The Andy Dwyer Detail You Never Noticed In Parks And Recreation
NBC's Parks and Recreation is one of those rare television series that stayed true to itself right up until the very end. Over its seven-season run, it displayed a level of continuity and attention to detail that few shows ever pull off, from references to episodes long past to subtle Easter eggs that act as a nod and a wink to longtime viewers. Others — like one detail pertaining to Andy Dwyer (Chris Pratt) — add a bit more nuance to the colorful population of Pawnee, Indiana.
Andy debuted on Parks and Rec's inaugural episode as the incapable goofball boyfriend of Ann Perkins (Rashida Jones), and soon grew into a fan favorite. Even though it caused a lot of headaches for the Pawnee Parks Department, his happy-go-lucky attitude and simple personality was a delight for viewers to watch, making him the source of some truly hilarious moments. Still, for as loveable as Andy was, his low-functioning personality wasn't without its drawbacks in-universe.
One of Andy's key character traits is his lack of responsibility and underdeveloped critical thinking skills. As a result, he often finds himself in situations that require some help from the other, more mature cast members of Parks and Recreation. However, being adults with lives of their own, they can't cover all of Andy's bases, meaning some smaller things that needed to be fixed fall by the wayside and never get addressed. The showrunners depicted this in an incredibly minute way through Andy's consistent footwear — a detail that even the most seasoned Parks and Rec fans were likely to miss.
Andy wears the same pair of New Balance sneakers throughout all of Parks and Recreation
Yes, you read that correctly: Andy wears the same shoes for the entirety of his run on Parks and Recreation, in nearly every -episode. The detail was pointed out by the ever-eagle-eyed fans on Reddit, who also shared a handful of screenshots from early in his tenure on the program depicting him in his lone pair of New Balance sneakers. Even in later seasons, the same type is fitted firmly to Dwyer's feet for every occasion, from weddings to Halloween parties. It's an incredibly minor detail to make mention of, but looking below the surface, it says a lot about Andy's carefree personality.
He may be a grown man, but Andy's ability to make necessary adult decisions is virtually nonexistent when he doesn't deem it so, likening him to a large child. Investing in a new pair of shoes is the last thing on his mind when he and his wife, April Ludgate (Aubrey Plaza) are busy ogling at Bed, Bath & Beyond's "As Seen On TV" section. The way he saw it, why would he shop around for shoes when the worn-in, tried and true pair of New Balances he wore for years have yet to do him wrong?