I had a friend in town, she borrowed these shoes because she had lost hers the night before (don’t ask). They were mean to her feet and I chivalrously offered to switch (they’re really too small for me, I’m a 10).

She got my comfy Vagabond platforms, I got a still life of street gunk on my sole: gum, glass (two kinds), cigarette butts (two kinds!), gravel, a hair and random brown street goo — all the reasons one should never walk barefoot on the streets of NY.

I think it’s kind of beautiful, is that very wrong of me?