So my husband and I agreed that I should get new running shoes sooner than later, due to the fact that my current running shoes are about 5 years old. I made the decision to try the New Balance store - they had always been so great in the past, and I like their shoes a lot.
We made the trek out to the only store in our area, a good 45 minute drive from our house. We arrived at the store and I found a clerk and explained that I was looking for a pair of running shoes in a 12 AA. The last time I went to a NB store, this one in another city, the associate responded, "No problem! I'll be right back with some for you to try on!" This time, I got, "Ummmm, I don't think we have any. Let me see." He typed away on his computer for a few minutes and said, "Yeah, we don't have any."
I was already in kind of a crummy mood, and I probably wasn't as nice as I should have been. I told him that I had purchased shoes from NB stores in the past, and had never had a problem. He told me that this was a franchise store, not a corporate store, and the owner chose not to stock my size. He then said the single worst thing a shoe store employee can say to a woman with big feet.
"We could try you in men's shoes."
Seriously. Men's shoes. Do I look like a man? I hope not. I do not want men's shoes. I pointed out to him that I need an AA width. He said that they did have men's shoes in stock in AA. Now, may I point out that this store is carrying a men's DOUBLE narrow, but they don't have any shoes in my single narrow size.
I digress. I let him bring out a pair of gray (GRAY?!?) shoes, which of course didn't fit at all. I left discouraged.
The good news is that my husband found a pair of Brooks runners at another store that he really likes. I satisfied my need for retail therapy with a new dress watch from Macy's.
I went home and ordered 9 pair of running shoes from Zappos. They should arrive tomorrow - hopefully one of them will be the perfect shoe for me.
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