Prof. Jessica Penner | OL02 | Spring 2021

Discussion: Meet My Feet

If we were meeting in person, I’d show you one of my favorite pair of shoes: Red Doc Martens. I love these boots. They’re comfortable for walking and teaching and just look awesome. They’re getting a little ragged and worn–I think I’ve owned this pair for nearly a decade. I know I’ve gone through at least two sets of inserts!

When I was in high school, I wanted a pair of Doc Martens, but couldn’t afford to have a “real” pair. Instead, I bought pairs of knock-off Doc Martens, which are fine and looked basically like the real deal, but I knew in my heartest of hearts that they weren’t the same.

There was a point in my life after I’d been teaching awhile when I realized: “Hey, you’ve got enough money to buy the real thing!” And then I started shopping, which is the most fun about getting new clothes or shoes, in my opinion. At first, I was going to buy the traditional pair (black), but then I saw these red ones, and I decided, if I was going to splurge, I was going to splurge on something that stood out.

Please add a comment to this post. What did you enjoy? What questions do you have?

19 Comments

  1. Jeffrey

    I appreciate this rags to riches story, the character arc was truly captivating as I was immersed in how your boot choice would go from fake boots to real boots.

    Question: Why boots instead of sneakers?
    I appreciate boots for their ability to wade through rough conditions, but they’re always too heavy for my liking. I get that it’s maybe a 2-4 pound difference if anything, but it’s noticeable enough for me to pick sneakers whenever I can.

  2. BensonH

    Title was misleading. I came expecting feet i got boots instead. Nice boots though. Also at a quick glance at the picture i thought you were wearing a boot on one and sneakers on the other.

  3. Jourdan

    This is a very wholesome story. I thought that I was going to read about feet and dreaded it because I hate anything that has to do with feet. However, I ended up with a smile on my face at the end of the story. As Benson said, the title was very misleading.

    I think I enjoyed this story so much because even despite the circumstances of COVID-19 and remote learning, you still found a way to connect with your students. I feel like a lot of teachers aren’t really trying as hard to bond with their students nowadays because we can’t see each other in person. This makes the atmosphere of the class (even if it is just a Zoom or Blackboard call) so dreary and boring. Another reason I enjoyed this story is because I can relate to it. I was lucky enough to find a job in October and after my first few paychecks, I was able to buy some things that I’ve been wanting for so long. It’s so satisfying buying something you want with money you worked hard for. It makes you feel like you deserved it.

    So, here’s my question to you: Have you ever considered getting different colored pair of Doc Martens to try and switch it up a little bit? Or have you always stuck with the red pair?

  4. Will

    If there’s anything that stood out throughout this piece of writing, it’s the love that remained the same for the brand. A good number of people would have settled for those knock-offs and moved on with no regret. It’s interesting to see how powerful the ‘want’ can be no matter the price tag. A lot of boots have some hefty weight to them as well. I was kind of surprised to read that you’ve burned through two sets of inserts! That bit of information is enough to show the appreciation you have for the boots.

    Question: What brought your attention to Doc Martens?

  5. Nelson Tavarez

    I can relate to finally being able to buy something you always wanted. I don’t have the courage to buy something that truly stands out as you do but I hope to one day. I try to stick to basic colors and clothes so I don’t have to focus on what I have to wear as much.

  6. Wu

    Misleading title! Haha but all else it was a nice little introduction to something that you liked.
    This is kind of like how I love my computer mouse. I love it and I’ve been using the same model for about 4-5 years now.

  7. Wu

    Misleading title! Haha but all else it was a nice little introduction to something that you liked.
    This is kind of like how I love my computer mouse. I love it and I’ve been using the same model for about 4-5 years now.

  8. Christopher

    I really enjoyed this story because it shows how much love you have for your boots. It shows that your boots are valuable to you. I think that everyone also has a piece of clothing or an accessory that they value a lot. For me, it would be a necklace that I received as a baby, I find it very valuable to me because it was given to me by my family and every time I have it on I always think of them.
    Question: What made Doc Martens your favorite pair of shoes? Was it the design?

  9. Christopher

    I really enjoyed this story because it shows how much love you have for your boots. It shows that your boots are valuable to you. I think that everyone also has a piece of clothing or an accessory that they value a lot. For me, it would be a necklace that I received as a baby, I find it very valuable to me because it was given to me by my family and every time I have it on I always think of them.
    Question: What made Doc Martens your favorite pair of shoes? Was it the design?

  10. Kevin Navarrete

    I enjoyed the story, I felt connected to it because I have a similar experience. Hard work pays off. What made you choose the picture you chose?

  11. Kadiatou

    The title definitely does make me envision something about feet before I start to read the passage but I guess it relates in some way to the story. I love how wholesome this is not being able to have as much in the beginning to afford the shoes and as you grow you even forget how much you longed for them. The reason that the idea of still wanting them popped into your mind shows how valuable they were to you.

  12. Alexsis

    I enjoyed reading your story because it seemed very wholesome. You could have wrote about something extremely materialistic such as a laptop but instead you wrote about your favorite pair of boots. I can relate to this story because I have a job and it feels good to be able to buy the things I want with my own money, it’s a rewarding feeling. I think it’s especially nice that after so many years you still have a love for Doc Martens. It’s nice to hear that you still, in some way, have a piece of your younger self with you because your boots are a reminder of how you’ve grown up and no matter how much time has passed, they are still important to you.
    Question: Is there something else you own today that reminds you of high school?

  13. Amani

    I think this story was super relatable. Growing up theres always an item we aspire to have when we get older, and even as grownups they’re still more things we want in the future no matter how big or small. It’s nice to splurge once in a while, especially when you work hard for it. One question I have is how do the Doc Martens compare to your other favorite pairs of shoes?

  14. Moose

    I really enjoyed reading about something that I can relate too. In my early years of high school I always wanted high level Jordans such as Yeezys and Air Jordan’s but I didn’t really have the funds but everyday I walked passed someone with a pair I think to myself one day I will be able to get all the sneakers I want and make my very own collection. Now that I can pay for sneakers and clothes I own many pairs of both Yeezys and Air Jordan’s and I am very excited about each pair that I get.

  15. Sheely Menendez

    I really like this short story, it made me smile, mostly the idea of something simple being describe this good, not that that the boots are simple, but the idea of expressing something really good or wholesome about an everyday thing, I like doc Martens I been thinking of buying a pair myself, but I rather have the black pair since I personally feel that they match my clothes better, even though I am a sneakers person. Honestly I think I could relate to this short story and not only for a pair of shoes but because I feel we all have an item or items that we are attach that might not seen as a big deal or thing.

  16. Clifton McDowell jr

    I really enjoyed this short story. If you hadn’t posted a picture I would’ve expected your doc Martens to look very old and coming apart due to you having them for so long. It also made me connect to my own shoe story from when I was younger and always wanting a pair of white air force ones, and finally being able to purchase a pair myself once I got older. You also let me know you love to shop and stand out so I also got a taste of your personality.

  17. Jordan Bailey

    I loved the story. Reminds me of a time where I wanted to buy something and putting it off for years until I can buy it.

    Question: Did you really prefer the red pair over the black pair? Or did you pick the red ones only because it stood out?

  18. DeAndre Badresingh

    What I liked about this is that most people can relate to something like this. We all had something we wanted to badly but either didn’t have the resources to get it or wasn’t allowed to get it at that given moment in time. Then later on when you can, you get that feeling of enjoyment out of it when you can finally attain what you wanted.

  19. Nuha

    I admired how you used your boots as a life struggle you had as a teen. At first, I thought you would talk about your favorite brand, however, I now understand why you talk about your favorite boots and how you couldn’t afford them as a teen. As we grew older little things grew within us live in our hearts.
    my question is why Doc Martens boots? what’s so special about them?

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