On behalf of Rick Enterprises Intergalactic, a big thankyou to my old pair of Tredlite steal-cap shoes.

"Why buy work boots?" it occured to me on the day I picked these up from a safety shop down Auckland's Panmure Rd. I love their covert nature. They function as work shoes and going-out shoes- and nobody at a restarant or bar would suspect I could kick a brick the length of Queen Street. That could come in handy in a combat situation.

With a bit of Kiwi boot polish and new laces now and again they've lasted a little over three years. I've given them hell and they've sucked it all up. Dozens of differnet jobs in New Zealand and Oz, wet and dry, rich and poor, they've carried me and never let me down. A thing well made.

Finally, now, the tread is comming away. Some particular foot peddles at work kept hooking on and have done them in at last.

My new ones are Aussie made, they're Oliver brand, from Ballarat. Had to get one size down to fit right, and they're great. You can get three styles in work shoe. Extra shiney is too pansy. Semi-shiney is what I got and it'll do but will scuff and show marks. I would have prefered to get the same style as I had before, the pebbley hide-texture.

Still, she's not a bad deal. $90 or so, whereas the old pair cost $80 NZ. And this time I'll remember to claim back the tax!

The Treadlites I plan to throw in the sea or a river, probably the Murry latter this month. They're too important to go in the bin, I want them to go on living and wind up on the end of someone's fishing line or something.