Starting Over Again ...

Remember back in the day when Starter was the brand to have? Everybody had to have a Starter jacket with their favorite team prominently displayed.

In the early to mid 90s, that was the jumpoff. It had the same meaning the leather bomber jacket had to Chris Rock in 1982 when he was in middle school. The Starter made you cool.

My squad of preference at the time was the Penn State Nittany Lions. I hated Joe Paterno, their longtime coach, with a passion because I thought he was a creepy old man who looked like he'd come straight out of a comic book.

But the Nittanly Lion, it was fresh to say the least. If I was going to rock the Starter that's the team I'd sport. I can't quite remember which year I got it, I think it was a year after they'd gone out of style (i.e. I think/know everybody stopped buying them and wearing them because they didn't want to get shot over a jacket, and yes, people were getting shot to the point you weren't allowed to wear Starter apparal into plenty of establishments in the mid-to-late 90s).

But when I did, I felt like the shit for about two hours, until I realized the trend was over, and the leather bomber was back in style.

Anyway, I made my first Starter purchase since then yesterday. I was on a short sabbatical in CoMo, and decided I wanted to visit the new Mizzou Rec Center I paid for dearly.

One problem, though. I left my tennis shoes/athletic trainers/running shoes (not gym shoes, chi-town readers) in Kansas City. I refused to drop $50 on a pair of shoes I have at home, so i spent $16.87 on a pair of Starter running shoes so I could get a mile of jogging in at the Rec.

I actually haven't bought a pair of athletic-like shoes in maybe three years. I've worn the same pair over that time period.

These, they were surprisingly comfortable except for one spot. They were light, and actually looked decent. I think I may wear then when I run from time to time. I just hope I don't get shot because of the label.