Real shoes - Duggars

[gustava]

But maybe the J'girls are sooooooo environmentally conscious that they wear these (Time magazine):

Better take care of these sandals, because they'll cost more than an arm and a leg to replace.

Eco-conscious footwear company Chipkos has collaborated with L.A. artist David Palmer to create the world's most expensive flip-flops, ringing up at a wallet-busting $18,000. (For that price, you could score 36 pairs of Manolo Blahniks — or 3,600 pairs of Old Navy flip-flops.) However, your money won't be spent in vain: as part of the company's Stand for Square Feet campaign, you will be preserving 100,000 square feet of endangered Costa Rican rainforest for every pair you purchase. Also included in the sticker price is a meet-and-greet with the artist and two nights in an LEED-certified Beverly Hills hotel. For those on more modest budgets, Chipkos sells a less luxe pair for $42 that will protect 100 square feet of land.

LIST: Top 10 Most Expensive Auction Items

The conservation-minded company believes that “sandals have the power to protect more than just your feet.†Priya Jaggia, Chipkos' founder and Chief Nature Ambassador, stated on Chipkos' website that she was inspired “to use worldly and ethnic trends†as an avenue for environmental change after traveling through India and Jamaica. “Most things that we do to help the environment are reactive, yet protecting rain forest land before it was tarnished seemed refreshingly proactive to me."

The sandals are hand-painted using eco-friendly 18-karat gold, and their unconventional square shape was inspired by a traditional Indian style. But if you're worried about wear and tear, fear not. The flip-flops come with their own display case, because presumably, you won't be wearing these to the supermarket.

Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/08/11/the ... z1UlUCT1cp

[PBrooke]

Growing up in the South, I wore flipflops, especially in high school and college when their popularity peaked (late 90s, early 00s). I DO remember when flipflops only came in the foam variety and most people wore other kinds of sandals; it would seem we're returning to those times (other sandals are now more popular than flipflops). Anyway, back in the flip-flop heyday my then-boyfriend, now-husband hated them and thought I was a moron for wearing insensible shoes. Considering it very frequently rained and my college had tiled areas everywhere that turned into slippery death traps when wet, he wasn't far wrong. But he was ultimately proven right one sunny day as I left class. Swinging open the heavy door to my building, I mis-estimated my foot in relation to the bottom of the door. It clipped the top of my big toe - and took half the toenail with it. That was a horrifying day, lemme tell you (it grew back, btw).

Nowadays, I wear flats more than anything. While cuter and closed-toed, they aren't much better in terms of support. In fact - and this is my guilty secret - I was recently on a trip to South Beach, where I was doing a lot of walking. Both my flats and my gladiator sandals had ripped my feet up with blisters, and they were way sore from walking to boot. As an act of desperation, I walked into the Croc outlet store and bought a pair of Mary Jane-style ones. I think I heard choirs of angels when I slipped them on my feet. I know they are considered the supreme obnoxious tourist shoe, but man, it's like walking on air.

Funnily enough, I dragged my husband to the Croc store to try on a pair a few days later, and he didn't think they felt like anything special. You see, he always wears supportive and sensible shoes, so he didn't feel the massive difference my abused tootsies did. Now if I saw the Duggar girls wearing crocs, I would totally support them.

[nutella addict]

I have issues with Crocs on young children. They aren't the right, sturdy support a child just learning to walk needs, but parents will go into shoe stores and no matter how often the attendants explain that their learning-to-walk toddler needs shoes your feet can't slip around in (talking about the clog-style ones), they will insist on buying Crocs for their kids, who will promptly wipe out in them. Why did they say they wanted them? Because they were cute and trendy. Seriously. They couldn't care less about the new-walker support of other shoes.

My friend who worked in a kid's shoe store told me all this, it was her biggest issue with obnoxious parents. I've seen little kids in loose Crocs falling all over the place too and it drives me crazy. Last week it was a complete downpour here in Scotland and I was walking down the street next to a mom and two daughters, who were maybe 4 and 6 or so, and both wearing Crocs, and the younger one wiped out and fell flat on her back when the Crocs met the wet pavement. Not safe. The mom had been holding both girls hands and hauled her up as though it was a regular occurrence and kept walking, with the same little girl really struggling not to slide around both in her shoes and on the pavement.

I'm not saying Crocs are evil (although I personally dislike them as much as I dislike Uggs, sorry to those of you who like either/both), I'm just saying for younger kids and toddlers I REALLY don't think they're a good idea.

[Kitchen Princess]

I just really don't judge people on their footwear. I don't think they're ignorant or stupid or asking for it if they wear flip-flops while they hike or walk in the snow. I'm just not going to put value judgments on other people's choice of footwear. If I wear my Keens on a rainy day and my feet get wet, so? My choice, my consequences.

[Patsy]

It's not a value judgment, it's a 'Wow, that is a really dumb choice' judgment. And isn't judging other people a large part of this board?

[apple1]

I just really don't judge people on their footwear. I don't think they're ignorant or stupid or asking for it if they wear flip-flops while they hike or walk in the snow. I'm just not going to put value judgments on other people's choice of footwear. If I wear my Keens on a rainy day and my feet get wet, so? My choice, my consequences.

I agree with this post.

And have I said before, I LOVE Keens. :)

[apple1]

BTW Flip flops' popularity preceded the 90s by a long time. (I'm old- :oops: )

As a kid, we spent the entire summer- except for going to church- in flip flops. Going to church or school meant confining your feet to uncomfortable inflexible tight shoes- saddle oxfords for school, black patent Mary Jane's (usually) for church, unless we didn't have the Mary Janes and the saddle oxfords had to do. (Aside: I HATE saddle oxfords).

Flip flops were = freedom and summer. They probably cost about 39

cents back then.

[Avalondaughter]

I have stopped wearing flip flops of any kind after hearing all of the reports on how terrible they are for your body. yeah. I'm cautious like that. Too many people aren't. I remember seeing some news segment on the dangers of flip flops and they had some woman going to the orthopedist with back problems and the doctor told her to stop wearing flip flops. As soon as she left the office she gave a knowing smile and put her flip flops back on.

I always buy sandals with SOME arch support. I never wear perfectly flat shoes of any kind, even ballerina flats. I have a bad knee and tendonitis in one foot. I don't take chances.

So where am I going with this? Oh yeah, the Duggars. Flip flops don't make one particularly mobile. Even bare feet are more agile than flip flops. Encouraging them to wear flip flops is a way of hobbling them symbolically, no? Wearing flip flops it's harder to run away.

[forever ago]

People who complain about everyone wearing only flip-flops should come to my college for a day. Almost everyone wears flip-flops. True, my college is near the NC/SC border, but people wear flip-flops even in winter here, and yes, it's COLD in winter.

When it rains everyone goes barefoot unless they're riding their bikes... they put their shoes on when they enter the classroom buildings.

I don't wear sandals, let alone flip-flops very often, but I do wear flats and at times it's painful, if I walk too much. D:

Of course, I wear the $3 foam flip-flops, so...

[forever ago]

So where am I going with this? Oh yeah, the Duggars. Flip flops don't make one particularly mobile. Even bare feet are more agile than flip flops. Encouraging them to wear flip flops is a way of hobbling them symbolically, no? Wearing flip flops it's harder to run away.

Ever hear of Hephzibah House? It's a horrible institution that abuses 'troubled' teenage girls, though girls as young as 9 and women as old as 25 have been sent there. The girls wear slipper-like shoes (but just call them slippers) so that they can't run away.

Mom and Dad Duggar are nowhere near as abusive as the... okay I can't think of a creature low enough that would describe the awful, awful "human beings" who run Hephzibah House because then I'd be insulting the innocent creature... but yeah, flip-flops are difficult to run in, so the girls wearing the flip-flops can't bolt, and if they did kick the shoes off they still wouldn't make it far without injuring their feet.

I haven't seen 19 Kids enough to really notice their footwear, but this isn't the first discussion I've seen about it. I presume that they do have other shoes, like boots for snow, or nice flats for more special occasions. It could be that the Duggars simply don't like shoes and only wear flip-flops when they think they have to. If they wear them inside, I don't blame them, the younger kids' toys can not be fun to step on with bare feet.

[snarkykitty]

My biggest problems with most flip flops are the lack of arch support, and the lack of traction on the soles. I've had a few near-misses on the stairs thanks to flip flops and a few actual falls (one requiring a trip to the hospital) due to wearing dress shoes that have no traction.

The best way for me to go down the stairs is barefoot, or in sneakers. Otherwise, I walk up and down very slowly. Once I had that bad fall, I get physical flashbacks - I remember the sensations - every time I am going down the stairs.

Our next house is going to be stairs-free, which sucks because I don't like to sleep on the first floor. :(

[library_youth]

Not a huge fan of flip-flops for myself, but I love my Adidas slip-on sandals. They are pretty sturdy for sandals and sooo comfortable. I'd wear them year round if I could, but Michigan's a bit too cold for that in the winter!

[theologygeek]

And being barefoot is actually far safer than wearing flip-flops.

I believe it. I almost broke my neck the other day in flip flops just putting the trash out. I'm a shoe fanatic, but am guilty of wearing flip flops when I'm not going anywhere.

[ChickeyMonkey]

I love my Reefs, but I wear regular shoes for going places where I'll be walking a lot, or outdoors (park, places like that). When we went to Disneyland a few years ago, I wore my Adidas and by the late afternoon, my feet were killing me. I couldn't stand without them hurting. I tried standing on the sides of my feet, which I do anyway, for some reason, and that didn't even work. I recently bought another pair of Adidas to play tennis with my husband (I just wanted to buy shoes. I can't play tennis very well and now I end up watching our youngest kid while he plays tennis - when he actually gets to play) and after wearing them for a little while, my feet hurt. I guess I can't wear Adidas for some reason.

Can someone please explain why Crocs are so obnoxious? I remember when I first saw them in a Henry's grocery store and they were being sold for $29.99 which I think is insane for rubber/plastic shoes. I don't like them because they look like they would make my feet hot and sweaty and then I'd slip out of them. If I'm going to wear shoes that are supposed to be like sandals, I want my toes to be uncovered. I get hot and sweaty easily as it is.