The DJ who's not a DeeJay

Music, toy photography, and blogging have been my creative outputs throughout the years. Lately, I've been in a stump and slump and can't focus on any of these. I do think I need to jumpstart any of these or all to sharpen my mind and challenge my brain to stay creative and mentally sound. 

Instagram has been the output of some bits of creativity in the past few months, but social media is not enough. Been more of a lurker but also looking for discussions and topics to spark interests and opinion. 

I’m not quite there yet, but I hope that clearing my desk will also encourage me to clear my mind or at least turn my thoughts into something worth sharing. Here's to the spark, or in Transformers G1 terms, the matrix.

Wifey and I were just planning to drive a few cities away to buy some delicious cake in Laguna. We didn't have any plans to go anywhere else. But by some stroke of spontaneity, we chanced upon a gas station stopover that happened to have some factory outlets. There were Adidas and Crocs.

As we checked the outlets out, I remember that I was never keen on having branded or multiple shoes even when I was a kid. The only brand I remember I liked was Reebok, because it was cool at the time I was a teen and my parents gave me a pair then.  For me, I prioritize comfort and looks, regardless of the brand or label. 

I've had friends and relatives who I knew were serious shoe collectors. They knew the ins and outs of shoes, knew the history of each pair, and some were even lining up to get a pair as soon as it was launched.  

The two current pairs of shoes I rotate are actually over 6 years old; one is from Taiwan, and the other was bought in Singapore but probably made in Indonesia. So I was more interested in looking at non-shoe products when we visited these shoe outlets. After visiting Crocs and Adidas, we were ready to leave when we noticed there was one more small shoe store a bit farther down the strip. And so while we were there, we decided to take a look.

Went around the aisles of shoes and I suddenly gained interest in a black and hot pink shoe I saw. It reminded me of WWE wrestler Bret "The Hitman" Hart, with his signature wrestling gear being black and pink.  It looked cool, and I never had this color combination for a shoe. When I picked it up, it was light and looked sturdy.  I decided to try it out, but it was a bit small for my feet. So I asked for the next bigger size.  Luckily, they had it in stock. Tried it out and walked a bit. It felt soft and comfy. So comfy that since I've been wearing the same shoes for 6 years, I forgot how a comfortable shoe could feel.  

Looked good, felt good. Now for the brand. The name Puma as a brand never appealed to me. I really don't have any reason why. It just never sparked any joy, I guess.  And I never had a Puma pair of shoes. If I would rank shoe brands, Puma would probably be at the bottom of my list.  

So I did the illogical. I bought the pair of shoes.

Why?

For me, it's comfort over style. Design over brand.  And affordability over luxury.  I may not have any personal connection with the brand, but I am happy with the new pair of shoes I have.  I hope this will last as long as or even longer than my old pair of shoes. Please keep my feet safe and comfortable, Puma. I placed my bet on you; don't let me down.

Now we walk.