in the wrong socks and knowing I was going to be in serious pain breaking them in - again - still I hurled the offensive riding boots into the back seat and adorned myself in my new - BLACK - pair of Redbacks. Now I feel ready to face the world again!
Saw a job that might want me right after that too.
Its amazing the effect a decent pair of shoes can have, dont you agree?
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Comment by tlcorbin
Comment by Kleonaptra
Kalikapsychosis
And spiders dont really bother me - I was bitten by a White tail and still have skin flare ups, and a Hunstman gave me hell once - beware the huntsman, people tell us they arent poisonous yet are dangerous to older people and children and its venom certainly messed with me. We try and keep them around however - The hunstmans favourite food is the cockroach.
White tails can be anywhere anytime...Redbacks like logs. Just gotta be prepared.
Comment by tlcorbin
Raven
Comment by Kleonaptra
Kalikapsychosis
*grins* So if I picked them up in my bare hands Id get to see you do a girlish jump up and down?
Comment by tlcorbin
Raven
Comment by Kleonaptra
Kalikapsychosis
Comment by tlcorbin