It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. It was a time when most of our 3 foot tall bodies were too busy learning everything to bother actually remembering anything. Yes, my friends, the time I am speaking of is first grade, and whilst I have very few memories of this tempestuous time, one memory sticks out beyond all others.

It was the first day of school. I had my starched cotton shirt, my blue catholic school girl jumper, and a pair of Buster Brown penny loafers. I walked into class. Not a single girl was wearing brown shoes. What I saw was an array of white and black saddle shoes. My first day at a school striving to conform, and I couldn't even get my shoes right. Immediately, I became socially despondent and went home after my first day feeling like a reject.(Actually, I was, most of the girls in the class referred to me as "That weird brown-shoed kid")

Now, for those with children or those intending to spread their seed one day, here is the basic history of the saddle shoe, so one day your child might become one of the fashion elitist, not a fashion faux pas

Saddle Shoes first surged to popularity in the 1950s. They are a flat white leather tie shoe with appealing patches of colored(usually black) leather sewn across the instep. They are most often associated with poodle skirts and bobby-sockers. Other members of the saddle shoe family include wingtips, swank shoes, and oxfords.