So, this might be the weirdest post I’ve ever done. But I thought maybe you can relate, or at the very least, would learn a little more about me and my quirks. So, we’re going to run with it.

Yes, I’m talking about my favorite shoes. But you won’t find a single affiliate link to them in this post because they haven’t been sold in stores for for years.

That’s right, my favorite shoes are sandals I bought from Steve Madden in Union Square. In 2012. And have now lugged in a move four times.

The soles are literally separating, yet I can’t bring myself to toss or donate them, even though I no longer wear them regularly. What is it about our emotional attachment to clothing—or things in general?

For me, I think I have a hard time letting go of these shoes because of what they symbolize. 

When I interned in New York City, I didn’t know that many people so my after work plans weren’t as bustling as they are now. As such, I killed time and learned by way around the city by walking home from work—and walking aimlessly pretty much anytime I was bored.

I walked by the Steve Madden on Broadway between 17th and 18th nearly every day, and these shoes were in the window most of the summer. I thought they were the cutest sandals I had ever laid eyes on.

Finally, one sweltering Friday in July, I decided to go in and try them on. They were 80-something dollars, which was far more than I had ever paid for shoes, yet alone everyday sandals. But I decided to splurge—and skip the Chop’t salads for a few weeks—and was so proud of what I viewed as my first adult purchase. (Kind of ironic they’re neon-pink sandals, but I was 21 and it was the color of the summer.)

I wore them religiously throughout the rest of the summer—unless rain was in the forecast, because I wanted these shoes to last—and brought them with me to my last year of college, where they took me to bars, to class, to places I probably shouldn’t have been, and finally, to walking down the Lawn at graduation.

My closet in our new apartment is much smaller than my old one. So last weekend when I was unpacking, I decided to decrease my shoe collection. I donated 10 or 12 pairs of shoes no problem. But when I came to these, I just couldn’t put them in the stack. They’re now living on the bottom shelf of my shoe rack.

Maybe one day I’ll be able to give these sandals up. After all, I do have plenty of other options that have taken their place in my daily rotation.

But for today, I like having the memories tucked into the bottom shelf of my closet.

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What about y’all—do you have a favorite piece of clothing or other object you just can’t let go of even though it’s served its useful life?

(Tell me it’s not just me.)