These are my favorite pair of shoes that I own. Mostly because of the context of how I got them. How I obtained them can be traced to my fascination with the Eastern bloc of countries that were in the Communist sphere during the Cold War. I never got to see that part of the world while it was under Soviet influence so I always try to see the remnants of that era whenever I can. This trip was focused on the parts of Germany that had been part of the DDR - East Berlin, Leipzig and the city where I bought these, Wismar, a little town on the Baltic sea that has Scandinavian touches since it was once part of the Swedish Empire. There's halo around my memory of my time spent there, especially the little department store that seemed preserved in the ember of another time where I bought these shoes. There was a generic blandness to the interior and the merchandise but the staff who worked there carried themselves with a proud formality from another era. I loved it. Whatever vibe that place was giving off I wanted to take it home with me. Except for having to change the laces, the shoes have aged incredibly well and  are extremely comfortable.  They are possibly the best made footwear I've ever owned. Maybe Karl Marx was onto something after all.