sandals tender square maybe it’s silly to be attached to something materialistic, but i just got a new pair of sandals in the mail yesterday that are making me really happy. they were a replacement pair for a set i’d broken while on vacation; one of the side straps on the right foot loosened from between the two layers of plastic that made up the base of the shoe and i didn’t think it could be fixed, so i threw them out. i had originally bought the sandals ten years ago. i spotted them while working as a cashier in a thrift shop, the first job i had living in the states. they were from billabong and they looked fairly new, hardly worn at all. i liked them because they didn’t have a raised heel but they were more elevated than a flipflop. i tried them on; my foot felt comfortable against the brown leather base and the thin, black braided straps that crisscrossed around each foot gave a secure fit. they were a size bigger than what i usually wore but they were cheap, only a few dollars, so i bought them. those sandals became my quick slip-on shoe in the summers when i had to run to the mailbox, take out the garbage, do laundry, or walk the dog. they went with everything; i could make them look fancy with a dress or casual with jeans. i wore them so much that the base warped over the years to fit the shape of my foot, curling upwards on each end and convexing against my arch. when the heel pad on the back straps became unglued and tacky, i sewed them back together even though it was difficult to slide a needle through the thickness of the leather. whenever michael and i were in new buffalo, they were the sandals i used for walking on the beach because the hot sand didn’t cause them to slip off my feet no matter how many grains collected in them. i was really bummed when they broke in august but i knew we’d had a good run. anything i’ve ever purchased from a thrift store i’ve automatically assumed is one-of-a-kind; i love the item for as long as i can because i know i won’t be able to replace it. i had tried looking for sandals similar to this pair at various shops online, but nothing came close. on a whim a week ago, i decided to check billabong’s website, even though the design is from a decade ago. i figured it was a long shot. imagine my surprise when i discovered it was a style they still sold and in the exact color that i previously owned. it’s the best $30 i’ve ever spent. 210916 ... tender square already, i’ve scuffed the left sandal, in two places on the front lip; i must’ve dragged my feet when walking. the leather peels back to reveal a pair of white eyes beneath their flapping lids. 210928 what's it to you? who go blather from