It’s always a little sad when a pair of Converse Chuck Taylor’s bites the dust.

Yesterday, I had to say goodbye to a loyal pair. They’d really taken a beating over the past few years. I’m reasonably sure they were my go-to pair when I was in the Carter Admin. And I know they were my go-to pair for show attendance. I really loved that the color was “Gunmetal” and I also loved that they were among the last American-made Chucks I own. (I still have a couple of American pairs and actually haven’t bought any foreign-made Chucks.) Typically, the eyelets were popping out and the treads were non-existant. I mean, hell, I even squooshed a spider inside them.

Yep, they served me well.