CRUEL SHOES
Stokes knew he had to have a new pair of shoes today, and Adidas had helped him try on every pair in the store. Adidas spoke wearily, "Well, that's it. Thats every pair of shoes in the place."
"Oh, you must have one more pair. . . .
"No, not one more . . . . Well, we have the cruel shoes, but no one would want to try . . .
Yes, let me see the cruel shoes!"
"No, you don't understand, you see, the cruel shoes are . . .'
"Get them!"
Adidas disappeared into the back room for a moment, and then reappeared carrying an ordinary shoebox. He took off the lid and removed a hideous pair of orange and white hightops. But this was not an ordinary pair of orange and white hightops; both were left feet, one had a right angle turn with separate compartments that pointed the toes in impossible directions. The other shoe was six inches long and was curved inward like a rocking chair with a vise and razor blades to hold the foot in place.
Adidas spoke hesitantly, ". . . Now you see . . . they' re not fit for humans . . ."
"Put them on me."
"But... "Put them on me!"
Adidas knew all arguments were useless. He knelt down before Stokes and forced the feet into the shoes.
The screams were incredible.
Stokes crawled over to the mirror and held his bloody feet up where he could see.
"I like them."
He thanked Adidas and crawled out of the store into the street.
Later that day, Adidas was overheard saying to a new recruit, "Well, that's it. Thats every pair of shoes in the place. Unless, of course, you'd like to try the cruel shoes."
