The easiest way to find out was to go in. Funny, after watching so many people wander in and out, I had never had the urge to go into the store myself. Being a grown man and having no kids, there was no reason, I guess. I watched outside for a while, and saw some kids and kids with parents wander in - boys. One gawky-looking redhead caught my eye as he stared in the window and then went inside. He was wearing cutoff jeans and a loose green T-shirt with some new-looking orange sneakers. The boy had braces on oversized teeth and ears that stuck out from his head like handles, and freckles all over. Not ugly, but no prize, either.
I was still watching outside 30 minutes later when I thought I saw him come out. Green T-shirt, shorts, but with blonde hair and black and white Converse sneakers. Confused, I realized the kid no longer had freckles, and he looked a lot handsomer. His ears were normal and his teeth were straight as any movie star's. It couldn't be the same kid! Yet the face was the same.
The reluctance I had felt about going in suddenly vanished. A bell tinkled as I opened the door, and a woman somewhat older than me looked up from behind a polished wooden counter. She had streaks of grey in auburn hair, and looked like a grade school teacher. "I was wondering how long it would take you to come inside. You've been putting this off a long time."
I flushed, feeling silly. "Um, I was just curious." I glanced around the store, trying to see if the redhaired boy was still inside and I had just seen another similar kid. "Um, I don't really need anything."
She grinned. "Oh, no kids of your own? Don't worry. I am sure I can find something you'll like." The woman seemed to ollow my gaze. "You looking for someone?"
"Um, no. Sorry." There were a couple of other boys and one woman in the store, but the redhead was gone.
"Here." She reached under the counter and pulled out a pair of bright orange sneakers that looked almost new. The redhead's! "I think these will do the job." The woman gestured to a bench in front of some full-length mirrors. "It's much faster if you put them on there instead of waiting until you get home."
I stared at the shoes - they were obviously too small for me. "They won't fit. I wear a size 12."
The woman clucked her tongue and pulled out a polished silver shoehorn. "Don't argue with the shoe salesperson, dear. I promise these shoes will give you just what you are looking or, and they will fit perfectly."
A little annoyed by her patronizing tone, I took the shoes and shoe horn and sat down on the bench. Slipping off my own shoes, I pushed the front of my foot into a sneaker - the back quarter of my foot was still sticking over the back. "See?"
"Use the shoe horn, dear. That is what it is for."
"Oh, for Pete's sake!" I lifted my foot and slipped the shoe horn into the shoe. "See? My foot sticks out..." I felt a strange twisting and looked down in time to see my foot slide into the sneaker. It was a perfect fit. Amazed, I tried the other one, and blinked as my foot shrank down as soon as it touched the shoe horn.
The woman came over and tied the laces while I watched, still dumbfounded. "You should watch the mirror. It will be quite a show."