Idlefellow
Well-known member
Don't you hate it when retailers/manufacturers f up a good thing? Somebody once said, "If you find something you like, buy two." Truer words were never spoken.
I had a pair of Airwalk Outland sandals; man, I loved those things! They needed a bit of re-sewing; the shoe shop guy said, "These are about shot." "Don't care," says I. "Do whatever they need." Sure enough; shortly thereafter the molded soles split out all along the sides. Do you think I could find replacement soles? Nah. Do you think I could buy another pair? Nope; discontinued.
So I looked high and low for suitable replacements; tried every brand I could think of. Lots of sandals out there, but nothing that even came close to the old Airwalks. Then, I stumbled upon a pair of Dr. Martens Sayers. They weren't the Outlands but they weren't bad. Ordered up a pair but the strap on the rear on one was sewn wrong and wouldn't stay up on my heel. Rather than just have it fixed I decided to return them. Who would have thought THEY would be discontinued? I never could get another pair, nor get back the ones I returned.
I have an L.L. Bean hunting coat, the old model with removable wool liner, game pouch on the back and shell loops in the pockets. It's been a great coat and has served me well, and it's still in fine shape, but (ahem) there seems to be more of me and less coat these days. You'd think I could just order me up a new one in a larger size, but no. The hunting coat they offer now has goretex and blaze orange and all sorts of new tech features, while the venerable old design, though termed "original field coat" has no game pouch, no shell loops, and seems better suited to a grocery run than a day afield. I'm sure both are fine coats, but neither is my old L.L. Bean.
So, I hover over ebay, hoping that new or decent used ones will appear in my size, squeeze myself into my old coat, with sandals that I wear but don't love. Tales of woe. Anyone else?
I had a pair of Airwalk Outland sandals; man, I loved those things! They needed a bit of re-sewing; the shoe shop guy said, "These are about shot." "Don't care," says I. "Do whatever they need." Sure enough; shortly thereafter the molded soles split out all along the sides. Do you think I could find replacement soles? Nah. Do you think I could buy another pair? Nope; discontinued.
So I looked high and low for suitable replacements; tried every brand I could think of. Lots of sandals out there, but nothing that even came close to the old Airwalks. Then, I stumbled upon a pair of Dr. Martens Sayers. They weren't the Outlands but they weren't bad. Ordered up a pair but the strap on the rear on one was sewn wrong and wouldn't stay up on my heel. Rather than just have it fixed I decided to return them. Who would have thought THEY would be discontinued? I never could get another pair, nor get back the ones I returned.
I have an L.L. Bean hunting coat, the old model with removable wool liner, game pouch on the back and shell loops in the pockets. It's been a great coat and has served me well, and it's still in fine shape, but (ahem) there seems to be more of me and less coat these days. You'd think I could just order me up a new one in a larger size, but no. The hunting coat they offer now has goretex and blaze orange and all sorts of new tech features, while the venerable old design, though termed "original field coat" has no game pouch, no shell loops, and seems better suited to a grocery run than a day afield. I'm sure both are fine coats, but neither is my old L.L. Bean.
So, I hover over ebay, hoping that new or decent used ones will appear in my size, squeeze myself into my old coat, with sandals that I wear but don't love. Tales of woe. Anyone else?