George’s Shoes

The only reason I ever go to Arden Hills is for George’s Shoes. This little store tucked away in a strip mall on Lexington Avenue is an absolute life-​saver. I took my mother shoe shopping three times while she was in town and this was the only place that could begin to fit her foot. Shoe shopping with my mother is one of the early trails to Sainthood. She puts her companions and the sales people through the ringer while she sits imperiously pointing at impossible shoes. Every shoe must be scrutinized heavily before facing nevitable rejection as being too high, too narrow, too «fifties,» too expensive, not the right color or some other problem. The sales girl, who is the daughter of the owner worked valiantly and steadily for more than an hour and finally, finally sold my mother a pair of shoes. She never complained. She never attempted to go on break or trick her co-​worker into waiting on my mother. She was a trooper. I’ve bought shoes from George before and though they don’t carry a lot of my favorite brands I think after this experience, I am a customer for life.