We used to call them plastic sandals Plassie Wassies. I hated the fuckers. But even worse was them pumps with the little bit of elastic instead of laces and shiny rubber toes... a guaranteed hiding at school.
I had a pair of them brown, two brown - toe cap and boot - nail in the foot, footy boots. They was me uncle Joe's. I had to stuff the toes with the Echo, and looked like McDonald in them...
Ronald McDonald.
Me aul fella came home bevvied one night. Well, he done that every night, but this night he was all chuffed. He got me in the kitchen and put this box down on the table. I opened it.... them fucking contraptions with the laces down the side. Me aul fella was chuffed to death with them. I had to pretend to be made up. They went right in the bin on the way to school. Divvy, I should have sold them. But I had a pair of Gola by then. I can't remember the name of them, but they was black, with laces down the middle and proper studs. Me mate Mick Murphy had give them to me cos he'd got a new pair. Couldn't be having the other pair... they had like purplie coloured piping on them and George Best... nah. Not for me. I hated him. Still do. Thought he was a knobhead who wasted his talent. Not that I knew that then, but I still ythink it to be honest.