I moved to Arizona two years ago with crates full of shoes - heels, sneakers, boots. They all remain in the back of my closet, untouched and unloved. I do occasionally bring out the black cotton Mary Janes or shiny embroidered...
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I moved to Arizona two years ago with crates full of shoes - heels, sneakers, boots. They all remain in the back of my closet, untouched and unloved. I do occasionally bring out the black cotton Mary Janes or shiny embroidered Chinese slippers, but usually I blend in with the rest of my new neighbors. Flip flops (a.k.a. thongs or house shoes, depending on where you live) are as basic and as necessary as sunblock and dark sunglasses in Arizona. For men and women alike, flip flops are acceptable, expected footwear in ninety percent of the social situations in the desert. Unless you are heading to the golf course, an executive board meeting, or to work in a restaurant kitchen, you are probably sliding on your current favorite pair of flip flops as you head out the door. For the most part, I like this laid back, practical approach. I could do without seeing my children’s grimy feet, however. Lily especially has a way of attracting more than her fair share of Valley dust, and I outfit her in black flip flops when I can. Any other color is likely to turn black in the course of a single afternoon, anyway. The other thing that bothers me is our recent discovery of an environmentally based adaptation worthy of Darwin’s attention. Lucy showed me this wonder of nature first, and I almost fainted (feet freak me out, more than a little). Both of my children now have what they call “Flip Flop Feet”. Apparently wearing these sandals for two years straight during a time of rapid growth (right now the girls, ages 9 and 11, wear the same shoe size that I do. By winter they will have outgrown my shoes) has actually changed the shape of their feet. When they are barefoot, their big toes stick out, separate from their four sibling toes. There is also a marked indentation between the big toe and the next largest. It looks like a square-shaped notch, waiting for the “stem” on the flip flop strap to fill it. When the girls start school again this fall, I am thinking of conducting a survey of other children’s feet, especially native “Scottsdaliens”, as Lucy calls them. Because we wear flip flops year-round, we sometimes need socks. Desert nights, especially in January, can be cold. As knitters, we are able to make adjustments to handknit socks to make them flip flop friendly. We knit separate toes, or leave off the toe section entirely. It occurred to me that the most basic version is not only practical, but can actually be a perfect first sock for a timid knitter. Even knitters new to dpn’s (double pointed needles) needn’t worry about the “scary” parts of sock knitting – toe finishing and turning that dreaded heel. My own pattern uses stretchy Cascade “Fixation” yarn, so exact sizing isn’t as critical as usual sock knitting either. And, “Fixation” is a thicker yarn than most sock yarn, so the knitting is fast and easy. I use less than half a skein for each pair, making this project VERY economical (less than $3 and 2 hours work). The cotton yarn is perfect for flip flop weather, especially as the mercury rises and wool becomes unthinkable.
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