10/25/07

Northern shopping

Shopping for shoes up north is a fantastic thing.
Well, shopping for sneakers, when you don't like having to deal with a million different options, is a fantastic thing.

I have been trying to buy sneakers for a couple months now. I go to a sporting goods store. I look at the millions of running shoes. I try on a pair that looks pretty, probably involves blue or green accents, and is relatively cheap. Then I am not really impressed, can't commit to the price/shoe, and leave.

Every time I rented a car in Quebec City (which was four or five times in the five months I lived there) I went on a sneaker search. And every time I came back empty-handed.

Today, I went to the Northern to check out their selection. Telling myself it would make the aerobics easier... and that I needed a pair anyways... as my North Face hikers (the closest thing I have to runners) just weren't going to cut it (and they are starting to smell. Ew.)

I made my way past the electronics section (my favourite! and where I spend most of my time gawking at all the shiny gadgets...) to the back wall where the footwear is found.

There were four pairs of running shoes. Three Nikes and a no-name. I don't normally buy Nikes (normally too wide for my dainty little feet) but I didn't really have much of a choice today. I quickly eliminated the no-names. The three remaining were:

  • "Cheap" Nikes (Black and Pink) - and by cheap I mean just under a hundred
  • "Mid-range" Nikes (blue and white) - $120
  • "Expensive" Nikes (Pink, white and grey - - ew) - $140
Midrange Nikes (the ones I really wanted, based on looks alone) were not very comfy. Expensive Nikes were by far the ugliest, but most comfortable. And Cheap Nikes were pretty comfy, but I was suspicious of their "cheap" nature. In the end I went with Expensive Nikes. They are ugly. And I don't care. Because there were only three options at the Northern in Iqaluit... and they were the best.

Northern living may have made my shopping experience pricier, but there's no doubt its made simpler too.

7 comments:

Matt, Kara, Hunter and Cavan October 25, 2007 at 10:23 PM  

Your northern carries nike? Ours only has the crappy no-name brand. blick.

Rob, Tina and the boys October 26, 2007 at 12:43 PM  

Our Northern carries some stuff, not a lot in clothing and footwear. Don't forget you can always order out of Selections (the catalogue). Prices are not that bad and they are shipped dirt cheap to the Northern.

Kate Nova October 26, 2007 at 2:18 PM  

I got the cutest shoes out of Selections! Granted, I only wore them twice in the warmest part of the summer, but it makes me happy to know at least one pair of attractive footwear lives in my closet, in the shadow of my rubber boots. :)

Jackie S. Quire October 26, 2007 at 3:26 PM  

Yah, I noticed afterwards that there were some nice Adidas in the Selections catalogue. And if the nikes don't work out for me (and my ritual of in-house long-distance shoe trying) I'll give em a try.

Jaime October 26, 2007 at 7:53 PM  

Now no more excuses for missing aerobics! My uncoordinated ass needs more company!! Haha

--Jaime

Rob, Tina and the boys October 26, 2007 at 10:18 PM  

Oh, and I still need a picture of the store! I don't have one from there.

Jaime October 27, 2007 at 1:44 PM  

Tina, I sent you one. Did you receive it? I sent it about a week ago.