The Wonderous World of Closed Toed Shoes -S. Nicola Chmelir –
There are two paths you can follow when shooting–that towards an utterly focused flight and that towards a brighter experience.
Like every coach, official, and parent warns you against, open-toed shoes, no matter how fun, comfortable, or interesting, are not the right choice of footwear for the range. However, left with a wide array of creative and comfy options under the umbrella of close-toed shoes, why choose good-old running shoes? Who actually enjoys the ennuyé path of practicality? Who wakes every morning yearning to be just another face, or rather set of feet, in the crowd? Thankfully, my archery experience has been sprinkled with a dash of truly joyful, experience-lacking expertise.
This all kicked off when one of my teammates forgetfully showed up to one of our archery tournaments in none other than the forbidden footwear–sandals. Our coach asked him to find another pair of shoes.
Most people would have borrowed their parent’s shoes, stolen a friend’s shoes, or found running shoes stashed in the trunk of their car. My teammate reentered the tournament. He strode straight through the crowds of people to his spot on the range in none other than his car-stashed, down-hill skiing, ski boots!
Although not the most practical, these boots lifted the mood in the room, brought a smile onto each face that experienced the spectacle, and revived an excitement across the range. He left behind the pressure and score-minded tunnel of shooting his best flight. He was freed from the weight that at times seemed like it forced your bow to lower and your eyes to strain off target. My teammate, along with myself and numerous others, truly did shoot their favorite, if not also greatest, flights.
I have always known that archery is not just a sport–it’s an entire environment, a community, a world of its own– and these ski boots have helped remind me of that. As so much more than the motions behind hitting bullseyes and marking perfect scores in this world so full of sheer determination, a bit of fun helps us breathe, reset, and actually live in the wondrous world of archery.
–S. Nicola Chmelir is a 2022 student contributor. Watch for her future submissions.-