I bought a pair of $160 sneakers and I feel great.

When I was a kid I loved new sneakers. I used to buy them and then go to bed with them right by my face so I could smell them and stare at them. I had those florescent green Nike Pumps, I was the first kid in school with the Reebok Pumps, I had some "ill" Flight sneakers stolen at basketball camp, and towards the end of my sneaker fetish I scored a sweet pair of Jordan's. After that I went into hippie mode for several years and then to my latest phase of rather pedestrian, average Joe attire.

So Friday I decided to go shoe shopping. My New Balance navy sneakers were out of cushion and my feet have been killing me. I stopped by Foot Locker and they didn't have what I wanted. New Balance makes some ugly combinations and apparently Foot Locker buys them all. No plain blue shoes in sight. So I tried on a million other low budget options and nothing really worked for my fat feet and my very intentional "look like you don't try too hard" fashion motif.

Then, I saw them.

The Air Max 360 II has air bubbles on the entire surface of the sole. "I bet that feels awesome," I told myself. I told the sales lady to get me a pair. Without looking at the price, I tried them on and, blinded by comfort, said "I don't care what they cost, ring me up." $160.

I had two casual DJ jobs this weekend and I got to wear these sneakers. I usually come home exhausted and sore, but not this time. I am telling you, these sneakers are worth every penny. I know there are kids all over the world who could eat for a millinium on what I spent for these shoes. On some level I experience some tension there, but I DO NOT feel tension in my back or my legs and that is worth it to me.

I'm sitting in my basement office at Ayuda working on a grant, drinking a Dr. Pepper, listening to Licensed to Ill, and I've got $160 worth of pep in my step. Damn, it's good to live in America.