BON VOYAGE, SHOES

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The author's weightlifting shoes. 11 years in the making.

Exactly 11 years ago on my eighteenth birthday, a mentor gave me my the first pair of weightlifting shoes. A humble, $60 pair of VS. Plain, black and white, no frills. They’re the only weightlifting shoes I’ve owned. 

I’m officially retiring them today on June 2nd, my 29th birthday. This a bon voyage to my old friends. 

I learned about life’s secrets in these shoes. Set personal records.  Met future business partners. I had ‘em on when I asked the hot trainer at the gym on our first date. I’ve strapped them on in tough, uncertain personal times and headed to the squat rack – to get my head back in the ballgame. 

A decade’s worth of journal entries, these wooden-soul-warriors are a manifestation of my life.

They’ve got entries. Successes, failures, scuffs, scratches, records. History. 

In honor of the wood, rubber, glue, leather & lace, here are 3 universal lessons I learned from a pair of shoes:

  • Go All In –Follow passion. Get obsessed. Be all about it. The lessons you learn when you care deeply about something pay off on the journey. Now and down the road.

  • Grip it. Rip it. And Just F*cking Go For It – I hit my first 100 kg snatch after 10 missed attempts. There’s a primal, dark-magic power to saying, “F*ck it. I’m just going to do it,” and getting out of your own head.

  • Consistency Is The Mother of it All – Fall in love with the process. You can’t get stronger or better in a day. Or a week. Or month. It takes consistent application. Respect the time put in.

Oh, and before I forget –

Special thanks to Allegiate's Tim Caron for giving me my second pair of weightlifting shoes. 

They’ve got big shoes to fill.


cody romness