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Sandals
which show off your entire foot, such as thong sandals and big
toe straps, are in vogue. Somehow being barefoot is still a
novelty.
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After
spending the 1970s & 1980s as footwear exclusively for
hippies, sandals have had a major renaissance over the past
ten years. Sandals made up for more than half the shoe sales
in the year 2000 and 2001.
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Women
are leaving the high heels and pantyhose in droves. No one is
willing to become fashion slaves and teetering around on
torture devices for eight hours of work, plus going out for a
night on the town.
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So
what are women wearing instead?
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Paduka
sandals, left, were the most expensive shoes one time in
India.Over the foot was a knob, held by the first two toes.
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The
trend now is to have as little on your foot as possible.
Sandals that have one or two thin straps, or no straps at all,
are not only hip, but are considered dressy. Any award
ceremony, wedding, or other special occasion, you will see
sandals with as miniscule fabric as possible.
In
the meantime, it is still unacceptable to be seen
anywhere outside of your front door barefoot, according to the
average business owner.
Management
tends to hide behind facades as "health codes" or
"you can drop something on your foot" to disallow
barefoot patrons. The assumption is, is that if enough people
think it is a law or a health hazard, then no one will do it
anymore. People would be willing to accept a false law excuse
than they would a manager saying " I think your foot
touching my floor is nasty."
Why
is it considered inappropriate to be barefoot? There are a few
theories.
People
have been told by store owners, work management, teachers, and
even parents, that it is not acceptable to be barefoot. There
has been a fear of injuring yourself instilled into children
growing up. It's interesting how many people will say
"You could drop that frozen turkey on your foot. At least
put flip flops on!"
There
is also a fear of looking poor. Being barefoot still exudes
thoughts of not being able to afford shoes. While bare feet
might make someone look
destitute,
some "just barely there" sandals are causing some
people to be
destitute.
Sandals by Gucci, Prada, and Bebe contain only one or two thin
straps, running from $150-$500.
The
most common reason why people choose these ultra-thin sandals
instead of going bare, is because they do not wish to be
evicted from a store. Men and women wish to go barefoot, but
do not want the embarrassment of being told to leave instead
of purchasing their new IBM Thinkpad. They opt for flip flops
as an alternative, and removing one or both when standing in
line or sitting at a restaurant table.
Will
it ever be acceptable to go barefoot? Possibly, if enough
people don't mind risking the chance to buy their new Thinkpad.
The next time you get a hankering to grab some take out pizza,
and you grab your flip flops, ask yourself "What's the
worst that can happen if I left the sandals home?"
OTHER
Related Links:
Barefoot
Q&A answers all the barefoot-related myths
Feet
At Work (from www.seton.net)
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Topless
sandals, shown above, are very acceptable footwear for out
& about town. However, some people get offended at seeing
an entire foot...but a Gucci thong sandal,below, sells for
$200+ while obtaining compliments for being "barely
there".
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