***Side Note: Also my niece-to-be! Auntie Zumbamommy is going to have a niece, bring on the ruffles and bows!***
I shop second-hand for my boys a lot. Boys are rough on clothes. My oldest put holes in three different pairs of jeans (all the same size) over the course of the last school year. I'd much rather pay $3.99 for a second-hand pair than $14.99 for something new from the mall. It's just more cost-effective! Well, it was in one of these second-hand shops that I noticed something neon over on the shoe rack. You all know, dear readers, that neon is like a homing beacon to this crazy Zumba girl. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a pair of DC Rebound's. They looked barely worn, the tread was practically out-of-the-box new, and there weren't any scuff marks on the outsides of the shoes. Although it was clear that the previous owner had worn them outside.
I looked at the label on the inside...size 10? Hrmm. But I figured I had nothing to lose by trying them on. And hey, guess what, they fit just fine! What gave me pause, and why I haven't ever bought high-tops before, is that I'm only 5'3" and I was worried that a short girl like me would look ridiculous in shoes like that because they are so bulky. Yes, you did the math right, I am 5'3" and can wear a size 10. Mostly I'm between a size 8.5-9.5 depending on the brand; at least I used to be before I had kids and my feet spread. Oh the joys of motherhood! Heh.
Back to the shoes, I checked the price and for $7.99 I decided I'd give them a shot and risk looking a bit silly. I washed them and they looked brand new. In fact, when I went to wash them, I discovered that the previous wearer had used an insert. I pulled that out and realized that the original insole was still in place but had no imprint; it felt like they'd never been worn. The only thing that could make these shoes better was getting rid of the ugly grey laces...but because they are high-tops, the laces need to be 72" (which is longer than I am tall! grr...) which are lot longer than regular shoelaces. Searching Amazon.com, I discovered that the standard length for roller skates is 72" and from there it was easy to find -neon- roller skate laces. In case you're wondering, one shoe now has a green lace and the other a pink lace. You can see from the picture that I bought three colors of laces because I wasn't sure what I'd like the best. And actually, even after they came, I still couldn't decide. So, when in doubt, get a second opinion - the green/pink combo was Jae's idea. Credit where credit is due!
Want to know what Bry said to me when I brought these home? No, it wasn't, "-More- dance sneakers?!" for which I thank him very much. It was, "Those are going to support your ankle much better than your other pair." He read my expression and noted the shock, "Isn't that why you bought them...?" he asked me. I said, "No, I didn't even think of that. I bought them because they're neon dance sneakers for only $7.99!" After that, there may have been a comment or two from him about how I should buy a shoe rack for our mudroom just to contain the various pairs of dance sneakers...
The first night I wore these out to Rae's class, my ankle felt the best it had during and after class since before I'd re-sprained it. Rae noticed them and thought they were neat. When I told her that they were really supporting my ankle well, she asked, "Isn't that why you bought them...?"
Best advice: If you're in the market for something, try a second-hand shop. One, you never know what you're going to find in there one day to the next. Two, you save a lot of money. On Amazon.com, DC Rebound's start at $21.00 and go up from there. The pair I bought for only $7.99 is currently selling on Amazon for $48.95.
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