A couple of months ago I bought a pair of flip-flops and kept meaning to write a post about them. Since today is National Flip-Flop Day, I decided I'd better go ahead and do it.
My sisters and I used to wear them all the time when we were on vacation at the lake. Back then, though, we called them "thongs" which means something entirely different these days. When did the name change occur?
I'd really rather write about the thongs of today more than the flip-flops of yesterday. I've never worn the former, but I like looking at them...well, I like seeing women wear them. They sure look uncomfortable, though, but wearing flip-flops is also uncomfortable.
I recently bought a pair out at WalMart; I'm constantly having to run out to my vehicle for something or taking food out to the stray cats and it's too much trouble to lace up my sneakers just to wear them for two minutes. I've ruined several pairs of house shoes by stepping in puddles of water in the dark...or in little "surprises" left by the stray cats. Ahem. I was looking for a new pair of house shoes when I saw the flip-flops on a nearby rack. They were cheap, around three bucks, so I thought they might be something that I could quickly slip on and off and save my much more expensive house shoes.
Here's the kind I bought, a cool looking camo style:
I brought them home, snipped the little plastic tie holding them together and slid my feet into them. Ugh. I remembered why I didn't like them as a kid and the reasons hadn't changed.
First of all, I hate something between my toes and that's the only thing that keeps the flip-flops on your feet. (I also hate anything between my "cheeks" so that's why I suspect I wouldn't like wearing a thong) I haven't worn them enough for it to happen yet, but with any sort of rough use, the rubber toe divider is notorious for popping out of the molded hole. With some doing, you can pop it back into the hole, but once it happens, it will keep happening until the hole tears and then the footwear is useless. I remember being on vacation and having that happen and taking a bit of twine and tying it around the part that sticks through the hole to keep it in place. It really didn't work too well and then it was doubly uncomfortable, the chafing between the toes and a big knot of twine poking up from underneath.
Wearing them for any length of time takes some getting used to. I remember getting blisters on my toes when wearing them on vacation; that was painful enough, but get some sand in between your toes and into the blisters and it's agony.
You can't run in the darn things, either. In fact, that's what usually made the toe piece pop out of the hole when I was a kid. That probably won't be a problem with my new pair as I haven't run anywhere in years, not even when I'm wearing running shoes.
They're also deceptive in that you get the illusion you have protection for your feet, but it's as easy to stub your toe wearing flip-flops as it is going barefoot. That's a little ironic - breaking your big toe from wearing flip-flops and then that being the only thing you can wear on your feet because you then can't wear regular shoes with a broken toe.
I doubt my flip-flops will get much use; oh, I'll slip them on when I think about it when I need to step outside for a minute, but just looking at them makes me shudder thinking about how uncomfortable they are. I would never, EVER wear them in public as do some folks...my toes are just too ugly. Flip-flops look cute on girls though.
I think I'll go Google "girls wearing flip-flops and thongs". That shouldn't be uncomfortable at all.
My sisters and I used to wear them all the time when we were on vacation at the lake. Back then, though, we called them "thongs" which means something entirely different these days. When did the name change occur?
I'd really rather write about the thongs of today more than the flip-flops of yesterday. I've never worn the former, but I like looking at them...well, I like seeing women wear them. They sure look uncomfortable, though, but wearing flip-flops is also uncomfortable.
I recently bought a pair out at WalMart; I'm constantly having to run out to my vehicle for something or taking food out to the stray cats and it's too much trouble to lace up my sneakers just to wear them for two minutes. I've ruined several pairs of house shoes by stepping in puddles of water in the dark...or in little "surprises" left by the stray cats. Ahem. I was looking for a new pair of house shoes when I saw the flip-flops on a nearby rack. They were cheap, around three bucks, so I thought they might be something that I could quickly slip on and off and save my much more expensive house shoes.
Here's the kind I bought, a cool looking camo style:
I brought them home, snipped the little plastic tie holding them together and slid my feet into them. Ugh. I remembered why I didn't like them as a kid and the reasons hadn't changed.
First of all, I hate something between my toes and that's the only thing that keeps the flip-flops on your feet. (I also hate anything between my "cheeks" so that's why I suspect I wouldn't like wearing a thong) I haven't worn them enough for it to happen yet, but with any sort of rough use, the rubber toe divider is notorious for popping out of the molded hole. With some doing, you can pop it back into the hole, but once it happens, it will keep happening until the hole tears and then the footwear is useless. I remember being on vacation and having that happen and taking a bit of twine and tying it around the part that sticks through the hole to keep it in place. It really didn't work too well and then it was doubly uncomfortable, the chafing between the toes and a big knot of twine poking up from underneath.
Wearing them for any length of time takes some getting used to. I remember getting blisters on my toes when wearing them on vacation; that was painful enough, but get some sand in between your toes and into the blisters and it's agony.
You can't run in the darn things, either. In fact, that's what usually made the toe piece pop out of the hole when I was a kid. That probably won't be a problem with my new pair as I haven't run anywhere in years, not even when I'm wearing running shoes.
They're also deceptive in that you get the illusion you have protection for your feet, but it's as easy to stub your toe wearing flip-flops as it is going barefoot. That's a little ironic - breaking your big toe from wearing flip-flops and then that being the only thing you can wear on your feet because you then can't wear regular shoes with a broken toe.
I doubt my flip-flops will get much use; oh, I'll slip them on when I think about it when I need to step outside for a minute, but just looking at them makes me shudder thinking about how uncomfortable they are. I would never, EVER wear them in public as do some folks...my toes are just too ugly. Flip-flops look cute on girls though.
I think I'll go Google "girls wearing flip-flops and thongs". That shouldn't be uncomfortable at all.
3 comments:
Look online at the prices of some of those "flip-flops" for women. They aren't any more protection for your feet and not much prettier than your $3 discount store shoes, but some of them sell for more than $50. You know how much I hate wearing shoes, so I suffer through the getting a callous between my toes each year so I don't have to wear "real" shoes in public in the summer. I don't care what my feet look like and I guess it's a good thing. I still won't pay big bucks for them though.
I'm more into "granny panties" than that dental floss in your butt crack kind of underwear. I'm old enough I can go for comfort instead of style. Wonder what Grandma D. would have thought about the thong underwear?
She probably would have blushed, sis and said "Mercy sakes."
I still have my flip flops, but have worn them only once.
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