Special Shoes

Growing up basketball was a huge part of my life. I loved the game. I practiced everyday that I could. What I am saying in "I could" was if the court was dry from rain or not. It was the only court I had and it was at my Aunt and Uncle's house next door. I spent a lot of time shooting jump shots and especially free throws. I remember I would shoot at least two hundred jump shots per day and a hundred free throws per day. If I knew I was gonna miss the next day I would double or triple up according to how many days I was gonna miss. Some how, some way, I was gonna get my shots in.

I spent a lot of this weekend with a good friend of mine. He is also my brother-in-law. We spent the rides home from deer hunting talking of hunting, family, and of mainly our shared interest basketball. Dennis grew up focusing on basketball and being a great player. He went on to play at Sam Houston Sate and MSU after high school. I went on to play at little ol MDCC after high school. We talked a lot of the similarities we had in practicing in the off-season and what it took to be a great player. We both started at a young age practicing hard to be good, but there were a few differences that made a difference in how we turned out.

Rocky: Dennis:
200 jump shots/day 600 jump shots/day
100 free throws/day 300 free throws/day
Played Academy Ball Played Public School ball
No weights Lifted weights everyday
Outdoors court Practiced in gym everyday
Rubber Basketball Authentic Leather Basketball

There is one difference that really put Dennis over the top in his basketball development and we had a good laugh about it though. It was the strength shoe. Many of you are wondering what is a strength shoe? I found a picture of one for those that didn't know:


One of my biggest weaknesses in my game has always been my vertical jump and my feet quickness. I knew from an early age that this was something that I really needed to work on. A concrete court, multiple jump shots or free throws, playing academy ball, or the type of ball I was using wouldn't make these deficits any better. I found out about these shoes out of a magazine and believed every word the advertisement said. "Increase your vertical by ten inches and your forty time by three tenths of a second".

The difference in this was found out this weekend. Dennis said his dad just showed up one day with these shoes for him to start working out in. On the other end I begged my parents to please buy me some. I brought the advertisement home and put it different places in the house hoping they would get the hint. I kept finding it in the trash. So finally I just asked for some. No was the answer. Don't get me wrong I really love my parents and they never let me live without my basic needs, but sometimes they were very tight. They didn't see a reason to buy a child a $220 pair of shoes. You know the reasons: They never had a $220 pair of shoes. They walked barefooted most of their childhood and so should I. Earn the money myself and buy them.(I did work all of my childhood, but that money went to a car.)

I have always found a way to do something I really believed in and I really believed in these shoes. I was gonna have some strength shoes. I decided to make me some. That is exactly what I said, I made some homemade strength shoes. All it took was a 3inch piece of 2*4, old basketball shoe, and duct tape. This is what I came up with:


Dennis told me his came with a workout video. I guess I could have made a workout video for mine. I could have named it "The Giant Retard and His Special Shoes". I could have been rich. He said his video had a lot of side to side and jumping movements. I couldn't make those move in mine or the duct tape wouldn't hold and let me tell you didn't want mess the duct tape up. To tight and lose the feeling in your toes and to loose the block on the bottom would slide over and you would fall over. It took a while to get the duct tape calibrated just right. I remember walking down the road in these shoes and cars would slow down and take a look and people would stare and whisper about me. I didn't care I was getting quicker and faster. Only the quicker and faster never came. The only thing that came was hurting knees and shin splints. I remember the last time I wore them and the hurt in my legs and disappointment that they had probably made me slower. I threw them away that afternoon. My mom saved them and still has them at their house. I didn't know until I asked her about it the other day. I thought she was gonna choke when I brought it up. She was laughing so hard. We laughed a while about it and I told her of all of the accomplishments that the shoes had helped Dennis get to. Her response was "I guess we could have spent $220 on those shoes." Heck yeah thinking to myself, they could have taken me on to the NBA. HA! HA! YEAH RIGHT!