Dept. of Commerce

KICKIN’ IT WINO STYLE

Jim HallWed. September 26
 

Outdress your competition with help from First United Shoe


PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES

The secret to looking good is knowing where to get unique clothing and then not telling the rest of the world where you buy your duds. Unfortunately for me (and fortunately for you), I’m about to spill it.

It’s a rule that I never leave the house without first transforming myself from a messy-haired pajama wearer to a fully dapper dude. I used to think hair was the most important thing on a guy—I was wrong. Every female I’ve known reiterates the same thing: shoes make the man. In my younger years, I wore Vans and Converse, but grew bored with those because most every guy who dressed like me and was into the same things wore either of those two choices. There’s nothing wrong with Vans and/or Converse, but it got old, much like wearing Dickies has begun to wear thin (any suggestions that aren’t Ben Davis would really help me out here, people!). It’s pretty tough to be an individual when your competition mirrors your style, so I had to change it up. Which led me to First United Shoe in Bellflower.

What some might consider Bellflower’s worst quality—a town trapped in some weird time warp vortex where 1977 is reluctantly dragging its feet into 2007—is a boon when it comes to shopping. Forced to break free from the shoe shackles I was in, I found the best shoes I’ve ever worn at First United. Unofficially, they’re called Winos. Officially, no one knows the proper name for them, because they’re made by different companies. But all serve the same purpose.

As I’ve been told by the massive amounts of guys who inquire where I got my shoes, Winos used to be found at drug stores and were worn by drunks because they were so cheap. Now they’ve gone underground and finding them is damn near impossible. Sure, any store that ends in “Mart” sells the slip-ons and some skate companies slap their logo on and charge $40, but I ain’t trying to hear that. I want the good shit and I want it cheap. The selection of Winos at First United Shoe is incredible. They’ve got slip-ons and laces in all black, black with brown rubber (my choice), blue, white and tan. They stock extra wide sizes and even stretched a pair for free when I needed a particular color that they didn’t have in the wide size. And with tax, they cost $16.23.

The best part about First United, though, is Ron, the cowboy-hat wearing employee. He’s got an accent, but I can’t place my finger on where he’s from. Ron’s the real deal service industry guy: he greets customers when he sees them, asks if they need help and tells quirky stories. Never has he been pushy with me or made me feel like I had to buy something. If they don’t have what I need, he looks in the back and doesn’t make me feel like I’m making him work harder than he has to.

Winos are the perfect fit. They work as casual shoes and look standard enough to be worn to bourgeois get-togethers. They’re as comfortable as a well-sat couch and don’t rub my heels when I first put them on. They tell the world, “Hey buddy, I can go either way. I can sip fancy champagne with stuffy old folks or beat some ass at Fern’s—it’s your call.”

First United Shoe also sells the aforementioned Converse (and has quite the selection), along with Stacy Adams, Airwalk and copious amounts of sandals. In addition, the store stocks one of the largest dress shoe selections I’ve seen, plus a work shoe/boot department that makes Sears shit its pants. I’m sure those other shoes are great, but I finally found something I like in Winos and am sticking with them until enough readers find my secret stash and force me to go barefoot.

FIRST UNITED SHOE 9818 E ARTESIA BLVD | BELLFLOWER 90706 | 562.867.3502

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