for years i've worn flip flops year-round.
it all started when i was a young boy in upstate ny (in that very snowy area between the catskills and berkshire mountains). growing up a half-asian/white mix, having only fairly developed white boys to compare myself to (i was in rural upstate ny), i was very embarrassed by my bony frame and concave muscles. i pretty much looked like this picture until late middle school, only taller. i'm the one in green shorts.
so as you can imagine, i tried to keep my body covered at all times. i hardly ever wore shorts, tank tops, and never went without a shirt (even at the pool). at some point between 8th and 9th grade i decided i'd had enough and decided i was only going to wear shorts. and that was it.
i pretty much didn’t wear pants again unless i absolutely HAD to wear them. i wore tuxedo shorts to my prom, i wore shorts to work at
ponderosa, i'd sometimes wear shorts skiing … or at least did once.
people used to look at me a little funny – they always have and still do – especially when i'd wear my orange nylon shorts with green nike aqua socks around in the dead of winter with snow past my knees. i liked it.
the cold never really bothered me – or at least not as long as my upper body was covered and warm. so later when i began wearing flip flops, i never saw them as seasonal footwear … i didn't care if it was cold or rainy, snowy or freezing. flip flops are just comfortable and i think look good with just about everything.
and i just don’t like closed toed shoes. my toes feel too confined and every once in a while i'll have a little panic and need to take off my shoes and let my toes spread out.
recently i've been more and more interested in buying proper shoes, but the problem is just don’t feel right wearing them. it's like that guy in that episode of nip/tuck who wants to have his arm amputated because he feels like he was born with an extra limb.
this weekend i'm going to buy some shoes – i'll post pictures.
