Slippery when wet

Photo from here.

It's downpour season again and it's really amusing that I'm seeing more rubber slippers in the streets. Is it because people want to catch leptospirosis so they peel off their protective shoes at the mere forecast of Cloudy With a Chance of Rain? Or have shoes become so important that many prefer to get their feet wet instead of getting their shoes wet?

The slipper phenomenon may perhaps be traced to our associating slippers with walking in comfort. Which is logical, since slippers are what we use to get around the house and stroll on the beach. Unfortunately, the street (not to mention the workplace, Church, commercial spots...) is neither of these two places. In the street, slippered feet are exposed to dust, grime, cuts, murky waters, spitting habits of inconsiderate fellow pedestrians and the occasional chewed up pink gum. If you know all this and still choose your slippers over shoes, it might be time to re-evaluate whether you have come to regard your shoes with so much value that protecting them has become more important than protecting your own feet.

Besides, what's so comfortable about commuting in slippers (particularly rubber flip flops) anyway? The people behind you keep accidentally stepping on them, and you have to keep a keen grip on the thongs with your toes so the slippers don't just flip-flop out from under you. I used to walk around in slippers myself, and it left me with blisters where the thongs would rub my feet. Painful and unsightly. Finally, slippers are a surefire way to teach your toes to splay out like a fan, which is good training if only people were amphibian.

Have I convinced you yet to invest in a good pair of walking shoes for commuting? They don't have to be bulky hiking boots or galoshes. They just have to be comfortable, protective, and made of materials that can stand all the elements I have listed above. And for your peace of mind, function doesn't always cramp form: choose a pair that suits your individual style. After all, it is you who is doing the shopping and the walking!