Would you ask for these back?

[basil]

See I probably wouldn’t think twice about it if the situations were reversed. And I just asked my brother (her husband) to borrow a backpack.

[SnuggleBuggles]

You know your relationship better than we do. Do you think she'll think it's weird?

[khm]

If you guys are such that you would borrow any shoes back and forth, then, yeah, ask. If you aren't close in that way, then don't. The fact that these were yours a million years ago doesn't change the dynamic for me.

For what it is worth, I have supremely unpicky feet. Not everyone is absolutely unable to wear shoes if someone else has worn them. My feet just have a wide wide range of what's comfy. Cheap flip flops, pricey sandals, expensive runners, my daughter's cast offs, it's all fine to my feets.

That said, I do agree that 20 years is a long darn time and they might be really degraded inside and be a really terrible thing to try and wear hiking. But, so might brand spanking new unbroken in hiking boots. I'd probably just wear some running shoes or whatever that I already have handy.

[specialp]

I don’t think I would consider asking her to borrow boots if they hadn’t originally been mine before.

This is why you shouldn't even ask. The only reason you are considering it is because you owned them 15 years ago. That's what is going to make it weird: the but for you previously owning them, you wouldn't ask.

[Kindra178]

This is why you shouldn't even ask. The only reason you are considering it is because you owned them 15 years ago. That's what is going to make it weird: the but for you previously owning them, you wouldn't ask.

See, that's the part that makes it so weird to me. If they were never yours to begin with and you guys regularly shared stuff (like the backpack you are borrowing), it would be no big deal to ask to borrow them. The problem is that those boots were yours a lifetime ago. Maybe she thought that style came back, maybe she knows someone who needs good boots, but for whatever reason, she wants them.

Talking about the backpack, are you borrowing a regular old backpack or a fancy hiking backpack? If the former, and I were your sil, I would wonder why you don't have a backpack.

[smilequeen]

I think you will be much more comfortable in your athletic shoes for hiking than in 20 year old boots that predate your pregnancies and you are not used to. I wouldn’t bother. I wouldn’t remember what my shoes looked like that I hadn’t had in 20 years. That’s an impressive memory.

[ett]

I think you will be much more comfortable in your athletic shoes for hiking than in 20 year old boots that predate your pregnancies and you are not used to. I wouldn’t bother.

I wouldn't ask to borrow them for the very fact that they are 20 years old. Your sneakers should be just fine for hiking.

[HannaAddict]

I can just see the thread now from a mom saying “my MIL was cleaning out her closets and gave me a pair of hiking boots left behind over 15 years ago by her daughter (my SIL) and now my SIL has asked for them back or to “borrow” - isn’t this weird?” I think the responses of how out of touch and bizarre her SIL is would go on for awhile. You were hiking and didn’t have him hiking boots and for almost all hikes, tennis shoes work fine. I know my shoes from before three kids wouldn’t even fit! I just wear your tennis shoes and put this out of your mind. Funny post!


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[HannaAddict]

See I probably wouldn’t think twice about it if the situations were reversed. And I just asked my brother (her husband) to borrow a backpack.

Shoes are very different than a backpack and I would not loan out hiking boots for someone to sweat in and ever want them back. I’d be happy to loan a backpack or other gear. And doubt they will be comfy anyway.


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[squimp]

I hike in sneakers, unless I'm carrying a big pack. My 20 year old hiking boots would be stiff and uncomfortable now, I'd never want to wear them or even look at them again!