Real shoes - Duggars

[O Latin]

I never understood the whole "the Duggar girls need to wear real shoes instead of flip-flops" thing until a few days ago when I put on my "real" shoes (Converse knock-offs) after several weeks of wearing flip-flops every day. I swear my feet were singing the Hallelujah Chorus. I was so much more comfortable walking around campus than in flip-flops.

 

That being said, I do know people who insist that flip-flops are the comfiest things ever, and maybe the Duggar girls are in that crowd, but now I have a better idea where the "real shoe" sentiment comes from. I'm ready to put my flip-flops back in the closet until next year.

[Alecto]

I think there are times the Duggar girls are doing things that need real shoes, like cleaning, and are wearing flip flops instead. I think that is where a lot of the criticism comes from.

[fundiefan]

I hate shoes, but I do wear them when appropriate, like in winter and when doing physical activities. In summer, I'm all about bare feet and flip flops. My feet scream (angrily) when I put real shoes on in summer and they weep when fall arrives.

That said, I think there are a ton of factors with shoe choices. Different people, different feet. High arches, low arches, etc...there are a lot of reasons what is comfortable for one could be uncomfortable or even painful for others. Also, the quality of the flip flops / summer shoes matters too. The rubber $3.00 ones? Probably not as good for the feet as my beloved Birkenstocks and Tevas. In fact, for me, I can't wear the cheap ones. I have to have support for higher arches.

[clibbyjo]

I LOVE shoes and will admit I have too many and wear many of them just for looks.(For a "sitting activity" I might wear the 4 inch wedges or high boots.)

If its an all day walking trip I will wear danskos,merrells or other clog type shoes. I have running shoes for running.

Tons of new boots just waiting for cooler weather.

[ladypuglover]

I love shoes too but prefer wearing my $$$ sandals 9 months out of the year. That said, I know that hiking boots are better for mountain trails, tennis shoes for sports and walking and something strappy and cute for public speaking. These girls only wear walmart thongs/flip flops to every activity. Hiking a mountail trail while carring your infant sibling? Flip flops. Playing at the park while having to chase your toddler sister? Flip Flops. Standing in front of 4,000 people while your parents tell everyone their way of life is the best way? $3 flip flops that may or may not have been bought used and you have to share with 4 sisters at least. Maybe I'm a snob, but I wear shoes that only have my sweat and foot prints in them that are right for the occasion :snooty: :hand:

[bananacat]

It really depends on the brand and style of the flip-flops, but I love wearing them all the time. I got some cheap ones from the dollar store and it feels like I'm basically barefoot, which is my preferred state.

I don't have a problem with the Duggars wearing flip-flops in general; I just don't think it's the right type of footwear for every single occasion. Like everyone else has said, flip-flops are not good for hiking. That is just downright dangerous. But remember these are the same people who used power tools and laid tile in loose flowing skirts and long flowing hair that they didn't even bother to tie back, so I don't think basic safety is something they care about.

[xReems]

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of flip flops but I have no problem when others wear it. With that being said, I think there is a time and place to wear flip flops. What bothers me about the Duggar girls wearing flip flops is that they wear them during inappropriate times like hiking up a mountain or an area where they have poisonous reptiles. Jessa thinks it's because we believe Duggar girls can't do anything in skirts and flip flops but that's far from it. When you're climbing up a mountain, especially areas where there are jagged areas where you could get injured, it's common sense to pack closed toed shoes. I'm a Biotechnology major so a lot of the research stuff I do requires me to handle certain bacterias, chemicals, etc. Yes, I could do it in flip flops but for SAFETY reasons, I wear close toed shoes because if an accident occurs, the last thing you need is some E. Coli on your foot or some toxic chemical. It really irks me when I see the girls hiking up a mountain in flip flops and then getting defensive about it. I'm sure they would not be getting defensive about it if they injured themselves or got bitten by something.

[ADoyle90815]

I think the issue is that they wear flip flops while hiking where there are poisonous snakes, or doing something like indoor rock climbing when other shoes would be more appropriate. I know that for myself, I live in flip flops or sandals in the summer, but I still wear regular shoes when flip flops aren't appropriate such as when going to the gym or to work. For me, it's a safety issue to wear closed toe shoes that are slip resistant at work.

[ElphabaGalinda]

I would go bare foot all the time if I could, and I would certainly never wear socks. But there's a time and place for everything and when climbing up a mountain I know I have to wear sturdy shoes with socks whether I like it or not. Like others have said, it's not that they wear flip flops, it's where they wear them. Mountain climbing can't possibly be comfortable in flip flops, I just can't comprehend that.

[Kitchen Princess]

I don't know...millions of people around the world live in jungles and rural areas without any kind of shoes and I don't think they are more apt to be hurt than someone who is used to wearing flip-flops all the time. They learn the dangers from a young age and are probably better able to avoid them from experience.

My grandkids all wear flip-flops like their mother most of the time. I wear Keen sandals year-round, not always with socks in the winter, either. I know how to keep my feet dry.

I have a kid that hated shoes from birth and only wore flip-flops when necessary. He rarely hurt his feet or stepped on something dangerous. He climbed the same mountain the Duggar's climbed (Pinnacle Mountain) in flip-flops when he was 3. He now wears expensive baseball turf shoes almost everywhere (like cleats but without the cleats--he works for a baseball team) so I have no qualms about letting him grow up unshod (there's a movement, too. unshod.org).

I really think it's to each his own in the shoe department...but I also believe people should be properly dressed for certain events, including shoes, just to grease the wheels of society.

[ladypuglover]

I don't know...millions of people around the world live in jungles and rural areas without any kind of shoes and I don't think they are more apt to be hurt than someone who is used to wearing flip-flops all the time. They learn the dangers from a young age and are probably better able to avoid them from experience.

My grandkids all wear flip-flops like their mother most of the time. I wear Keen sandals year-round, not always with socks in the winter, either. I know how to keep my feet dry.

I have a kid that hated shoes from birth and only wore flip-flops when necessary. He rarely hurt his feet or stepped on something dangerous. He climbed the same mountain the Duggar's climbed (Pinnacle Mountain) in flip-flops when he was 3. He now wears expensive baseball turf shoes almost everywhere (like cleats but without the cleats--he works for a baseball team) so I have no qualms about letting him grow up unshod (there's a movement, too. unshod.org).

I really think it's to each his own in the shoe department...but I also believe people should be properly dressed for certain events, including shoes, just to grease the wheels of society.

But millions of people around the world also have problems from not wearing proper shoes. Hook worm, frostbite and tons of other things do happen to people who can not buy shoes. And millions are do just fine like you said. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

These girls are being taught something different though. Like using dangerous equipment without protection or safety measures. They haven't seen someone lose a foot due to a spider bite and know they have to be aware. They are not aware, just lucky to date. They are rebelling in a normal teen fashion(which doesn't help the cause, JB and DQ) but like most teens living in this country they don't have the life skills to know why it is risky not to wear proper shoes. If they want to wear flip flops , great but not at the risk of getting hurt or prementally disfigured.

[daharyn]

I LOVE shoes. Seriously. I am just grateful that my roommate doesn't tease me about the portion of the front closet that is dedicated to my ever-expanding shoe collection.

There was one episode where the Duggars went to like an ironworks, or something? And there was next to no head or foot protection. I wanted to throw stuff at my screen. I mean, look, it's all fun and games, and then someone ends up in the emergency room...!

I still remember the hiking through South America in flip flops. Worst idea ever. And if I recall correctly, one of the older J-slaves commented on this on tape, too...?

[FlorenceHamilton]

To me what is offensive is the ALL the boys have shoes. ALL of the girls have only flip-flops. Or they go barefoot. That is my objection. It is not about the preferences of the girls regarding their footwear. It is about the fact that they have no other option.

[bananacat]

I don't know...millions of people around the world live in jungles and rural areas without any kind of shoes and I don't think they are more apt to be hurt than someone who is used to wearing flip-flops all the time. They learn the dangers from a young age and are probably better able to avoid them from experience.

Yes, and those people tend have lower life expectancies and higher risks of injuries and other problems. And being barefoot is actually far safer than wearing flip-flops.

[Cassandra]

I hate shoes, but I do wear them when appropriate, like in winter and when doing physical activities. In summer, I'm all about bare feet and flip flops. My feet scream (angrily) when I put real shoes on in summer and they weep when fall arrives.

Same same same.

If I could go barefoot all the time I would. But I also love to buy shoes.

However I have noticed that if I wear flip flops for an extended period of time my hips hurt.

[lilwriter85]

I think it is ok for the Duggar girls to wear flip flops if they want to. But they are certain situations that they should be wearing sneakers or better types of sandals or flip flops. I might be wrong, but I remember an episode in which Boob allowed Joy Anna to rock climb in flip flops.

[Guest Anonymous]

I tore a ligament in my right ankle because of flip flops. The injury I got would not have happened had I been wearing my converse or my doc martens. I'm collecting them around the house tomorrow and burning them on a pyre. One of those girls is going to break something. :(

[Jessica]

magadociousrex - Yikes! Feel better!

[O Latin]

I hate shoes, but I do wear them when appropriate, like in winter and when doing physical activities. In summer, I'm all about bare feet and flip flops. My feet scream (angrily) when I put real shoes on in summer and they weep when fall arrives.

That said, I think there are a ton of factors with shoe choices. Different people, different feet. High arches, low arches, etc...there are a lot of reasons what is comfortable for one could be uncomfortable or even painful for others. Also, the quality of the flip flops / summer shoes matters too. The rubber $3.00 ones? Probably not as good for the feet as my beloved Birkenstocks and Tevas. In fact, for me, I can't wear the cheap ones. I have to have support for higher arches.

I used to do that all the time. In junior high, as soon as the weather got warm enough I would wear my flip-flops to school and then when school was out I would take them off and walk home barefoot. Everyone else was like, "how can that possibly be comfortable?" but I LOVED the feeling of being barefoot. I don't do that anymore because I think it would look a little silly for a grownup college student to be walking around barefoot carrying her shoes in her hand, but I have seen someone else do it now and again, so maybe not.

I don't find flip-flops uncomfortable at all, but when I put on my tennis shoes, my feet were just so much MORE comfortable I couldn't believe it. I do buy the cheap flip-flops. I refuse to invest in summer wear, probably because I don't like summer that much. I have quite a few pairs of winter boots.

There was a guy at my first college who NEVER wore shoes. He had a pair of flip-flops that he carried around in his pocket or his backpack to put on if he absolutely had to (like in the dining hall or something), but he would come to class and walk around outside barefoot, even in the winter. In Minnesota. He was known as "No-shoes [Name]"

[liltwinstar]

I like flip flops, but I try not to wear them except to really casual events. I'm trying to get myself into a better position at work, so to me, wearing flip flops there would be really inappropriate (I work in HR, so we kind of have to be the example to the rest of the company). Also, I've found that my feet adapt to whatever shoes I wear the most - right now I wear heels every day, so that's what's comfortable to me.

I think it's weird for the Duggar girls to only have one kind of footwear. If they're just hanging around the house, sure, wear the flip flops. But for more formal events, at construction sites, if they're going to do a lot of walking, etc - real shoes would be more appropriate. Born makes some great, comfy, cute flats that I can literally wear all day and walk in for miles - so it's not like they'd have to do the dreaded denim skirt + tennis shoes combo in order to be comfy.

[luckylibrarian]

I wear flip flops most of the time in the summer, but I buy ones with good arch support (FitFlops, Ugg.). I have tried the cheap rubber kind but they hurt my feet. I don't know how the Duggar girls can live in those. In the winter, I wear Ugg boots everywhere. For work, I'll wear cute wedges or dressy sandals. I just discovered Toms, and I love them. They're more comfortable than flip flops and they support a good cause.

It's possible that the Duggar girls wear flip flops all the time because the foot is the one part of their body they can expose to the world. The flip flops are also the only thing about them that can be stylish. They've gotten much better over the years, but until they ditch the long skirts, their look will scream "fundie."

[mausi]

I have read the founder of TOMS participated in Focus on the Family recently. Is that so?

[Austin]

I have read the founder of TOMS participated in Focus on the Family recently. Is that so?

Yeah, I think he claims not to have realized what exactly FotF stood for, or some half-assed excuse. You can google it, I'm sure it will pop right up.

[nutella addict]

I run around barefoot if it's warm frequently, unless I actually need to wear shoes when I tend to wear mostly flip-flops. I wear running shoes to run. Living in Scotland just now, my rainboots are frequently used. Like today. And yesterday. And Sunday. I have nice shoes for nice things, although not many, I just happen to really like being barefoot or wearing flip-flops. In high school I'd wear flip-flops even in the snow in winter sometimes if I was only walking a short distance - not long enough for frostbite. There are only a few shy copperheads where I live in the States, but even so if I'm actually going on a proper hike in the woods, I'm wearing sneakers - safer, sturdier, better protection against snakes and ticks and spiders. I stepped on a snake barefoot once walking along the edge of the woods and jumped about a foot in the air while my boyfriend, brother, and family friend all laughed at me - it was a very small garter snake. I've also stepped on a bee/wasp/something and gotten stung when I couldn't be bothered putting my sneakers on to walk from the camp beach up to the dining hall for lunch. I came across a 5 ft long snake in my grandma's backyard in Georgia and wasn't wearing shoes then either - I rarely think to put shoes on in anybody's yard so long as I'm not doing any serious yard-work or playing soccer or something. I've worn flip-flops for well-used paths but not a proper mountain hike, which is I think where the Duggar-criticism comes from, especially since they're actually much more likely to find a venomous (sorry, but just to point out, poisonous means you can't eat it, venomous means it can somehow inject you with venom to poison you) snake, even though it's a frequent path and they're very noisy. And they're also criticized for not appearing to have much else in the form of footwear, and not seeming to know when which is appropriate. I appreciate the support of sneakers from time to time, but I also love mud, grass, air, even rocks and pavement on/under my feet. That said, at least we haven't seen them in the snow barefoot or in flip-flops, right?

Sorry, I seem to have rambled a bit. I think my point is, barefoot, flip-flops, awesome and fine, but please take into account the risk to your feet when you aren't wearing closed shoes - is there a chance of any unfortunate bites, anything large or dangerous falling on your feet, is it too cold, etc - before doing so, and make sure you do have "real shoes" for when flip-flops would be inappropriate. That's what I'd say to the Duggars. Chasing your baby siblings on a mountain hike in woods in a geographical area with a variety of unfortunate creatures, flip-flops are probably not a good idea. Neither are skirts, to be honest, what fundie girl is going to check that no tick crawled up her leg all the way to her undies? Jeans aren't completely tick-proof but they're a better protection. Sturdy sneakers, tall socks, and long pants were our tick-rules back home...

[Austin]

I can't stand anything between my toes, so don't wear traditional flip flops. I do have some slides that are for the same purpose. They are great for the beach, pool, or if I need to run outside to get the mail or something.