Offensive Footwear

So a co-worker of mine showed up wearing what, at the time, I could only describe as “glove shoes”.  They are sort of like water socks, where each toe has its own sleeve to fit in.  They looked quite comfy and interested me..  I talked to him about it a bit and finally decided, what the heck.. I want a pair!

I went to REI Austin and tried on a couple pairs before settling on one..  They are great!  At first my toes rebelled at fitting into their own slot, but once I convinced them that I actually did want them in there all was well..

It’s sort of feels like wearing a silk glove that had the bottom dipped in rubber.. Extremely comfy to be honest..  I hate having something between my toes so I was a tad worried that I wouldn’t like them due to that but these feel completely natural..

The primary issue I have with them is the down right hostile reaction I get from folks when I wear them..

At this point I have been called a “frog man”, “weirdo” and a “fag”.   Can you believe that?  Someone actually was so offended by my footwear that they called me a fag… Really?   And that was three different people btw.. not just one..  Most people that seem them have a reaction, and not always a friendly one..  Everyone has to comment.. “Nice footwear!”, “What the hell are your wearing?!”.. etc..

It boggles the mind..   Flip-flops / Showershoes are all the rage and if you stop at any social gathering and look around someones wearing them..  Toes completely exposed.. That’s normal and acceptable.. but my version of the same exact thing where the toes are covered is completely foreign  to the point of being offensive to some folks.

They are so “weird” that they jar that person’s whole reality..  Even though they have toes too!  People are odd..

I will say that I kind of feel like I’m actually using my toes to walk with for the first time..  These things are super grippy and when I walk in them, my toes are actually apart of the process..  Where as previously, in a closed mono-toe shoe your toes don’t do much..

In these your toes are busy doing what they were always meant to do and as such, I have some sore muscles in my legs..  As Gonzo put it, it’s sort of like the matrix..   “Why do my toes hurt?  Because you’ve never used them before.. ” hehe  And he’s right!  Nothing hurts.. let me be clear these are awesome.. but I can tell that some muscles are just now starting to be used..

Either way I highly recommend them..