The King of Frugal Footwear Finders

I may not be great at many things, but there is one facet of my life in which I consider myself in the upper echelon. While I do not take great pleasure in shopping, there are a few things in which I take great pleasure doing. When it comes to purchasing a new pair of shoes, I rule. To be more specific, these shoes must fit the "3C" criteria: cheap, comfortable and convincing. I'm always looking for a frugal buy, they must feel pleasing to my feet and the style of the shoe must look like it belongs to me. If you think I'm just bragging on myself, let me give you the evidence.

Last May while in Memphis for a relative's wedding, I realized I had forgotten my black dress shoes. To quickly remedy the situation, my uncle and I hopped in the car and drove to the factory outlet mall. We were both in search of shoes, so we strolled into one of the stores. I can't for the life of me remember the name of the store, but let's just say their pricing was foreign to my taste buds. Even on the clearance rack, I was having trouble finding what I wanted.

That's when it hit me! I glanced across to the stores on the other side of the mall, and there was a Hush Puppies store. The hope of very small dollar signs flashed before my eyes, so I ran over to the other side while my uncle was still in search. As I entered the store, I ran straight to the clearance rack. Size nine, black dress shoes, look for the stickers with the highest percentage off, and yes, we have a winner. I tried one on, loved the fit and feel, and yes it encapsuled my "3C" criteria. I quickly took it up to the clerk and said I'll take these, please. I was in and out of the store in less than five minutes. Those shoes only cost me nineteen dollars and some change. I was even waiting on my uncle when he was paying for his shoes. Do you think this is luck?

Yesterday, I was in search of some new brown dress shoes. Again, it had to fit the criteria. I walked into Rack Room Shoes here in Columbia, where I was met immediately by one of the clerks. I told her I was looking for a cheap, brown dress shoe, and I told her I would know it when I saw it. After walking straight to the clearance rack, I found a pair of brown dress shoes that matched my criteria (cheap, comfy and convincing). I tried one on, and I walked to the counter still wearing one of them. I told them I would know it when I saw it. These shoes were marked down from sixty something dollars to eighteen dollars. Yes, this was another pair of shoes under twenty dollars, even after adding tax! Again, I was not even in the store five minutes from the time I walked in the front doors.

Ladies and gentlemen, I now and forevermore dub myself the King of Frugal Footwear Finders!