OT: Air is a pretty good watch

[ShakyTheMohel]

Mom bought us no-name sneakers at Grants or Kings (Stamford). I swear some were simply all plastic. One time she did splurge on PF Flyers for me.

Wow…Kings. Haven’t thought about them in years. As I remember...a poor man's Kmart?

I had Pro Keds and Puma Clyde's. The Puma's turned your sox blue when they got wet...but I was a Walt Frazier fan.

I cannot remember where I bought my sneakers in Stamford as a kid...maybe Thom McCann's?

 

[storrsroars]

Wow…Kings. Haven’t thought about them in years. As I remember...a poor man's Kmart?

I had Pro Keds and Puma Clyde's. The Puma's turned your sox blue when they got wet...but I was a Walt Frazier fan.

I cannot remember where I bought my sneakers in Stamford as a kid...maybe Thom McCann's?

King's was such a dump. It made Caldor look like Bergdorf Goodman.

I want to say Thom McCann was where mom bought me Buster Brown shoes. Never sneakers. Too high scale, lol. In addition to Grants & KIngs, we used to do school clothes shopping at Bradlees, and I recall getting sneakers there too.

 

[HCCForever]

King's was such a dump. It made Caldor look like Bergdorf Goodman.

I want to say Thom McCann was where mom bought me Buster Brown shoes. Never sneakers. Too high scale, lol. In addition to Grants & KIngs, we used to do school clothes shopping at Bradlees, and I recall getting sneakers there too.

I do remember clothes shopping at Thom McCann's for shoes. We also shopped at Bradlees, Two Guys on the Berlin Turnpike, and Sears at Corbin's Corner. Other less than stellar stores were Topps and J.M. Fields in East Hartford. We did quite a bit of shopping in Downtown Hartford before the malls were built.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Wow…Kings. Haven’t thought about them in years. As I remember...a poor man's Kmart?

I had Pro Keds and Puma Clyde's. The Puma's turned your sox blue when they got wet...but I was a Walt Frazier fan.

I cannot remember where I bought my sneakers in Stamford as a kid...maybe Thom McCann's?

Shaky, you're from Stamford too?

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I still remember back then. Had a paper route from when I was nine, at that time depending on the season would shovel snow, take leaves, cut grass for some cash because it was either wear what the parents were willing to but or spend your own money if you wanted something better.

Keds were ~$8.00 Pro Keds (black high top with the big white patch) were ~$10.00 and Converse All Stars were ~$12.00 (this was 1970 so...).

A couple years later (the first time I heard of them was 1972 or 1973) Puma Clyde's hit the market and they were ~$28.00 a pair. When I first saw an ad for them I thought it was insane to pay more than double what Cons cost. My older brother bought a pair and I was never more jealous in my life.

 

[NEforceUConn]

I do remember clothes shopping at Thom McCann's for shoes. We also shopped at Bradlees, Two Guys on the Berlin Turnpike, and Sears at Corbin's Corner. Other less than stellar stores were Topps and J.M. Fields in East Hartford. We did quite a bit of shopping in Downtown Hartford before the malls were built.

Two guys - yay baby. Bikes, bb gloves, other sport items. Good times.

And from Wethersfield we would pass either the driving range (back way) or the Drive in movie theater.

 

[HCCForever]

Two guys - yay baby. Bikes, bb gloves, other sport items. Good times.

And from Wethersfield we would pass either the driving range (back way) or the Drive in movie theater.

Two Guys had a good sporting goods department. We also went there for our HO scale cars to buy springs and commutator brushes to speed up the cars. From Hartford, we would hit the back roads from Newington behind Bowl-o-rama on our bicycles or come out by GEMs.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Shaky, you're from Stamford too?

Yes. Rippowam grad...1982.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

King's was such a dump. It made Caldor look like Bergdorf Goodman.

I want to say Thom McCann was where mom bought me Buster Brown shoes. Never sneakers. Too high scale, lol. In addition to Grants & KIngs, we used to do school clothes shopping at Bradlees, and I recall getting sneakers there too.

Loved Caldor's.

You may be right about Thom McCann's...I got buster Brown's there also. I am still not sure where I got my Puma Clyde's.

We often went clothes shopping at Korvette's.

 

[storrsroars]

We often went clothes shopping at Korvette's.

Port Chester was too scary for my mom, lol.

I don't know if this was still around when you were growing up, but I remember for "fancy" clothes like for school photos, mom took me to Greenberg's on Atlantic. She used to collect "Greenbucks" or whatever they called their cash coupons.

 

[RedStickHusky]

Bradlees, Two Guys, Caldors... the bar was pretty low in New London County and then we got the Railroad Salvage store. Mid-70's sneakers were always Converse All-Stars but had to have Adidas football shoes and Onitsuka Tigers for wrestling.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Yes. Rippowam grad...1982.

Stamford High, 1978.

There was an Army-Navy store on Atlantic, near Woolworth's that had some high end sneakers. I believe Gimbels in Ridgeway was where I got a pair of suede Adidas superstars in 1974 (couldn't copy my brother with Pumas, Converse didn't start selling suede sneakers until the following year). Two of the largest nationwide retail stores for a century both went the way of the dodo.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Port Chester was too scary for my mom, lol.

I don't know if this was still around when you were growing up, but I remember for "fancy" clothes like for school photos, mom took me to Greenberg's on Atlantic. She used to collect "Greenbucks" or whatever they called their cash coupons.

Wow... Greenbacks! I definitely remember them. And you are right...it was definitely for "special" occasion clothes.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Bradlees, Two Guys, Caldors... the bar was pretty low in New London County and then we got the Railroad Salvage store. Mid-70's sneakers were always Converse All-Stars but had to have Adidas football shoes and Onitsuka Tigers for wrestling.

I thought Tigers were Asics. They were the track sneakers back in the day (early to mid 1970's). My last year running track (1976) out of nowhere Nike took over as the sneakers everyone wanted.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Stamford High, 1978.

There was an Army-Navy store on Atlantic, near Woolworth's that had some high end sneakers. I believe Gimbels in Ridgeway was where I got a pair of suede Adidas superstars in 1974 (couldn't copy my brother with Pumas, Converse didn't start selling suede sneakers until the following year). Two of the largest nationwide retail stores for a century both went the way of the dodo.

I remember an Army Navy store on Summer Street...but not one on Atlantic near Woolworths.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I remember an Army Navy store on Summer Street...but not one on Atlantic near Woolworths.

IIRC in the 1970's there were two Army Navy stores in Stamford. One was (I believe) Jack's the other was two initials (B&G or something like that). Not sure which was on Summer and which was on Atlantic.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Yes. Rippowam grad...1982.

@ShakyTheMohel you must know @dvegas

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

IIRC in the 1970's there were two Army Navy stores in Stamford. One was (I believe) Jack's the other was two initials (B&G or something like that). Not sure which was on Summer and which was on Atlantic.

B&G!!! I remember we re-used their plastic bags.

I don't think I know @dvegas .

 

[FfldCntyFan]

B&G!!! I remember we re-used their plastic bags.

I don't think I know @dvegas .

He was a RIP grad, either 1981 or 1982

 

[RedStickHusky]

I thought Tigers were Asics. They were the track sneakers back in the day (early to mid 1970's). My last year running track (1976) out of nowhere Nike took over as the sneakers everyone wanted.