Italian Shoes

These new
shoes
pinch my toes,
too narrow for
my foot,
they bother me
when I walk.
They cost way
too much,
but they're
Italian,
and the leather
is black
like polished stone.
The soles
are thick
and hard,
the laces thin,
difficult to tie.
Oh, but the sides
are buttery soft.
I have to be
careful
where I walk.
It's easy to slip,
and fall ,
to step into
puddles
and mud
along the way.
They won't be new
for long.
But I felt that
I needed
them.
You see
there's this girl
I met
and she might
like me
a little bit more
with shoes
like these.