I started dating Steffi at the beginning of our senior year in college and it was turning into a whirlwind affair. Our fourth date was a concert by the Chicago Symphony at the university. Since her roommate was out of town for the weekend, I had some high hopes for the evening as I picked Steffi up at her off-campus apartment. She was ready to go, and all I could see of her outfit was her short yellow raincoat, white pantyhose and low-heeled navy patent slingbacks, the kind that are open on the side as well as the back. My “hopes” rose even more when as we kissed I heard her slip off her right shoe and begin rubbing the back of my leg. I was real tempted to suggest that we just stay home, but I knew she had been really looking forward to this concert. As we walked to the car, I couldn’t help noticing that her shoes seemed pretty loose. They didn’t come off, but sometimes the strap would slip down under her heel (I soon learned that this was the way she liked to wear slingback shoes). As she got into the car I could see that the shoes were pretty well-worn and seemed to be cracking at the sides. When we got to the auditorium, she took of her raincoat to reveal a great low-cut light blue minidress that was very flattering. Since the auditorium wasn’t real crowded and we were seated near the back, as soon as the lights went down I took a chance, pulled her close and kissed her deeply. She seemed very happy about this and snuggled close and began dangling her left shoe while hooking the rung of the seat in front between her right heel and the heel of the shoe. She soon kicked the left shoe off. At intermission, we went outside and sat on a low brick wall. As we talked, Steffi dangled and soon there was the sound of a shoe falling to the ground. She asked me to get it for her, and as I did she laughingly dropped the other one on my head. I pulled her down to me, but not before I discovered something I hadn’t had a chance to see before – Steffi didn’t like to wear much under her dresses. She slipped her shoes on and we returned to our seats, picking up where we left off. Soon her dangling shoe dropped off again and a few minutes later I saw her right shoe slip off and under the seat in front. When the concert ended, Steffi found her shoe without much trouble, but I saw her frown as she slipped it back on. When we got into the aisle I saw why – the strap had torn apart at the buckle. Getting back to the car was an adventure since she walked out of the torn shoe several times, including while we were crossing the street. Steffi had the shoe sewn and continued to wear this pair for several more years. I learned a number of things that evening that led to lots of more interesting adventures as well as to our marriage. .