He smiled proudly as he held up his shoes. These shoes had his last few weeks engraved on them. Although the color was faded now you could tell that it was once a brillant bright orange. The boisterous sneaker color was a flagrant contrast to his personality yet it matched his commitment to run 100 miles in a month. The tread was barely visible. The dirt, grass and various traces of nature were permanetly tattoed on the shoes. Weather conditions were not a deterrent. Many days of running in treacherous rain, freezing temperatures were evident in the tattered fabric on the top of the sneakers. These shoes are worn, calloused, strong and most importantly beautiful.