A New Use for Broomball Shoes

The last time I wore my broomball shoes was nearly a year ago, when I played a game of midnight broomball in Des Moines. Prior to moving to L-Town, Conservative Boy and I played on a co-ed broomball team—although our team was inexperienced and ... um ... not exactly the best team in the league, we had a terrific time. So I was sad when I had to pack up my broomball shoes because, as I discovered, there wasn't anywhere around here where we could play.

But then right before Christmas Conservative Boy had a brilliant idea (don't let that go to your head, mister): why not wear our broomball shoes when walking Butter?

I tried it recently when the sidewalks were so coated with ice that nobody in their right mind would walk a large dog (who sometimes walks me more than I walk him—we're still working on that). Or any dog at all. But with broomball shoes on? Piece of cake.

The shoes are pretty warm (perhaps even warmer than my cheap, albeit awesome, moon boots) and cushiony. And their big rubber soles provide traction on the ice, so although you can't be as sure-footed as you would be on dry pavement, you can walk along on icy streets and sidewalks with relative ease. So, while even Butter slipped and slid around in his hurry to pee on everything possible, I felt relatively surefooted.

Now that we're back into reasonable dog-walking weather (read: no negative temps) it's time to get Butter back out for his daily walks. Rest assured if you see me around town later today with a playful yellow-white dog in tow, I'll be wearing my broomball shoes. They may look goofy, but I'm hopeful they'll save me from a broken bone or five.

That's why I've been thinking that the manufacturers of these broomball shoes should get their butts in gear and do some cross-selling. Think about it: these shoes would be perfect for delivery people who regularly have to brave icy sidewalks. Tie a pair of these babies on and suddenly those sidewalks aren't a workman's comp claim waiting to happen. And not just that. Think of all the serious walkers who hate to be cooped up inside on icy days when they can't possible walk outside. With broomball shoes, they can. In fact, in wintry climes where ice is the norm a good number of months out of the year, why wouldn't you wear these shoes whenever you have to go outside?

Seems like a good idea to me.

Midnight Broomball

Yep, nothing like a little midnight broomball to get a visit to Des Moines started.

Broomball? you ask. What is broomball? And why the heck were you playing it at midnight?

First thing's first. Broomball is played on the ice. Yep, ice. Without skates. You run around on the ice with your teammates (six players, including a goalie), hitting a ball with a stick that has a rubber triangle at the end (called a broom). The purpose? To score more goals than the other team. Aside from the lack of skates (and padding), it's a lot like hockey. And it's awesome.

Really, it's just a lot of running around on the ice, trying to stay on your feet, hitting the ball, body checking your opponents, attempting to score goals. If you're lucky, you have special broomball shoes to wear, which have rubber soles to give you a bit of traction. Otherwise, expect to spend a lot of time sprawled on the ice. (Although even with the shoes, falls are common.)

When I lived in Des Moines, we got a co-ed broomball team together to play in a city league. We were a bunch of rookies running around on the ice in tennis shoes with sweaty used helmets, competing against teams that had been playing together for oh, seven plus years, who all came decked out in matching jerseys, with their own helmets and shoes and brooms. Needless to say, the first year, we got slaughtered in every game. These teams were intense. Even the all-women team—you wouldn't want to meet those girls in a dark alley, trust me. So we got destroyed every week. But man, it was fun.

Enter year two. We recruited some new players, started to acquire broomball shoes (yep, I have a pair, along with some cheap knee and elbow pads that probably saved my life, or at least a few precious body parts), and got a bit more serious. We even won a few games. I attribute it to three things: (1) the broomball shoes, (2) they started serving beer at the arena, and (3) we got a new team name: Team Topanga. (Yes, after the girl from Boy Meets World.)

How can you not win a game or two with a team name like that?

Broomball was great. We'd play on Sunday nights, and as much as I dreaded going (Sundays are supposed to be lazy days, not days for intense games on ice), we always had a blast. We'd walk off the ice sweaty, out of breath, bruised, battered, and sometimes even bloody (if you've ever been whacked full force by a broom, fallen on the ice, or blocked a speeding broomball with your body, you'd understand why). But man, it was fun.

Now, next question. Why was I playing it at midnight?

Why not? It was a Team Topanga reunion, outdoors on the ice of Brenton Skating Plaza in Des Moines. We met up in sweats at the bar at 9, headed to the rink to take the ice at 11, and played until well after midnight. Full court. Ended up being an intense game too. I, of course, didn't score a single goal. Defense is my game, folks. I can't hit the ball worth a crap unless I'm trying to stop you from hitting it. That's just the way it is.

If you ever get a chance to try broomball, do it. Whether it's at midnight or not. You can borrow my shoes if you want.

(By the way, that isn't us playing above. But those mad defensive skills are so like mine. Photo: dailyinvention.)