Figured out what’s so “strange” about the shoes I’d shown?  Here’s another clue:

I actually got that pair as part of my rock star-inspired outfit for our Christmas party.  I was enthusiastically looking for one that’d complement my existing wardrobe and at the same time practical for my budget.  Fortunately there was a shoe sale days before the event so I had an opportunity to look for one on the cheap.

I had pretty much a good idea of what I want—it needed to be high-cut, much like boots, but definitely not boots.  I actually found a good candidate, a pair of boxing shoes, but it was a bit too expensive for the occasion.  If I was into boxing I wouldn’t hesitate, but for my purpose it’s too much.

Then there it is—that black/silver Reebok Top Down.  When I first saw it I knew it fitted my criteria perfectly, but I had to see all the shoes on sale before making my decision.  I didn’t find anything else close as an alternative so I decided to pick this one.

At first I thought it was for children because it was displayed beside kids’ shoes.  I just thought that if it came in adults’ size and it had my size, that’d be the sign.  So when I asked for a size 9 (US), and they had one, I had to grab it!

On the first fit I thought something was weird—it was a bit tight fitting.  At the time I wasn’t sure if my feet got bigger due to regular VFF use, or I was just used to the fit of running shoes.  So I asked for a size 10, and while waiting another guy saw the shoe and tried it on.  When I received news that their biggest size was 9 and that last pair was the one I fitted, I had to quickly decide since the other guy was also keen on buying that last size 9 pair.

So there we were—stalemate.  He got the right shoe, I got the left.  I put on the left shoe to make that final decision, and eventually decided to keep it.  The other guy fortunately let go of the right shoe, and then I told the salesperson I’d take it.  I was the first one to “find” the shoe, and I was glad that the other guy had the courtesy to let me take it.  He actually told me that he was just waiting for me to let go of the shoe! 🙂

So what’s so “strange” about this pair?  The clue earlier was a giveaway to shoe fanatics—men’s size 9 US is usually 42 EUR, but this one is only 40 EUR.  Another quick trip to Google reveals the answer to this “mystery:”

Yes, you read it right; it’s actually women’s shoes!  I was a bit infuriated that the sales person had no idea of what they’re selling and allowed me to get women’s shoes for myself, but then again I cannot blame them since you can’t really tell that it’s women’s shoes just by looking at it!  And to think that I practically had a tug of war with another guy over it!  Crazy, but looking back it’s funny.  I actually wouldn’t know about it if I haven’t seen the label on the box.  Gone are the days when you can easily spot men’s and women’s shoes easily apart.

So did anyone get the answer right?