Prior to retiring to my room at the hotel property in Hue in Vietnam, I realized that the soles separated from both of my running shoes — similar to what happened to me in Vilnius in Lithuania almost nine years ago in April of 2017 — and I needed to either get them fixed or purchase a new pair of running shoes in order to enjoy the duration of my trip in Southeast Asia.
Great. The Soles Separated From Both My Running Shoes. Again. This Time, in Vietnam.
As not much time remained for my stay in Hue, I decided to wait until we arrived at the Moire Hoi An, Vignette Collection hotel property in Hoi An, where we were scheduled to stay for two nights.
After the first night at the hotel property, I headed over to the front desk to inquire about where I can get adhesive for the soles of my running shoes, figuring in my mind that I would simply glue them to last just long enough until the end of the trip as I did when the soles separated from my running shoes in Lithuania.
After the woman excused herself and left for a moment to discuss the situation with her colleagues, they concluded that the solution was to get my running shoes repaired, to which I reluctantly agreed. I simply wanted the least expensive temporary solution to last until I returned to the United States — but this was an option.
She started giving me directions to a place where I can get the running shoes repaired — but as rain was pouring down outside that morning and as the directions became more complex and lengthy, I asked if she could please give me a map with the route outlined on it.
She then once again excused herself and left momentarily to consult with her colleagues — and she returned with what I thought was a rather generous offer: that one of her colleagues will take me to the place where my running shoes will be repaired.
After I let her know of my appreciation, she then introduced me to her colleague, who instructed me to meet him at the entrance of the driveway of the hotel property so that he can transport me on his motorbike to the place.
Um…motorbike?!?
Interestingly, I have never driven a motorbike or been a passenger on one in my life. This was not a conscious decision — it was simply not an experience about which I had ever thought; and the opportunity never presented itself until now. I was not adverse to the experience; but it also was not an experience I have always wanted to do, either…
…so I shrugged my shoulders as I walked by myself on my way back to the room to get a pair of flip flop sandals that were provided in the room to temporarily wear as footwear until my shoes were repaired. I despise flip flops. They are ugly. They are uncomfortable…
…and to me, the feet of many people are ugly, in my opinion — some hideously so — so I wore my socks on the flip flops so as not to expose my feet. No one has ever told me that my feet are ugly — but why expose them unnecessarily and possibly cause someone to become nauseous and skip dinner later that night?
Anyway, I digress: the time came to meet the member of the staff at the entrance of the driveway of the hotel property.
He then arrived on his motorbike, dismounted from it, strapped a spare helmet to my head, mounted the motorbike again, and instructed me to sit on the seat behind him and where to put my feet as I held the flip flops in my hand.
The small engine started. Before I knew it, we were zipping north on the Cầu Cẩm Nam — which is the Cẩm Nam Bridge and is barely wide enough to fit two lanes of motor vehicle traffic — across the Thu Bồn River and into central Hoi An, which was clogged with a miasma of pedestrians, motorbikes, and motor vehicles…
…and yet, we sliced through that area like a hot knife through butter as though we were out on the open road, feeling a bit like Moses parting the Red Sea. No one paid mind that we were coming through. Everyone was coming through.
Somehow — with a chaotic synchronicity that simply cannot be explained; and as if no traffic laws existed — everyone emerged unscathed and eventually successful in reaching their destinations…
…and I found it to be fun. I was not nervous at all. The experience was like watching a movie unfold. I cannot explain it.
After turning left on one of the narrow streets that were choked with traffic, the motorbike veers to the left by a curb and stops. I looked around and did not see any place that resembled a shoe repair shop. Why did we stop here?!?
The member of the staff of the hotel property dismounted from his motorbike and started speaking to a person that I initially thought was homeless, with his only shelter an umbrella. What appeared to be garbage strewn across the sidewalk were the tools of this man — as well as various products that belonged to other people: shoes, suitcases, pants, and numerous other items.
“He is the best,” I was assured. “You will not find anyone better to repair your shoes.”
Okay. I took his word for it. I was told that the running shoes would be ready by 1:00 in the afternoon, which surprised me, as that was only within the next three hours. I removed my running shoes — which still sported remnants of the muddy clay soil that I trudged through at Angkor Wat in Cambodia earlier on that trip — and left them with him. I then slipped on the annoying but useful-at-that-moment flip flops so that my feet would not have to touch the sidewalk and the street, which were still wet from the rain earlier that morning. Do I hate flip flops — but they came in handy.
Anybody who knows me would probably laugh at the sight of me on the back of a motorbike wearing socks and flip flops as we sliced through the crowded streets of Hoi An in Vietnam. I returned to the hotel room to write and do some work while I wait.
1:00 came and went. 1:30 came and went. No word about my running shoes.
I went to the front desk to ask about my running shoes. I was assured that I would be informed as to when they were repaired. I returned to the room.
The telephone in the room rang. I was told by a member of the staff that my running shoes were ready and to come to the lobby.
I waited in the lobby for approximately ten minutes when the same employee instructed me to meet him outside again. It was motorbike time again!
I was starting to get used to being transported by motorbike. It really is not a bad way to get around — well…except for wearing those flip flops — and although the possibility was present, I never feared that I would get hurt.
We arrived at the site where the repairs to my running shoes were done — and I was absolutely stunned and speechless…
…not only were my running shoes repaired — they were immaculately shined to a point where they resembled dress shoes!
I had never seen anything like this, as they looked better than they were when they were brand new. I even momentarily questioned as to whether these were even my running shoes.
I did not even ask about or discuss price with the repair person, who was at that moment repairing a suitcase.
“How much?” I asked, not caring about how expensive would be the cost of the repairs.
“300,000 Vietnamese dong.”
Thank goodness I had the cash in my pocket. I did not even think about what that was in United States dollars until we returned to the hotel property.
300,000.00₫ was less than twelve United States dollars.
Final Boarding Call
I did give the person who drove me to the repair place and back — twice — a gratuity, which he reluctantly but eventually accepted, as he went above and beyond his job description to ensure that I was completely satisfied.
I did not wear these running shoes all that much prior to my trip to Southeast Asia; so I was not expecting the soles to fail like they did. Very little wear was on the tread; and the running shoes looked like they were new — until they met the muddy clay soil of Cambodia…
…but to this day, the soles are still holding on, as new life was added to these running shoes.
As for the Moire Hoi An, Vignette Collection hotel property in Hoi An, this experience was not the only reason why I highly recommend staying there as a guest, as I intend to explain in more detail in a future article here at The Gate With Brian Cohen.
Coincidentally, members of the staff at IHG Hotels & Resorts hotel properties came to my assistance both times that the soles separated from my running shoes — and both solved the issue so that I can continue with the remainder of my trips unabated.
Ironically, the running shoes from which the soles separated in Lithuania in 2017 were manufactured in…
…Vietnam.
That was an unexpected travel adventure that I will remember…
All photographs ©2026 by Brian Cohen.
