Stuff I Like - September Edition
transition shoes
I see you October, lurking around the corner like a creep. Good-bye September, you came and went so I fast I barely knew you. I’m not exactly anti-fall but this time of year always makes me a bit sad. Despite the fog that socked us in all the weekend, it’s actually our ‘summer’ here in SF, although I can’t really complain as our normal calendar summer wasn’t all that terrible. We were #blessed with warmer temps, blue skies, and I wore shorts more times than not. Which for us in the bay is a rarity indeed.
Still, despite fond memories of crisp mornings running on paths of dried leaves and cozy season sweaters, I always enter into fall clinging to the remnants of summer because from here on out, all roads lead to winter. In spite of any ill feelings, good things have happened to me this time of year. On October 5, 2009 I immigrated to Canada and exactly 6 years later (to the day) I moved back to the US. On October 26, 2018* (I think? kidding!) I was married; on November 17, 2021 my son was born. And on October 26, 2024 Running Wylder will be opening its doors. Maybe, I hope. Happy anniversary Matt!
Before I get ahead of myself there are still a few days left of September, much to my son’s disappointment when we informed him the pumpkin patch in the Target parking lot was unfortunately not open yet. Word to the wise, never visit a parking lot pumpkin patch. Unless you unknowingly happen to visit a Target that has a pumpkin patch in its parking lot and you have a toddler in tow in which case there are no lies you can tell that will prevent you from visiting this sad representation of fall.
Before we jump into pumpkin patches and pumpkin spiced everything, let’s instead celebrate these lingering days when the calendar says fall but the weather does not with a Stuff I Like list that serves as the perfect antidote to inbetween season weather, when it’s warm enough for shorts but psychologically feels awkward : trans-seasonal shoes.
But first, did you notice how I casually just dropped that whole maybe/maybe not opening date for Running Wylder back there? Let’s pause before we get into the list (it’s short, we have the space) for a little life update and some unfiltered thoughts around what it’s been like #livingthedream. Thankfully Matt’s back from New York (no covid this time) so normal parenting duties have resumed. Now that I’m no longer providing shuttle services to and from daycare each day, hopefully Dougie will find some less colorful descriptors for the traffic he sees along the way. I made the mistake of saying ‘fucking truck’ last week and he might actually think this is a real classification of truck now? Fire truck…PG+E truck…fucking truck. He also likes to yell at other cars when we’re stuck in traffic ‘come on!’ which makes me laugh and I may or may not be encouraging more of this backseat behavior. I very much enjoy when he accuses other drivers of ‘not being nice and sharing the road’ because, if you’ve ever driven in SF this might actually be the truth?
The store is also progressing; the floors were refinished this week (and by this week I mean, yesterday) which has alleviated a lot of stress because if you’ve never had the pleasure of refinishing hardwood floors let me tell you it is incredibly messy. Even if I have product boxed, bagged and covered there’s no way of keeping it clean when there’s a literal sawdust storm surrounding it. The floors were supposed to be done three weeks ago, but like much of this project they were delayed due to I’m not sure what and orders that were supposed to arrive two weeks ago have been rescheduled to arrive next month (as in like, Tuesday). Some have already been shipped to our house, which is also known as the temporary Running Wylder warehouse (which Nacho isn’t mad about). I still can’t get an official construction schedule and when forced at metaphorical gunpoint we were given an end date of October 21st for all work to be complete. I’m optimistically naively hoping it will only take me a week to get inventory out and the floor organized so we can open 5 days later.
Life these days is a constant hum of stress; a 5/10 but probably more like 9/10 because if I learned nothing by working in a corporate environment for 20 years it’s how to effectively disassociate from my feelings. We’re also 30% over budget, which is great as that’s 30% more I’ll now have to pay back. I also have yet to purchase 75% of my fall product, of which I can’t do quite yet because our opening date is basically an arbitrary date that involves a hope, a prayer and crossing our fingers. As much as I joke that our kitchen is our stock room, it’s true and we’re at capacity. I’ve been using the pronoun ‘we’ for all this but it’s really ‘me’ with a side of ‘we’ because it’s ‘our’ money but ‘my’ store. So while I’m making the decisions for ‘my’ store, I’m also spending ‘our’ money to do so which is stressful for the ‘we’ that makes up the ‘our’ of ‘our’ savings. Stressed…who me?
This might also explain why I’ve been running…a lot. And not just a casual ‘oh it’s so nice out today, let’s go enjoy this lovely sunshine’ run but like an angry ‘don’t fuck with me or get in my way I just need to get out of the house before I start breaking dishes’ run that involves putting on my bitchiest of run faces and zoning out to whatever I need in the moment to help disassociate/process the stress and frustration of not being in control of a lot of things that need to happen before I can move forward with this incredibly large and expensive project of opening a running store. *deep breath*
So yeah, living the dream. And also living in some weird ass weather right now as it was 89 degrees and sunny Friday, 65 degrees and foggy yesterday and who knows what’s on tap for today? Definitely not the weather app on my iphone! So let’s celebrate the end of September by focusing on footwear, or specifically trans-seasonal shoes. Ones that are versatile enough to ground an outfit that’s light on clothing but also keep an outfit feeling light when the layers need to be heavier.
Brooks Hyperion
Ok not a ‘trans-seasonal’ shoe but this is a running newsletter (generally speaking) and I’m sneaking this one in because it’s my new favorite. Brooks was generous to gift everyone who participated in the Running Wylder photoshoot a new pair of shoes of their choosing, and I snuck in a pair for myself. I’ve become familiar with the ghost and the glycerin (and am obsessed with the new glycerin max) so I really wanted to try a faster speed focused shoe from the brand, simply because when I think ‘Brooks’ I think more tortoise than hare.
Perhaps it’s because I’ve started running in more high cushioned options and have forgotten what a good, low profile lightweight running shoe feels like, but I love these. I originally got them to wear on speedier days and I actually just wear them for everything. They were the only pair of shoes I packed for my trip and they’re the only pair of shoes I’ve worn since we’ve gotten back. I’m also obsessed with the color. The more time I spend combing through line sheets for the store, the more I realize I really only want running shoes that fit in one of two buckets (aesthetically, not functionally). I want them to either look old school and retro or I want them futuristic and flashy. I don’t need 37 colorways to choose from - give me a neon (and like, own it) or give me a classic neutral that isn’t boring. These deliver on the brief. Want something futuristic + flashy? Try the max.
my outfit for the photoshoot. wylder merch, left on friday shorts + hyperions. classic grey, a touch of silver and a gum sole? *chef’s kiss* Mizuno Wave Rider 10
I love me a dad shoe but I’m 5’2” and wear a size 9. There’s a certain shoe size in which dad shoes stop looking cute and start looking a little too close to functional running shoes (in my opinion, for me). I’d been wearing the New Balance 574s like all the best normcore loving anti-fashion fashion people for so long I wore a literal hole in the back of them. I attempted a replacement two years ago, unsuccessfully, with a pair of Asics Kayanos which are just too close to looking like actual running shoes for my liking and I never managed to unlock the right styling to make them work. Like the rest of the world I got sucked into the Adidas trend cycle (I love mine) but my heart could not settle until I eventually found a pair of dadcore appropriate grey sneakers. Enter in the Wave Rider 10. The fit is just a little slimmer, the mesh more forgiving and the metallic accents keep it all from looking too literal and make this a versatile yet completely different alternative to my beloved 574s. They’re comfortable enough to wear sans socks and I’m excited to style them with the non-active parts of my closet.
i haven’t worn them yet, but when i do it might be sort of like this? also sorry gen z but i’m team ankle socks. ganni dress, clare v bag, free people movement socks + mizuno wave rider 10s. Jelly Shoes (specifically *these* jelly shoes)
This one might seem odd, given just how big of a trend they were for summer, but this is why I also argue they make the perfect shoe for weird in-between seasons because they’re the unexpected choice. I bought these for our trip as rain was in the forecast but it was also supposed to be sweltering and I couldn’t imagine having to wear socks and sneakers. I’m not a big fan of socks, so finding shoes that can function for the weather and not require my foot to be fully contained make me incredibly happy, which are also my defining characteristics for ideal ‘trans-seasonal footwear’.
My options were admittedly limited based on what I could get the day before we flew out (planner in many ways except when I’m not). Since it doesn’t rain here between the months of March and October I forget in other parts of the world it does, and I began panic shopping, desperate to find an option that wasn’t a sneaker but would be comfortable enough for walking and not take up too much room in my suitcase. I’d had my eye on these since they first appeared in the spring at the height of the Row jelly frenzy and luckily they had a pair in my size in stock at a not far but not close Nordstroms. Mission accomplished and I have worn these many, many more times since - rain or shine.
I like that they’re a jelly (summer) but black and a shoe (fall) so they ground nearly every outfit I pair them with. They’re not too heavy with jeans but heavy enough to wear with tanks and shorts and not feel like I should be on a beach somewhere. I held off on buying them back in the spring because they were such an obvious trend and I wasn’t sure how often I’d actually wear them. Turns out dabbling in an obvious trend isn’t necessarily a bad thing and I wear them all the time. Bonus they required zero breaking in - the first day I wore these we walked nearly 12 miles. No blisters, no sore feet.
the most fashiony of all the options and so versatile! far left - a rainy day on our trip when we walked 12 miles, far right an 85 degree monday last week. Birkenstock Tokios
I’ve waxed poetic about many a Birkenstock in this newsletter, but none have made me quite as happy as the Tokios. I’ve struggled to get into the Bostons, maybe because everyone else has them but mostly because for some reason I just don’t like them on my foot. I want to like them, I really do as sometimes the weather feels a little too foggy to get my toes out but not foggy enough to require socks or sherpa linings. Matt got me sherpa Tokio’s for christmas two years ago and ever since I’ve been dreaming of the day they’d release a suede, non-sherpa option. The buyers at Free People must have heard my pining because they released a collab centered around this specific style last month. I immediately added to cart and have zero regrets.
me running errands last week in the perfect errand running shoes. it was 56 and chilly when i left the house at 8:30am and sweltering when i returned an hour later.
I promised the list would be short and there we are, three perfect shoes for a season of transition, which could also be a metaphor for my life right now. Here’s hoping that ‘unofficial’ opening date becomes official sooner than later. Finger’s crossed.
*k
*I’ve been informed by my husband that it was in fact October 24th
I’ve been thinking about off of these shoes since you posted. Might be time to purchase!
So funny about Dougie. I can just hear him saying those things in the back seat. 😂