By Rodney J. Auth
Our plane landed at 9 a.m. in jolly old London and with it, the start of summer. I staggered off, already jet lagged. My new Hoka trainers seemed to soak up the jetway as I followed my wife off the plane, down to customs and baggage claim, and eventually my sister-in-law waiting outside. We grabbed a coffee, jumped in the Tube (making sure to “mind the gap”) and rolled away to the start of our vacation.
Our goal, like all travelers who land in the morning, was to stay up till bedtime, then, hopefully, crash hard and wake up rested and ready to walk, walk, walk around the city.
Our plan worked. The next day we took the Uber boat into the city and walked, walked, walked. 20,000 steps later, I was cursing my new Hokas. The outside of my right foot was badly bruised and each step had turned into a limp. I couldn’t go on this way. So, at the advice of my brother-in-law, we stopped in the Skechers store and bought a pair of ultra-comfy, slip-on tennis shoes. They’re slippers with tennis shoe soles. They were, and continue to be, game-changers. Summer was on.
I spent the week “Skechering” my way through the history that is London. I wore them home to McCall, where I found them on my feet every day—walking to work, hiking in Ponderosa, fly fishing in our local streams and lakes. They went with me to Craig, Montana, for a four-day float of the Missouri River. They helped me land some lunkers, drink some beer, inflate and deflate a raft, and basically have a blast.
I came home, recharged my batteries, then “Skechered” off to ride my mountain bike from Bryce Canyon to Zion National Park with a college buddy. Arriving at the first day of the ride, I realized I forgot my pedals and bike shoes at home, so I rode with flats and my Skechers up and over ridge after ridge after ridge—eventually totaling 8,500 feet of climbing in four days and some amazing memories.
The summer of the Skechers didn’t stop there. It went with me to Ohio and Wisconsin for family reunions. They hiked me into Lake Rock Lake to help my daughter catch her first fish on a fly rod. They got me on and off drift boats on the South Fork of the Snake for some August hopper fishing. And now, they sit next to my desk—beaten, worn, and smelly, but a true friend and great reminder of an awesome summer—just like the videos we produced; check them out on our website or YouTube channel.
Now, it’s time to flip the page—get ready for our Town Edit 2023—which is sure to be awesome, and our fall adventures—more fishing, mountain biking, hiking and, of course, ski prep. I can’t wait.
See you out there!
