Mail to Charlie

Help Charlie help you...

I have no complaint about getting E-mail from visitors of this Web site. Much of it (OK, some of it... I do get a bit of SPAM) is quite enjoyable. However, I do get some occasionally. I frequently get requests that the manufacturer or a retailer can handle better than I can. 

Want to buy shoes?

Look at the bottom of the page if you want to have a new pair!

Frequently Asked Questions to try BEFORE writing me:

1. Can you help me find xxxxx (something that's been long-gone)?
   • That's the reason I have the manufacturer and recommended mail-order dealer lists.
   • Ask the manufacturer about a reissue; Consumer demand drives reissues.
   • If you're interested in serious athletic footwear, the dealers that specialize in it generally can tell you things like "When New Balance changed the 1234 to the 1235, all they did is change the colorway" or "When New Balance changed the 1235 to the 1236, they gave it that 'high-top Chuck' feel Baby Boomers remember from gym class."
   • Some retail chains will search their stores for what you want and ship it to you, sometimes free. (Dillard's has done it for me but in this case I had a pair of pants I really liked, I got the last one, and I said, "Three more just like it!" It will never hurt to ask if they offer the service.... and if people do ask, they'll be more inclined to do it.)
   • Visit some Outlet Malls. Try Premium Outlets as a starting place.
   • Other than that.... you're searching for a needle in a haystack. Stores generally don't hold merchandise waiting for the price to rise, they cut prices to make it move out.
   • General manufacturer policy is that once it is sold by an authorized dealer, we neither vouch for its authenticity nor will we tell you how to prove it isn't authentic. (In other words, do nothing that would give anyone interested in authenticity a reason to go to other than an authorized dealer.)
2. After reading #1, you start whining "I wanna sneaker" (or something like that)?
   • It would be impossible to track the existence of every sneaker in every store everywhere... I wouldn't phrase it that way have I not been getting this type of E-mail for over fifteen years, along with everyone else who runs a site like this. It is a spare-time thing for me, I've enough other distractions the way it is. I hope you understand.
3. NO SWIPING THE PICTURES TO MAKE YOUR OWN WEB SITE
   • Class projects are cool if you write, ask for permission, give credit, and copy the pictures so my Web site bandwidth isn't supporting your class project if the whole school decides to look at the Web site written up in the school paper as "Basketball Team Captain Gets 'A' On Web Class Project About Her Favorite Sneakers." Some good advice from somebody who did his schooling when high-top Chucks were the best basketball shoes on the market: Being able to explain exactly why something happens, and having a documented explanation that can be shown to others, is an invaluable life skill if you're looking for a job that requires evaluating problems and coming up with alternatives. Many times, a good explanation turns a reported "software bug" into a FAQ note or a report that says "that's better than what we have already and we'll fix it when we have time." (It's not just your teacher being fussy.... Trust me.)
4. I don't want your SPAM.... send it here instead:
   • Medical SPAM: webcomplaints@ora.fda.gov
   • Product Marketing SPAM: uce@ftc.gov
   • Stock Market SPAM: enforcement@sec.gov
5. This Web site is a sneaker MUSEUM, not a sneaker STORE.
   • Virtually every sneaker manufacturer will be happy to refer you to a dealer, either by an automated look-up on their Web site or at their 800 numbers.
6. Try searching Charlie's Sneaker Pages if you're not sure to look for.
7. Is this a question about a particular brand of shoe?
   • This Web site is not the official brand site for ANY shoe manufacturer.
   • To contact a shoe manufacturer, look here for addresses and telephone numbers.
   • Bad shoes? Please look here for major manufacturer return policies.
   • I don't sign the athletes.... so I can't do much of anything when one of them throws a temper tantrum or punches somebody out.
8. There are a number of questions that I get a lot.
   • Try the FAQ and Glossary for information.
   • Look here for manufacturer addresses and telephone numbers.
   • Try searching Charlie's Sneaker Pages if you're not sure to look for. (Please, please, search before asking... I'll tell you where to look, but nicely.)
9. Want new hot Nike shoes? Visit their Web site for the list of upcoming cool styles..
   • Isn't it interesting that sneakers can be "cool" and "hot" at the same time?
10. Did I forget to mention that there are no shoes for sale on this Web site? (People think I forgot to do this!)
11. None of the above apply?
    • Please send E-mail to me at sneakers@pair.com

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Last Updated: 17 November 2012 18:40

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Charlie's Sneaker Pages copyright 1995-2012 by Charles L. Perrin.

READERS PLEASE NOTE: Names of athletic shoe manufacturers, shoe styles, and technologies may be trademarked by the manufacturers. Charlie's Sneaker Pages uses these names solely to describe the shoes with the same familiar nomenclature used by the manufacturer and recognized by the reader.