I 'Found the Shoelace

Yup.  Big headline.

Now the back story:

Sometime last year I bought a pair of Rockports at a garage sale.  I'd already picked up some gloves.  As I was looking through the tools in the basement the fellow asked me if I was interested in some shoes.  My reflexive response is no, but  I asked what type and whadda y'know, a pair of Rockports in my size and waterproof with Adiprene a product from Adidas.  And they fit.  For $10.  OK.

I wore them a few times when it was raining.  My only complaint was my usual complaint when wearing boots: they seemed to chafe a bit about the ankle.   But they weren't worn in so all in all, no complaints.

Although the leather uppers are advertised as waterproof ("Microshield") I thought I'd go one better.  When I drove dogs (it was a hobby, it wasn't the Iditarod) it was de rigueur for drivers to waterproof leather with "the best" waterproofing.  (The best product was always a matter of contention.")  After removing the shoelaces, and tucking them into the shoe so they wouldn't get lost, I treated the leather with Sno-Seal, and with memories of college days, put the boots in the car to let the sun's rays work its magic.  (When I was a freshman in college my boots would be treated with Snow-Proof and be taken out to sunbath.  I didn't like sun bathing, but the guys on my floor would let the boots bask in the sun until the application was absorbed and then bring them back in for a reapplication.  It worked out nicely.) 

It didn't seem that all the Sno-Seal was absorbed as the leather had a tacky feel, but there weren't any large sticky spots so I thought I'd bring them in and put them somewhere warm.  It was then that I couldn't fine the lace for the right foot boot.  Thinking that it must have dropped out in the car I searched, but could not find it. 

Since that time the boots have sat in their box until today.  Just by chance as I was moving stuff around what should I find but, yup, the missing lace.  I'm guessing that the lace fell out just as I was putting the other boot in the box.

But the story is not over.  Writing this I wanted to describe identify the shoe, but ran into problems: neither the UPC code or the model number are recognized on Rockport's site,.  Who knows.  I may have gotten a good deal on a knockoff.