How I Got Kicked Out of Two Stores in Ten Minutes

Last week on a regular shopping trip to Target, I managed to get myself and Sawyer kicked out of two stores in ten minutes. Impressive, huh?

It started when Sawyer and I went outside to play barefoot in the yard and then I remembered I needed to run to Target before Brandon got home, so I grabbed my purse and headed to the truck. I grabbed a pair of flip flops and put them on top of the cab of the truck while I buckled Sawyer in his car seat. When I got to Target, I reached in the backseat to grab the flip flops, and of course, they weren’t there. I opened my door in the off chance that maybe somehow they had stayed on top of my truck during the twenty minute drive, but of course, they were gone, and not in the bed either.

Now, forgetting to wear shoes isn’t a strange occurrence for me. In fact, I usually keep a stash of extra shoes in my backseat for such an occurrence. (Anybody else do that?) So, I reach behind the passenger seat, nothing. I look all over the back seat, nothing but baby stuff. I checked under the seats, in the bed, everywhere. No shoes, apparently I’ve overused my stash, so what do I do? Drive another forty minutes round-trip to my house and back with a baby who hates the car? Nope. I figured I could run into Target, grab one of those cheap pairs of flip flops from right at the front the store, put them on, rip off the tag, and pay for them when I checked out. I had on long pants anyways, so I was hoping no one would even notice.

As soon as my feet hit the concrete I felt gross. I love wearing no shoes in the yard, around our house, at the lake, etc., but feet and pavement do not mix. It’s just not natural. As I was walking into Target, I felt like I was walking on thousands of stranger’s gum, spit, etc. , but I just kept walking like I wasn’t doing anything wrong, all while second guessing my idea a thousand million times. I didn’t even make it ten feet into the store before an employee stopped me, just doing her job, and told me I couldn’t shop with no shoes. I told her my plight, put on my best pity face, but no luck. I explained, it’d be less distance for me to walk to that flip flop display in the dollar section than it would be to walk to the exit, but still no luck, so I left. Totally embarrassed.

I was still pretty determined to get my shopping done, and there are two shoes stores next door to Target, so I took the walk of shame, figuring it’s a shoe store, they’ll understand, and they won’t kick me out. I mean, who could say no to a barefoot mom and her cute baby? It’s not like I wasn’t going to pay for them. I got my store together real quick, this time planning to use the humor of the situation to my advantage, but before I could even tell my story, a not-so-nice employee told me  in some not-so-nice words that they couldn’t help me there. I didn’t even bother explaining why I had no shoes on, I figured they didn’t need my business. Kicked out again.

Then I went into Payless Shoes. This time I was smart. I took my time walking up to the store, watching the employees, and scouting out the aisle I needed before I even went in. I waited till no one was at the front on the store and snuck in. I had on a pair of shoes before an employee even responded to the ding of the door opening. Nailed it. Of course he asked where my shoes were, and told me he really shouldn’t let me shop, but since I already had the shoes on, he was nice enough to check me out. I made enough awkward jokes to make the situation sufficiently uncomfortable, paid, and was back on my way to Target, where the lady who made me leave the first time let me know she was glad I could get some shoes somewhere in a fun, joking way. I’m sure she would have let me come in the first time if she could.

What was funny to me is that, I didn’t think anyone would even notice my bare feet at first, I mean, do you really notice people’s feet that quickly? Or is it just that obvious when someone isn’t wearing shoes? Or are store employees taught to check for that? I don’t know, but now I’ve got like ten pairs of flip flops in my backseat for the next time I forget shoes, including the pair I bought in Payless that day. Since I was going for the first pair of sandals I could throw on, they aren’t exactly cute (Imagine, gardening sandals meet your grandmother’s slippers), but they got me into Target, and I bought the cute pair of flats pictured above while I was in Target, because I needed them too ;). (I’m wearing them here).

So the question is- does anybody else feel my pain? Do you forget to wear shoes places? Ever been kicked out of somewhere for it? Ever been kicked out of a store for anything? I’d love to hear your stories!