• tab I remember the day I was made. I just remember rubber being thrown onto me while I was moving down a line. Everybody called me a gym shoe so I shortened my name to just Jim. My twin brother is named Nike. (Another thing we are always called) Soon I we were shoved together inside a box.
    tab I surprisingly loved the store. It was clean and I was on display so I got to talk with other shoes. There was one disadvantage of being a shoe, however. It was the awful feeling I got when someone would put me on. The person's foot was like swimming without learning how, I was left gasping for air or I was unable to hold on any longer.
    tab Then there was one day that changed my happy, display, lifestyle. A young boy reached up to the highest shelf where I lay and raced me down. He put me and Nike on his feet. For once it wasn't an awful fit, yet I still hated every minute of it.
    tab 'Hey Jim... where are we?" My brother asked in horror. We looked around at the new setting we were kicked off at. We saw a lot more shoes that were mostly beat up. Curiously, I asked "What happened to you guys?"
    tab One older shoe laughed and replied, "Well we've been here for a while and a dog doesn't help. Help your new owner, he's a really good runner." I was still wondering what I dog would do to a shoe like me, so I peered over at the couch and saw a giant slobbering dog grab my brother withg it's vicious teeth and race off. Luckily I saw my new "master" waddle over to the dog and bring Nike back. Pretty frightened he said
    tab "I want to go back to the store."
    tab " We all do, believe me, we do."
    tab The next day the boy slipped us on and left. This world was so strange. It wasn't clean like the store. It was filthy and being my first time, I was having trouble holding on. I figured out that you untie your laces to get a break. Nike was a natural on the other hand. He never untied once. I managed to get through the day untill gym. The other shoe was right, he is a fast runner! I was holding on for so long and I-I just flew off. He was the laughingstock all because of me.
    tab The next day I was determined to do my best. But when gym came, I was thinking the worst. The boy was running fast but then, he was about to give up! Normally I would be happy for a break but I realized that I couldn't let him just stop. I wasn't happy about being a shoe yet I still gave every drop of rubber on me to move his foot. He was confused but He raced off. He was the winner that day, thanks to me.
    tab Now, I'm one of the beaten up shoe. I've learned that if you believe in it you can grow into it. There's a new pair of shoes coming today and just as I've heard before he said, "I want to go home." But my reply this time was,
    "No you won't, believe me, you won't."