by donna h.
Member since:
August 29, 2006

Did anyone do this as a kid?

January 04, 2009 12:16 PM EST
views: 64 | comments: 28

I was born in 1960. My parents weren't rich nor were we poor by the time I came into the scene. We were a very comfortable middle class family. Trips were day ones and always to museums and other educational spots..along with the ones to the amusement parks.

I used to get dress shoes & sneakers once a year , sometimes twice...but rarely ..your sneakers or shoes lasted. When you got a hole in the bottom of them ...my parents put cardboard from either a cereal box or some box in them so they would last.

Now my husband was born into an Upper middle class family and he makes fun of this. He never had cardboard in his shoes...he gots toys weekly...and basically spoiled rotten!

I was curious who did or remembers people doing that!

My kids are spoiled , they have alot of shoes and clothes. They also crack up when I mention this..in their wildest dreams they were never do this!

 

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Comments: 28

Lee P. Jan 4, 2009, 12:24pm EST
I'm a lot older than you. My shoes came from Sears and Roebuck. Once a year. We went barefoot in the summertime. In my young school years I sometimes went to school barefooted. But, I wasn't any different from a lot of kids, there were lots of us who went to school barefooted. Some even had to go to school barefooted in the winter time. But Sears and Roebuck provided me and my brother with new shoes at the beginning of every school year for many years.
Angela <:3---}~~~~ M. Jan 4, 2009, 12:25pm EST
i have heard of this before but we never had to do it.
Lilith Dorsey Jan 4, 2009, 12:29pm EST
I was always wearing out shoes, new ones were a big deal.
Aunt Boni H. Jan 4, 2009, 12:40pm EST
We got new shoes at the end of summer, to go back to school. We each had ONE pair. If you got a hole in your shoe, but the shoes still fit, cardboard was the way to go. A good pair of shoes could travel through all six of my siblings. And socks? Mom repaired them.
Peter Joseph Swanson Jan 4, 2009, 12:45pm EST
Mom bought new ones - but I remember shoes were expensive and a big deal. I think my heel would rip from the shoe before a I got a hole IN the sole ...
donna h. Jan 4, 2009, 1:03pm EST
Aunt Boni..that is when we got ours also.
Lee...we got our from Buster Brown
Angela..you were lucky
Lilith...my sister always got the new ones
Peter..I used to a number on mine!
Elaine S. Jan 4, 2009, 2:23pm EST
I got hand me down clothes and shoes from my cousin until I outgrew her.
I do remember putting cardboard in my shoes lots of kids did.
Sharon R. Jan 4, 2009, 2:33pm EST
Yep! Either Sears or Montgomery Wards (Monkey Ward according to my dad). One pair a year and always brown lace up oxfords - would have given anything then for a pair of mary janes or saddle shoes!!!!
Dad had a shoe repair kit and would resole our shoes, but once the inner sole was gone, cardboard was the way to go.
B F. Jan 4, 2009, 4:45pm EST
That's why I occassionaly find cardboard in shoes at the thrift store!!! I get em cheap and take em to the shoe repair shop for $5 to get resoled and boy do I save a ton on the western boots and skate shoes the kids want so badly...
ChrisJerri S. Jan 4, 2009, 6:46pm EST
I've certainly heard of it, but never had to do it that I recall. But then I've always been really easy on shoes, even in my running days. I think I don't pick my feet high enough off the ground, but kind of shuffle walk - maybe prevents a lot of wear and tear on shoes.
Peggy C. Jan 4, 2009, 7:35pm EST
I never heard of putting cardboard in shoes. I remember not having many, in the warmer weather I went bare footed.
donna h. Jan 4, 2009, 8:10pm EST
lol..my dad would try and repair my shoes also Sharon..

In a way..I guess this was a good way to reduce waste!
Sue * Jan 4, 2009, 10:37pm EST
We weren't rich, in fact my mom says that when I first started school I would get a few new dresses from Montgomery Ward, and she would get nothing. I never had cardboard in my shoes, although I didn't have a lot of shoes until high school. My addiction started then.
Joseph H. Jan 4, 2009, 10:51pm EST
cardboard? no.
Doyle ( IS SOOO 7 for 7 soon... ) C. Jan 5, 2009, 12:38am EST
No cardboard but clothing and a pair of shoes only once...for the new school year. We lived on cereal for breakkfast and PB&J year round...though on Saturday or Sunday each week we'd get pancakes. I haven't eaten peanut butter or cereal...or milk...since. No harm, no foul. We did what needed to be done. And they sacrificed more...THAT I know.
I don't remember putting cardboard in the bottom but I do remember my mother slipping duct tape into my sneakers to keep the upper from pulling away from the sole. The shoes had to last until school let out for the summer.
Jessica S. Jan 5, 2009, 12:48am EST
i got one pair of shoes a year, when school started. i usually went barefoot all summer!
Visionaerie B. Jan 5, 2009, 12:50am EST
My dad used to put newspapers in his footwear, when they were kids, to stay warm, I guess. I actually put duct tape inside my slipper shoes to reflect the heat from my feet. I want to get some of those massage shoes or sandals. I guess you could also use a cardboard box to slide down the hill -- I'm going to make a shelf for our cat with an orange crate, otherwise she just perches on a dilapidated cardboard box. We went through a flood back in '65 too (was born in '62). Thanks for posting this!
Visionaerie B. Jan 5, 2009, 12:53am EST
How about the machines that used to X-ray your feet? I still have no idea why they did that. Maybe it was a bit before my time. We still have some Buster Brown memorabilia around, for sure. Hush Puppies were pretty cool too. Glad they got rid of those machines though!
Melanie B. Jan 5, 2009, 7:33am EST
Use to? Heck I still do put cardboard in my shoes!! ahahaaa *true story* =)
Grems 'gremlin' Jan 5, 2009, 8:41pm EST
Never had to do the cardboard in my shoes. School shoes and gym shoes at the start of the school year. dress shoes and gym shoes at the start of the summer if the gym shoes did not fit at the end of the school year. School shoes doubled at dress shoes if needed.
donna h. Jan 5, 2009, 10:29pm EST
My dress shoes were school shoes too! My parents did sacrifice for us. I am always telling my kids how my father would walk to work to save the bus fare..just to buy my sister a toy. How many men would do that today.
donna h. Jan 5, 2009, 10:29pm EST
...or women!
Denise B. Jan 6, 2009, 8:12am EST
I remember - 1 pair of shoes had to last the whole year -card board and wax paper and tape covered holes
donna h. Jan 6, 2009, 9:59am EST
Denise..your shoes were probably repaired better than mine!

Can you imagine telling kids today they had to tape their shoes! and do we what did as kids....
Sammie B. Jan 15, 2009, 8:01pm EST
I never put cardboard on my shoes. I got shoes once a year and if they got a hole then I wore them with a hole. xD
donna h. Jan 15, 2009, 10:02pm EST
I did that too!

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