so, i just bought two pairs of airwalk ones. in 2018. they were cheap - i'm interpreting it as 2-for-1. one in red and one in the classic grey & white. these are the suede & rubber shoes that i've been looking at puma to emulate.

see, i don't know the exact history, but i suspect the airwalks were aping on the pumas in the first place. regardless, it's the airwalks i wanted. so, why not go for it.

they say the soles are rubber; we'll find out when they get here. if they are, and these are really just like the old airwalks, then i got two pairs of good shoes for cheap. it seems like this is the right time, as they were limited edition and not being re-run. if these are good shoes, i might have fluked out. if the soles are pvc or something, i can use them as very comfortable throwaways.

i guess it puts the vans on notice if these are good shoes, because i'll want to keep the platforms as dress shoes. i dunno, though. i may just keep them, too. it rules out the extra pumas, for now. probably.

and, if they end up as throwaways, then i'm done, save for a potential trip to the puma store, probably in the spring.

to be clear: i wanted classic airwalk-style, well built comfortable skate shoes. i don't care what the brand name is. i ended up getting some weird mid-top vans as a compromise because i needed shoes, but the only thing i could really find in the style i wanted were pumas, and the store didn't have them in my size. so, i ordered some pumas in my size when i got home and they are, in fact, exactly what i wanted. and, now i've ordered some throwback airwalks, too, after all - potentially in the last few days that i could. if that works out, i probably won't want the vans anymore. but, if they get here and they're shit, i'll use them as throwaway and keep the vans...and maybe get another pair of pumas, too.

i'm finding myself choosing between airwalk classics and puma classics here, and it's not because i'm attached to the style or the past - it's because i want some well made shoes. i may have fluked out and found what i really wanted, but in the long run i'm probably going to be defaulting to those pumas...