Boots

Footwear

What you wear on your feet define you.  Trent, my son, was wearing a size men's 11 when he passed away at 15 years old. 
He loved his Red Wing lace up leather boots.  He got them that summer in Grand Rapids at one of those once a year Red Wing deals, buy one pair and get one free.  So, Trent talked his dad into going.  All the guys from the farm went.... Trent, His Dad (Brad), Nick and Kraig. He was feeling more like a man to be included in those rare men shopping trips.   Lucky for Trent his Dad couldn't find a pair that he wanted so that meant he got two Red Wing boots. 
You might be asking what is the big deal about Red Wing.  Well, as it was explained to me by Trent... they are made in the USA (not Japan like all the other boots) and they have a life time guarantee.  "Really mom, they will replace the souls for free when I wear them out!"
 "Of course, Son!"  I replied back.
Trent wore them everywhere... riding dirt bikes, pitching manure, working in the fields, shopping, even at school while everyone else thought that it wasn't cool.  Oh, he had tennis shoes but they were rarely worn.  I think he even would have slept in them if I allowed him.
They were his trademark and he was proud of that fact.  They defined him.  He was a country boy to the core.  He thrived on getting your hands dirty and getting the job done!
Those boots were well worn in when he passed away.  The toes were wore through so you could see the shiny steel toe peeking out.  The laces were tied together on one of the boots.  The leather was no longer just one color, it was darker in some spots where grease, oil or worse manure had saturated it.  The heels were starting to show some wear with some of the deep groves no longer aggressive but smooth from gripping the pedals on his quad or dirt bike.  Whew! You could smell the pungent odor of the insides of them from a room away but that didn't seem to bother him.  He just grinned.
Yes! those boots defined Trent... comfy in his boots.. proud to be a country boy!