My Collection: More Flip Flops of an Unknown Brand

Once again, it's been a while.  I really have to work on some form of consistency with this blog.  However, in my defense, it's been a busy week and I haven't had many alone moments at the house in which to photograph shoes in my collection and when I do, it's late at night and I can't count on the help of natural light to help in my photography sessions.  I see no point in posting lackluster photos that don't do the shoes any justice, just for the sake of making sure there is something new to post.  Quantity is the goal but quality is a must.

I'm not sure if I'm really sick enough to have taken the day off from work, but I did, and now I can use some of my time alone to catch up on a few things.  First is the breaking in of my Pleaser slingbacks.  Wow.  Two inches of heel height makes one hell of a difference!  It took me no time at all to get used to 3" heels but the 5" heels of these shoes make my feet wobble, not to mention hurt quite a bit as the weight of my body is forced into the balls of my feet, which in turn squeezes my toes into the pointy toe box.  It probably doesn't help that the heels are very narrow to the point where they could probably be defined as stilettos.  On the plus side, my calves are being stretched so much that I shouldn't wake up in the middle of the night with cramps for at least a few days, and being 6'3" tall in 5" heels gives me a feeling of power.

I still don't know what I'm going to do with these shoes.  Maybe I'll feel more comfortable using them for destructive purposes if I can get accustomed to having to balance myself on the tall, thin heels but right now I feel like one wrong move will send a heel snapping off the shoe, which will in turn leave me needing another pair.  This is by no means a cheap hobby!  But anyway, being home today allowed me to not have to rush to leave work and get to the mailbox before my wife gets home because I knew today was the day I'd be adding another pair of flip flops to my collection.

I have no idea of the brand name, as only the faint remnants of letters can be seen in the heel area.  The seller advertised them as a size 9 and I believe it, because they're just barely big enough to squeeze onto my feet for short periods of time (time on me feet is how I got the straps to maintain a shape long enough for me to take some photos.)  The seller claims to have another pair just like these and just about as worn so I'm hoping to make a deal for those.  Perhaps then I could have one pair to admire with my eyes and another pair to suffer under my feet.

As I've said in the past, flip flops can be boring, but can also be extremely enjoyable.  This pair is clearly an example of the latter.  From afar, they look as though they need a new coat of paint.  There's way too much wear here for a black Sharpie to repair!

The wear to the heel areas reveals the honeycomb-like structure sandwiched between the insoles and outsoles.  The insoles feel as though they're real leather but as I've stated in other posts, can never be quite sure.  Regardless, a good portion of the leather/faux leather has been worn off, revealing a cloth-like material below.  The white marks are the remains of the brand name that was once printed on the flip flops.  Any shoes CSIs out there willing to help with the identification of these poor things?

The front areas of the shoes are even worse.  Note the long thongs that slide between the big toe and the other four.  It's almost as if the thongs were designed to extend forward from where they attach to the insoles before rising up.  Or is it possible they stretched about three quarters of an inch?  Either way, the extra long thong is part of the reason why I can massage my feet into these flip flops, so I'm not complaining.

In some areas, the lining is so worn that the cloth-like material is also worn away, revealing the rubber of the outsole.  These flip flops did not have an easy life.  In addition to having been used a lot, it seems as if the wearer wasn't very careful with them, although that could be an assumption I want to make as I fantasize about what these went through.

The front of the right one is a total mess- frayed, with all the layers of material beginning to separate from one another.  Peeling it back provides a revealing look at the sandwich of rubber, cloth and even paper that comprises the construction of these flip flops.

The straps being stretched out beyond the shape of the outsoles and under the weight of the body left permanent indentations in the leather/faux leather.  A nice touch that I discovered only after spending some quality time with the shoes.  It pays to have quiet moments where they can be enjoyed with more than a passing glance.

The straps are decorated with countless colored pieces of plastic that remind me of sequins, except rectangular instead of round.  Many are still intact but many are also missing, having left behind traces of white thread that likely held them in place.  They seem to be firmly attached so it must have taken collisions with some pretty hard objects to work them loose.

Flipping the shoes over doesn't show a ton of wear on the bottoms of the outsoles.  They're worn smooth in some spots and the honeycomb-like rubber in the heels can once again, but other than that these flip flops took most of their beating on the other side.  Here's hoping that I can soon be adding their sisters to my collection.

Best. Promotion. Ever.

You'll have to excuse the lackluster quality of this photo- I had to take it with my Droid and can't seem to find anything on the dealership's website about this promotion.  You have to wonder if someone on Major World's staff shares in our hobby and is hoping to score some trashed and abused shoes?  If so... brilliant!

Destroying the Gold Ballet Flats: Part One

I try to make educated eBay purchases but every once in a while emotion (or something else that I can't explain) grabs hold of me.  In this case, it was these ballet flats reminding me of the ones pretty much all women (and girls) seemed to wear in the early 90's.  My mother had a pair, as did her friend... and my best friend at the time... and her sister... usually white, all with a cute little bow above the toe box.  I saw these and was immediately captivated.

As you can see, there's not much about them that's trashed or abused.  In fact, the outsoles of the shoes look practically new.  Something tells me these shoes spent the majority of their life indoors, confined to carpeted areas and other surfaces that didn't inflict much damage at all.

The most significant sign of use is inside the shoes where sole is completely gone.  Maybe the woman that wore these shoes had sweaty feet and the moisture worked them loose.  Maybe she got rid of them, just because...?  Either way, the thin layer of foam meant to provide some cushioning is a little dark and dirty in some areas, so whatever the case, the shoes spent some time being worn with the soles MIA.

With a house to myself and wanting an opportunity to do something with my new Pleaser Mary Jane pumps, I figured that I would make up for the fact that I allowed myself to buy a pair of shoes that really wasn't anything special aside from the fact that it took me back about two decades for a brief moment.  Yes, that's my lovely feet inside my red patent leather beauties.  I love how my gigantic Pleasers look eager for their chance to rip the flats apart.

I started slowly by stepping on the sweet-looking bows with the heels of my shoes.  Since there's not usually much in the way of structure in ballet flats, I could barely feel anything as I put my weight on them.  They seemed to compress into something no thicker than a piece of paper.  Not at all satisfying.

Next, I stepped on the backs of the shoes.  Again, the sensation was mediocre at best because of the lack of a stiff counter in the quarter.  When I destroyed the Moda sandals, they put up a bit of a fight.  Ballet flats don't resist much of anything, they just sort of go with the flow.  I suppose that could be why they're so popular, and women tend to keep them until they fall apart.  I have a few good examples I'll be showing you over the next week or two.

Somewhat disappointed, I took the flats to the garage where I figured I could do some serious damage.  And damage the shoes, I did.  This is what they looked like after the Pleasers were unleashed on them.

Remember the scene from the end of Jurassic Park where the pair of velociraptors team up to frighten the hell out of Hammond's niece and nephew?  I've learned that a pair of heels can create an equally effective team.  By using the heel of one shoe to hold the victim in place, the other can kick the life out of it without it moving all that much.  It's all about finding a way to maintain a good amount of weight on the heel of the shoe that's holding the victim in place while being nimble enough to inflict damage with the other.

The heel marks on the foam padding were nice to see but what I loved more was how they hooked themselves onto the bow as I kicked away, eventually ripping the fake leather material enough to leave them looking injured but not anywhere close to death.

The absolute best result of the fury was the hole I made in the back of one of the shoes as I held it down with the heel of one of my Mary Janes.  The top piece of the heel eventually cut through the thin layer of material, further trapping the poor ballet flat underneath it and preventing it from being able to escape.  Talk about a torture device!

I found that kicking ballet flats positioned on a concrete garage floor means you'll miss about twice as much as you hit the target, or at least until you get a feel for what you're doing.  The top pieces on both heels took some abuse, but the heels themselves seem as sturdy as ever.

Still, the moment left both of my Pleasers with some unintended damage, like this black mark that doesn't seem ready to go away anytime soon.  Part of me feels bad, and now I can reason with women that get distressed when they do something to hurt their brand new pair of shoes.  Yet another part of me knows this is the life I intended for these shoes, and the damage that accumulates over time will be worth the results.  Speaking of results, the gold ballet flats are getting put away, but their trashing and abuse is far from over.  Stay tuned.

Ummm, What's That Thing Called?

I just had a conversation with a friend who kept referring to her heel lifts, referencing the little pieces of plastic on the ends of her heels.  I've heard others call them taps, caps and tips.  However, this page covering the anatomy of a high-heeled shoe calls them top pieces and since that's the page I've been referencing since I started this blog, is what I'll consider my bible.  Just thought I'd share, in case any of my posts have created any confusion.

Another Pair For My Feet To Embrace

Another day, and another pair of Pleasers arrives for the pleasure of my feet.  This time it's a pair of Vanity T-strap pumps.

I'm not sure I'll ever get used to the thrill of opening a box like this.  I used to wonder why women would buy more shoes than they'd ever have the ability to wear but now I'm starting to get it.  This is my fourth pair of shoes (with one more on the way- a pair of size 16 pumps to replace the 17's that were too big) and while I now have more pairs of shoes than I'll be able to enjoy as much as I'd like, I'm getting the itch to buy another pair or two, and maybe even boots if I can be assured that they'll work with my calves.

There's certainly no real reason for me to be disappointed but I'm just a little dismayed by the fact that Pleaser has made a bit of a liar out of me.  Not long after I sang the praises of Pleaser's packaging, I open the box to find no black protective storage bag to house my shoes.  These shoes also came wrapped in white cloth bags that weren't as substantial as the black cloth bags that contained the other Pleasers I purchased, so I'm assuming it wasn't a simple oversight and is just a case of Pleaser not providing the protective storage bags with all their shoes?

Regardless, the shoes are awesome.  They're red patent (don't be fooled by the bad lighting of the photos- they're not pink, although the pumps that are due to arrive are a flashy hot pink, just to switch things up a bit) and the 4" heel should make them a bit easier to deal with than my slingbacks with the 5" heel that feels just a tad delicate, although I'll be the first to admit I need to get used to them.

At first I was worried because I had a hard time squeezing my feet between the straps, but then figured it was more about the angle of approach than anything else.  Still, I give straps a lot of credit.  I stretched these in ways that made me sure I'd snap them apart, and that was once... and with the shoes in brand new condition.  How do the straps do it when they're old and having been stretched to their limits (and likely beyond) hundreds of times?

I look forward to seeing how these straps do it.

My Collection: Rogue Mid-Calf Boots

Two kinds of eBay auctions stand out in my mind long after the bidding has closed: the ones where I overpaid for something, and the ones where I walk away feeling as if I stole it.  And eBay auctions can be a funny thing.  I've seen ones for mediocre items spiral wildly out of control (a hint for the ladies: if you have an average pair of worn shoes to sell and want to some bidding action, don't be afraid to be descriptive with some well-planned fibbing, like saying you're a sorority girl and your pumps have spent the year being passed from sister to sister as they wear them to bars and have beer spilled on them), and I've seen some fantastic items sold for a lot less than the seller deserved.  These dark brown size 10 Rogue boots were one half of a Buy It Now auction where I walked away with two pairs of trashed and abused boots for a paltry $10.  It was probably the best purchase I ever made in regard to this hobby.

You'll have to excuse the background scenery.  Finding a place in the house in which to photograph boots in all their vertical glory proved to be insanely challenging, and that was after I had to come up with a way to convince the shafts to stand upright without holding them myself.  In a perfect world I would have a few mannequins (or at least their feet) for situations such as these, but we all know it's not a perfect world, right?

These boots seem to be perfectly suited for everyday use.  I'm no expert when it comes to fashion but I can imagine these would work well with most everything in the closet (well, except for maybe a bridesmaid dress or ballroom gown) and the low, blocky heel makes them a "go anywhere, do anything" option.

On the outer sides is a large ornamental bow... quite adorable...

On the inner sides, a full-length zipper.

The leather (or whatever the material happens to be- I can't be sure because half the time I can't tell real leather from the synthetic stuff, and there was nothing on the boots indicating the material) is perfectly aged.  From a distance, is looks wrinkled and soft from years of use, and only when you get in for a closer look do some of the battle scars make themselves obvious.  The tips of the toe boxes are looking particularly rough.

The same goes for the shafts, where the top layer is peeling away.  I love shoes with this kind of character!

I wish I could have seen these boots in action.  By flexing them, it's easy to see how the leather folded with the foot.  I found that stuffing the foot area of the boots with a few paper towels helps to better simulate the presence of actual feet.

The hard life these boots lived is best appreciated by looking at the parts that would rarely be seen.  The outsoles actually held up quite well, although I'm not surprised given the fact that these are heavy, substantial-feeling pieces that feel as though they're designed to survive lots and lots of use.

The heels dealth with the majority of the trashing and abuse, where the top pieces are an ancient memory.  At first I was suspicious of this being intentional, as I've purchased shoes in the past where the heels were obviously worn down with something mechanical like a sander, but the way the leather is frayed and the plastic structure breaking apart leads me to believe this is a pair of boots that were worn hard for a long time.  Part of me is surprised the owner didn't replace the top pieces since everything else is very worn but still in good shape (if that makes some kind of sense), but a greater part of me is happy they decided to part with them.  One of my favorites in my collection, although I love the other pair even more... and you'll be seeing them soon, I promise.

Your Questions, My Answers

Over the past week, I've received a few emails asking for me to show more photos from my collection of trashed and abused shoes, including a few requests for more heels to be featured on the blog.  As I explained in my responses to those emails, I'll happily oblige.  After all, I've been looking forward to both.

I want shoes from the collection I've been building to be a central part of the blog.  I get so much enjoyment out of them and like to think others can enjoy them as well when I photograph and describe them in detail.  However, I've never wanted those to be the only features on the blog.  The point of all this is for me to explore all aspects of the hobby, and that includes a lot of things I'm just now starting to figure out, like the joy I've discovered in destroying shoes with my Ellies.  It's clear to me that many of you enjoy the trashing- and abuse-related items I've found on other sites.  One of the most viewed posts on the blog is the one where I talk about the mom who wears her heels to the playground.  There will definitely be a lot more highlighting what I've been buying on eBay to add to my collection, but I'll also try to maintain a good balance around here, touching on a lot of different things.

As for the lack of heels, I have them in my collection, although not as many pairs as I'd like.  I'm working on that... trust me.  Heels are difficult.  While eBay is a wonderful tool I've discussed in the past, finding trashed and abused heels isn't easy, probably because of the nature of the shoes.  In my dreams, women wear their nicest pumps on spontaneous walks in the woods... in reality, they're usually reserved for events where they won't be taxed with any kind of hard work.  The toughest chores most high heels have to suffer through is drunken dancing at weddings, and they usually get a few weeks or months off after that short-lived experience.  I tend to look for office shoes because those are worn on a daily basis and often for long periods of time, but even then they're typically stuck walking carpeted hallways and being kicked off underneath a desk.

Right now, my collection features more high-heeled boots than pumps.  For some reason women seem to have fewer reservations about wearing a pair of thigh-high boots to death than a fancy pair of slingbacks.  Therefore I'll be posting a lot of boots in the future... that is, as soon as I use my engineering skills to finish crafting something to ensure the shafts stay upright during photography sessions.  I also have some flats and sneakers to share with you.  I know... some of you aren't really into flats and sneakers, but I think you'll enjoy some of the ones I've purchased.  Others ended up being duds, and maybe you'll take comfort in the fact that they'll meet unpleasant ends.

Thanks for reading, and keep the questions and suggestions coming.  It's always great learning what you want to see.

Ladies! Please Wear the High Heels Right!

A while back, my endless internet searching led me to a short but interesting blog post by a modeling agency in South Africa.  The "human element" is what got my attention because the woman posting mentioned feeling bad for high heels worn the wrong way.  When I started this blog, I searched for the post but had no initial luck, and for good reason: it appears the website was hacked, or otherwise compromised.  It took me a little while to come to the realization that I could use the trusty Internet Archive: Wayback Machine to find an archived version of the site.  Sure enough, it worked.  And here it is.

Anything that anthropomorphizes woman's shoes is okay in my book, and this was the first time I had seen someone else express sadness over the way some shoes are treated.  It also touches upon one of my favorite signs of trashing and abuse, which occurs when the woman wearing the shoe walks on the outsides of her feet and causes abnormal wear- in the case of high heels, top pieces worn down at an angle.  The tips for wearing high heels also makes for good reading.  Tip #7, which reads, "Never put pressure on the heels" is my favorite.  It probably has something to do with the fact that I'm starting to understand what it's like to wear heels, and maybe even the fact that I disagree with statements about not putting weight on the heels.  Maybe it's just me but I find it comfortable and pleasurable to rest my weight on the heels.  Then again, it might be easier for me to do that because I have a large foot and there is a big difference between wearing 5" heels with feet that are twelve inches long as opposed to seven inches long.  Simple geometry and physics.

Don't get too excited about the comments section.  The conversation devolves into a bunch of spam posts before it has a chance to develop into something good.  What a shame.

Two Pairs of Pleasers For My Pleasure

Please accept my apologies once again for having been quiet the past few days.  If you notice a pattern of me disappearing on the weekends, you've been paying attention.  During the week I can sneak home every once in a while and indulge in this hobby of mine but on the weekends, it's tough to do so with the wife present.  It's not that I forget about all of this, just that I'm not able to come up with much to post.  Perhaps I'll have to work on an extra post or two during the week so I can make sure the blog is updated on the weekends.  But anyway, I digress.

My quest to build a small collection of large-sized shoes started out great with the arrival of my Ellie sandals but then became a bit of a challenge.  Because a size 16 worked the first time, I figured it would work again.  That wasn't the case when I bought a similar pair of Pleaser sandals (which are now gone... in the hands of a lucky reader that I trust is having fun with them.)  Figuring that I got lucky with the Ellies, I ordered a pair of traditional pumps by Pleaser in a wide width size 17, and was frustrated when they were so large, my feet were just about swimming in them.  I sent them back for a size 16 and hoped that the other size 16's I had on the way would work after all.  Maybe the Pleaser sandals being too narrow was just a fluke?

As it turns out, that was the case, and now I am adding two new pairs of Pleasers to my collection.  The first is a pair of Seduce slingback pumps.  Since I already have black patent Ellies, I was hoping for a different color but had to settle on black patent again, as I'm guessing colors become more basic as the size of the shoes increases.  Regardless, they're extremely sexy- very simple with a thin strap to hold the back of the foot in place over towering 5" heels.  After a quick lap around the living room, I've found I can handle myself in them just fine, although another inch might make them a little difficult.

I've come to love Pleaser.  Sure, it mostly has to do with them making gorgeous shoes that fit my insanely huge feet, but there's a part of me that appreciates their attention to detail when it comes to packaging.  I'm a sucker for packaging because while it doesn't mask the faults of shoddy product, it makes good products seem even better.  Anyone who's ever bought and opened an Apple product can surely attest to that.  Pleaser shoes come in a nice black box with a red lid covered in butterflies, and the box is of a ridiculous quality considering the price of the shoes that usually go for about $50 on eBay.

Open it up and it's a sea of black, regardless of the color of the shoes.  Each shoe comes individually wrapped in a cloth bag, probably to keep them from rubbing together during shipment.  Very classy.

Even better, Pleaser provides a larger cloth bag with a drawstring to store the shoes.  Honestly, I can't see many women using this bag, as the shoes would either remain in their box on the floor of a closet or be stored on some kind of rack, but for someone like me who hides his best footwear above a ceiling tile in his man cave, the bag is a priceless part of the package.

Officially the most delicate of the pairs in my collection, I'm not sure how often I'm going to be wearing these or what I'll be able to do with them, so time will tell.  That doesn't prevent me from wanting to stare at them for hours!

My other recent arrival is a pair of Pleaser Divine Mary Jane pumps.  I couldn't resist the red patent leather that makes me think of a classic muscle car when I look at them.  These aren't as dressy as the slingbacks, but the fact that they cover more of the foot and have a thick 3" heel means they make more sense for destructive activities.  They're going to play a big role going forward, so expect to see a lot of them and the results of their actions.

The destruction of the Moda sandals with my treasured Ellies was a blast, but I think the style of the shoes brought everything to an end quicker than anticipated.  Violently stomping on something while wearing a pair of shoes that holds your foot in place with a few straps means the foot isn't held in place very well at all, and the height of the heels only made matters worse.  I'm sure I'll continue to use my Ellies for destructive purposes but I can see these shoes being better as they will hold my foot in place and the thicker heel will give me more control as well as peace of mind, as I won't have to worry so much about it snapping if I get too into the moment.  And believe me, you're going to see a lot more destruction in the future.  I've already ordered a nice assortment of shoes with low heels that I plan on making suffer under mine.

Destroying the Moda Sandals

After an unusually stressful morning at work, I retreated to an empty house where I knew I had to unleash some fury upon something.  I put on my Ellie slingbacks to figure things out andthen it hit me.

A little back story... before I got the idea to purchase shoes that actually feet my gigantic feet, I tried to make do with the largest worn shoes I could find on eBay.  Every once in a while I'd come across some kind of sandal in a size 12 or 13 and if it had a bare minimum of straps or some straps that could be cut without ruining their ability to remain in place on my feet, I'd buy them and use them every so often for as long as I could withstand the circulation in my feet being compromised.  I found this pair of size 13M lime green strappy sandals by Moda and, despite them not being large enough for my feet, had high hopes that I could make them work.

You'll have to forgive me for not having photographed them as soon as they arrived, but when I found that the thin straps really hurt me feet, I figured I would end up getting rid of them.  They were very lightly used, with only the top pieces of the low, blocky heels showing the slightest bit of wear.  There was definitely no trashing and abuse to be enjoyed, so as I contemplated how to get rid of some of my aggression, I came to the conclusion that I'd give my Ellies a workout and see what they could do to the Moda sandals, since they had no future with me.

I stepped on them a few times but that didn't do much.  I figured I would only be satisfied if I was able to do something to ruin the integrity of the sandals so I centered the heel of my Ellie above the shank of the right shoe, stabilized myself by holding onto the wall and let all 300 pounds of my weight bear down on it.  The feeling of the shank slowly giving out was so amazing, I couldn't wait to do it to the other one, and now I'm seriously considering an eBay search for some more low-heeled sandals and heels so I can enjoy that sensation again.  It was an unexpected feeling of power.  At this point I got the idea to photograph the results of the trashing and abuse, so the first two photos are of the first round.

I needed a location better than my dining room floor to continue things so I took the sandals to the garage and went crazy, stomping the living hell out of the left sandal.  The adorable jewelry-like metal heart that connected the three spaghetti straps ended up shattering, rendering the poor thing useless.  The top pieces of my Ellies left their mark all over the shoes as I paid special attention to the area where I collapsed the shank.

The bending of the shank was so severe that the top piece went flying across the garage, sending me on a search to find it so my wife wouldn't come across it at some point.  I almost regretted the metal heart breaking because I would have loved to have slipped this on my foot one last time to see what it would be like to walk in the shoes with them in this condition.

The right sandal also took some harsh blows including a nasty one that speared through the metallic material of the insole, but at this point my feet were getting tired and as much as want to abuse my Ellie slingbacks over time, don't want to completely destroy them.  It was a good thing that a close inspection of them showed nothing more than top pieces looking a little worn from having murdered the Modas.  Something tells me my Ellies can take on anything, and perhaps they will in the future.

Where Did It Start?

Wow, I've done a lot of talking so far.  And that makes sense, since it's my blog!  But I know a lot of you are out there.  I see the stats.  I observe the number of hits each day.  Anyone up for saying anything?  Like, how it all started for you?

As a kid, I had a fascination with my mom's shoes.  I think most boys can claim the same thing, as I doubt there are many out there that didn't fit their tiny feet into their mom's comparatively large high heels and drag them across the bedroom or living room (I did, and my mom got mad at me because she feared I would break the heels).  As I got older, I was still drawn to them, and satisfied my interest by somehow convincing my childhood friend (the girl from down the block, who was about two years younger) to wear them when we were alone in the house.  I'd go into my mom's closet, take out a pair of shoes and she'd wear them, even though it was a bit of a struggle because she had no experience whatsoever in wearing heels.  Yes, this was before we were of the age when we would have started using that alone time for other things.

I figured it was a passing thing but when I got involved with my first real girlfriend, I was instantly drawn to her shoes.  It began innocently enough when we were working the same shift and she gave me her keys so I could put something in her car.  On the floor was a pair of generic brand Keds-style canvas sneakers that I had seen her wear before.  Free from the imprisonment of her feet, I could see they were completely worn out.  She was a heavyset girl and I enjoyed observing the way her self-proclaimed habit of being hard on her shoes left her with a collection of nicely trashed and abused footwear.  The unintentional destruction of the shoes was something special to witness.

Her Keds-style sneakers wore down in the expected ways- the canvas uppers started to lose their shape and started to grow holes where the big toes rubbed against them, the gum-like rubber soles became smooth and began separating from the uppers in a few spots and the once-pristine white insides got smelly and sweat-stained.  A pair of black leather lace-up booties were stretched out and the soles worn unbelievably thin, with the small blocky heels seeming to have lost a quarter inch in height.  Other shoes collapsed under the pressure of their trashing and abuse in more entertaining ways.  A pair of old leather Reebok sneakers (not sure what they're called, but the kind every woman seemed to wear at some point during the 90's) were constantly torqued to the side with the uppers appearing to swell over the sides of the soles, as part of her "hard walk" was walking on the outer sides of her feet.  A pair of slip-on leather sandals had the shanks- shallow as they were on sandals with such low heels- crack in half and more or less be held together by the material that made up the lining.  Her one pair of heels were at least fifteen years old with ripped leather lining, leather that was stretched and torn in places and top pieces worn down at an angle that caused the shoes to lean dangerously to each side when left unattended on the floor, almost in a admission of defeat.  Her shoes were the first ones to make me wonder what shoes would think, if they could think at all.  I'd look at her shoes and suspect they were left screaming in pain and wishing for any kind of peace, even if it meant being thrown in the garbage and left for dead in a landfill.

Over the years, I had other girlfriends that occupied opposite ends of the spectrum.  One was so madly in love with me after the first date (I know... I'm irresistible... haha, just kidding!) that when she wore a tattered pair of flats on our second date, I demanded that she hand them over to me on the third date... and she did, although I sweetened the deal by taking her to the shoe store to buy her a new pair of shoes... and she did, having driven me nuts by trying on pair after pair of towering stilettos before deciding on one just before I was ready to explode.  On the flip side, another girlfriend scoffed at the idea of keeping any pair of shoes past the point where they were mildly worn and had no desire whatsoever to keep one pair for the purposes of trashing and abusing.

So, what's your story?  Where did it start?  And how to you indulge?  And if you're a female reader of this blog, what do you think about all of this?

My Collection: Flip Flops of an Unknown Brand

I wish I could be more descriptive but these flip flops are so trashed and abused, I can only make out one letter of the brand name that was once printed on the lining.  It begins with an S, so if anyone out there recognizes the style and knows anything, feel free to comment or drop me a line and I'll adjust this post accordingly.

In most cases, I find flip flops as unappealing as Crocs and goth boots.  More often that not, they're just pieces of rubber stamped into the shape of a foot and given a piece of plastic or cloth to make sure they remain in place, albeit barely.  With the exception of footprints which are inevitable because they're almost always worn barefoot, they hardly show any compelling signs of wear, and that's if they're worn long enough to show wear in the first place.  I'm sure most women start each summer with new pairs of flip flops and then toss them in the trash after Labor Day, and some seem to have a different pair for each outfit.

Well, most, but not all.  The woman who wore these flip flops either had them for quite a few summers, or spent just one beating the life out of them until there was practically nothing left to them.  Granted, they look like they cost a bit more than the typical dollar store special, so the fact that there's more to them than a few pieces of rubber and plastic means there's more to illustrate the trashing and abuse.

Flipping the flip flops upside down doesn't show anything unexpected.  The soft, rubbery, almost-spongy material that comprises the outsoles is worn smooth with a few dimples from little pebbles and other debris that got shoved into it, but there's little in the way of drama aside from the area under the big toe on the right one.

The left flip flop suffered the least, although that's still being kind.  The insole seems to have been a cork-like material over a layer of rubber that had some kind of flower-like decoration stamped into it.  Most of the cork is gone, probably having fallen off in little pieces over time.  What's left is cracked, smooth and horribly stained, likely from endless sweating in the heat.  The merciless wearer's little toe was doing a good job of making holes in both, and on this one was about an eighth of an inch from going completely through to the other side.

The area under the heel is compressed so much, the outer edges of the flip flop are curling up around it, and the faux leather strip covering the area where the insole attaches to the outsole is just about gone.  This wear pattern is more severe on the left one, leading me to believe she didn't shove her foot into this one as deep as she did on the right.  Either that, or her left foot was slightly larger than the right.

The front of the right shoe is completely destroyed.  The wearer's big toe caused the faux leather strip to tear apart, and she must have applied so much pressure while walking that the outsole is paper-thin.  Something tells me these flip flops might have been retired because the wearer's big toe was scraping along the ground as she walked since there's barely anything left in that spot.  The rubber material that was once underneath the cork lining is cracking where the strap connects to the insole, making me wonder how much longer it would have taken for the two to separate and render the flip flops useless.

I can't imagine how uncomfortable it became to keep these things in use.  Kudos to the wearer, whoever you are!

Even though shoes are inanimate objects, I often wonder what it's like to be them and put through this kind of suffering.  These flop flops lived through what seemed like an infinite string of days where the wearer recklessly shoved her feet under the thin, delicate straps, trapping them against a layer of sweat to flex relentlessly, the combination of everything breaking them apart from the inside out.  I wouldn't want to be those flip flops but I sure enjoy the aftermath.