I went up to Jack Leydig's house in San Mateo and bought the last pair of New Balance 320's in existence. Well, perhaps NOT the last pair but the last pair in my existence. This is the shoe that I trained in back in the late 1970's. The joke was simple. If New Balance called them 320's then just move the decimal pint to the left and you roughly had the price. $32.00 dollars. Later on (much later on) the NB 100's cost over one hundred dollars.
As I held the shoes in my hand Jack pointed out that the foam in the tongue of each shoe had turned to little more than dust. He was being fair and offered them to me for nothing but I gave him his original price which was ten dollars. It cost me more in gasoline to make the drive but it was worth it. A small connection back to the days when I was at my fastest.
I tried them on when I got home. 8 E's which is about my street shoe size these days but well below the sizing of my current running shoe's. Still they fit even though they are a bit snug in the toe box. They will give with wearing. I won't run in them. The support, which was excellent for 1975, is not enough for my 62 year old foot.
I haven't begun to run again. It's out there and it might only a matter of going. I just haven't taken the frst step.
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