The hand-me-down boots Charlie gets from his late father, Mr. Feehan, represent his connection to Mr. Feehan and his journey through grief. Mr. Feehan gives Charlie the boots on his deathbed, and at the start of the story, Charlie wears them every time he goes running. When he starts working for Squizzy Taylor, Squizzy’s girlfriend Dolly offers Charlie new boots. He accepts them but refuses to give up his father’s boots, clinging to them as a tangible reminder of his father. His heavy reliance on the boots to maintain the memory of his father suggests that he doesn’t trust his ability to grieve without a physical reminder. He holds on to the boots so desperately because he fears if he loses them, he will lose what remains of his father.
In the climax of the story, Charlie prepares to run the Ballarat Mile race, and Mr. Redmond gifts him brand new running shoes paid for by the community. As Charlie takes off his father’s boots, he remembers when his father gave them to him, and he realizes that his father is there at the race with him. His willingness to put aside the boots indicates that Charlie recognizes that his memory of, love for, and connection to Mr. Feehan are not so fragile that they depend on a pair of boots. He doesn’t need to cling to Mr. Feehan’s boots to keep his father’s memory alive; he can do that by living a life his father would have wanted for him.
Mr. Feehan’s Boots Quotes in Runner
Slowly [Dolly] opened the lid and removed a pair of shiny black boots […]. Although I was excited, nothing came from my mouth […]. Next thing I knew, Dolly was bent down untying the laces on my father’s boots […].
Standing with her arms fully stretched, she held the boots away from her as if she was handling something unspeakable. Suddenly I found my voice.
“I might keep ‘em if ya don’t mind, Dolly […]. They were my father’s,” I said softly.
I ran during the day and I ran at night. In fact, I ran so much that I didn’t bother changing into my father’s old boots anymore. Ma and I both had our secrets now […]. I avoided her as best I could, preferring to spend my time with Nostrils or Squizzy or Dolly. At least with them I didn’t have to pretend.
True, I had been wearing my father’s boots for some months now. Wearing them was easy […]. Any mug who knew the art of tying laces could do that. But filling them, now that was a different story altogether.
“Did ya ‘appen to know, Charlie,” [Ma] said, pouring the tea, “that me and Alice ‘ave somethin’ in common? […] It just so ‘appens that Alice loves to dance.”
Right then, the strangest thing happened. A vision of my father appeared in the living room as clear as Ma was sitting in the chair opposite […]. He raised his eyebrows, then smiled.
“Giddyup, Charlie.” He winked.
Then he was gone.
Full of rage, I dropped by eyes to the ground and saw my shiny black boots. Right then, something clicked inside my head. Everything became clear. Silently I left the office and made my way to the laundry. After changing into my father’s old boots, I strode back down the hall. I […] placed the boots on the table, right under Squizzy’s nose.
[… I] began untying the laces on my father’s boots. For a moment I was back sitting on his bed again. I remembered his skeleton arms and how they’d struggled with the weight of the boots as he passed them to me […]. Maybe he’d planned all along to be here with me––here when the stakes were high, when I needed him most.
As I turned the knob, Ma appeared behind me.
“Where are ya goin’, Charlie?” she asked.
“I’m goin’ runnin’, Ma.”
“Runnin’? Where to?”
I dropped my eyes to my father’s boots, then looked up and smiled.
“Who knows, Ma. Who knows.”
Mr. Feehan’s Boots Symbol Timeline in Runner
