Wear Flip Flops in the Rain
It’s autumn in North America, which means that where you live it is likely to rain soon, or it has just ended, or you are reading this blog outside in the rain and your phone is all wet. Nobody likes being wet! This is for the fish. Avoiding dampness is why people invented the raincoat, umbrella and Crocs. And yet today I tell you sincerely: wear flip flops in the rain.
Flip flops in the rain solve a very specific problem: water seeps into your shoes and settles there. Once your shit gets wet, it won’t dry out, at least not on time. I spent many useless evenings with wet boots and otherwise wet protected feet in a dull swamp prison. You could also inadvertently be in control of yourself in the same way. The sweet spot for wet weather shoes is nowhere to live. You can do your best and wrap your feet in reservoir-like devices to protect them from every drop of water, or you can embrace freedom. Let me justify the latter.
Obviously, your feet will get wet if you put on your flip-flops in the rain, but the hidden benefit of open-toed rain shoes is how quickly they dry. Imagine, if you will, you arrive at your destination with wet feet, but you can walk just five minutes later as if you had never poured all of them. Sure, your feet could be dry all the time, but that means you have to carry around an extra few pounds of outsole and sophisticated waterproof leather. It is also the coward’s way.
Obviously this won’t work for everyone. Maybe you live in New York, where garbage liquefies on the street, and every downpour causes it to foam all over the place. If you don’t like garbage on your feet, don’t do it. I’m a California bastard, and I readily admit this method isn’t tried out in colder weather.
Also, if you are working in a laboratory, woodworking workshop, or other workplace that requires tight shoes, ignore it. Perhaps you only have shitty shower slippers, unsuitable for the sling and arrows of the outside world. Everything is fine! Embrace the wet embrace of the damp shoes.
But if you want something better, if you are not afraid to go through a little water due to loose dry feet, try this. If you don’t like it, you can always go back to your swampy life.