Pride and a New Pair of Shoes

After quite the night of visiting, trading stories and learning about each other it seems it all boils down to shoes.
Back in the 1900's seems a certian son had a fight with a certian father figure over a new pair of shoes. The family wasn't poor, but then again not well off. The son had joined the calvary an served honorably his country. When he recieved a commission, that he well earned it seems that he purchased himself a shiny pair of black button up shoes. Quite the style for a man of those times. No granted, none of us where there, and anyone how was is long deceased but it seems this got in the craw of the father figure.
The son left.
On more current documents we find him claiming his mother, but nary his father. He substituted more famous men of the same last name.
But always his mother.
On obituaries of the other children, none of them list him as living relative and living he was when most of them passed. His father passed in 1960 and listed him as a son, address unknown.
How sad.
Meeting the family I heard tales of how much he did not want children. They spoke of his wife and how badly she wanted children. He was very determined that he would not have any. After she gave up and they quit trying, you guessed it, she got pregnant. She had to amke him swear on the bible that if anything happened to her, he would raise the child. Reluctantly he did. But he had little to do with the baby while the mother and child where in the hospital and when they came home.
He was a judge in his new town, and the occasion of his sons birth was news worthy of reporting by the local press. The paper came to the house to interview and take a picture. They had to keep telling him to get closer to the baby. And at that perfect moment, when he was but inches from the baby, the baby reached out and grabbed his finger with it's little hand. His wife says at that moment you could see the love wash over him.
What could have happened back when he had that fight with the father figure?
How could it have been so bad to effect him that way most of his life?
All over a new pair of shoes.
And Pride of the father and son.