Simple Shoes (the Brand, not the Adjective) = Awesome

OK, so the obvious joke is to say that even my indulgences are simple, and you know I can't resist the obvious joke. But recently, I made a crazy decision: I decided to keep a $50 pair of shoes that weren't even on sale when I bought them (I went to REI to buy a bottlecap, seriously, and walked out with a bunch of shoes. Geez!). But man, are they comfy! And hey: They're even good for the earth and all. They're "Simple" brand shoes, and mine specifically are "Carousels." And I wouldn't have kept 'em, but for two things: 1. They are rediculously comfy, and 2., They are cool. To me, anyway, and that's good enough. They have the essence of Vans, in that they have a bold pattern (polka dots), but they are moderatey rounded and semi-girly, which is nice, you know, sometimes at least. Oh, and the soles are made of old tires, and the rest is all recycled and stuff.

I'm feeling a little gloomy about the future of the Earth, and this is one small step toward helping what is hopefully not an insoluble problem as it seems. (As I write this, I'm also carrying around a glass bottle in my bag until I get to a recycling place.) And maybe watching Devill Wears Prada had something to do with it. I decided to be, for me, stylish. Why not? I did not, however, decide to become a size 2, as I still have some semblance of ties to reality. Maybe a 12.

OK, a little more about these shoes, because I see that they go well beyond the whole "car tire" thing. Here's what "the shoe" says on the Simple Web site:

I contain no animal byproducts or even regular animal products. I am a vegan friendly and veggie friendly shoe.
I have hemp uppers
I am lined with woven certified organic cotton
I have ortholite/recycled car tire pedbeds
Yes, my outsole used to be a car tire
I have vulcanized rubber sidewall, toecap and heelcap
I have 100% post consumer paper pulp foot forms

My dad used to wear sandals with soles made of old tires (nowhere near as stylish as these). And those things lasted for pretty much my entire pre-adult life. Maybe longer. Heck, they're probably still in the house somewhere, hanging out with dust bears and National Geographics from the era.