Things I Bought That I Love: New Balance 620 Sneakers

I aspire to minimalism, but I suck at asceticism. I still have too many clothes, lipsticks, necklaces, and books to count, and despite our KonMari tidying session last spring and my best efforts to save more money and shop less, inevitably new purchases trickled in to our home and my wardrobe. This prospect troubled me until I realized that: 1) I really don't want to be the sort of self-flagellating minimalist who berates herself over every purchase, and 2) I'd like to think that the KonMari method has sharpened my senses for what really sparks joy in my life. So without further ado, I present a new semi-regular feature on the blog. Things I Bought That I Love will highlight the (hopefully) rare, carefully considered new purchases that spark joy and contribute to my overall sense of contentment and well-being. Let's kick things off with these New Balance 620 sneakers.

I did say "carefully considered," right? Well, I'm embarrassed to say this was an impulse purchase I made while the boy and I were strolling Main Street two weekends ago, spotted on the sale shelf at Still Life For Him & For Her (40% off!).

As soon as I slipped them on, it was as though clouds had parted in the heavens and an angel choir was singing. They were so comfy, especially compared to the slim-soled Converse I was wearing earlier. Hallelujah, cushioning, arch support! This is what old people keep going on about. This was what was missing from my shoe collection.

I did laps around in front of the floor-length mirror, torn between an impulse to put them back ("You don't need more shoes!") and all the ways these shoes sparked joy:

• The navy/baby blue/neon yellow colourway would go well with my post-KonMari wardrobe, which was heavy on neutrals, skinny denim, and various shades of blue.
• The slightly elongated, tapered toe looked sportier and sleeker than the snub-nosed New Balance sneakers I'd seen before and dismissed.
• All the cushioning at the heel helped with my burgeoning, on-off plantar fasciitis, gave me a subtle height boost, and made my legs and ankles look slightly thinner.
• I could wear them year-round in sun or light rain.
• I literally didn't own another pair of sneakers as comfortable and cushioned as these ones, and even while my head and heart wanted to resist my feet were already channelling Gollum and declaring "My precccioussssss!"

Needless to say, Gollum won and I took the shoes home.

I wore them that very night and for three days straight after that. And miracle of miracles, my usually tired, achy feet felt refreshed no matter how far I walked in our pedestrian-friendly neighbourhood, as though every bouncy step I took was a mini-massage. My heel pain disappeared. When my feet got cranky in my ankle boots or Converse, I'd slip on the New Balance sneakers for a day and feel refreshed again. "I love these shoes!" I kept gleefully exclaiming to the boy. If minimalism is truly defined by the rejection of new stuff, I've failed miserably—but at least I seem to have aced the pursuit of joy. For now anyway.