Flying in sandals..

Back in the 90's I had to go in for minor foot surgery to remove a crystalline build-up in my right foot big toe. The work shoes I'd been wearing were partially responsible - constricting my toes together or putting pressure on the joint, so I became a sandal person. That's all I wore for years, always searching for the most perfect sandal and they were all fine. The main thing I wanted was to take pressure off the toe joints and also let my feet breathe. Worked fine until I ran into a situation at the gym - they had a rule about having to wear footwear with a covered or "hard" toe, so that's when I crossed paths with my first set of Crocs. Half shoe, half sandal sort of things that let my feet breathe and yet complied with the gym rule. But I was ever on the lookout for something better. The soles on Crocs wear out incredibly fast and quickly get slippery and dangerous so eventually discovered a similar design although with hugely better soles. They were called Holies, or Holy Soles. Canadian company. Their model called "Getaways" was just perfect for me, but Croc sued them so now they're really hard to find since they can't be sold in the U.S.

A couple years ago I discovered a model just as good or better than the Holey Soles Getaways. They are made by Shimano, the same outfit that makes the high-end bicycle components. They've become my perfect shoe so I'm passing on my discovery. The model is called "Evair" I think. After over a year of more or less daily use the soles still have plenty of tread. They are designed to be worn on the decks of boats so traction is excellent. They come in various colors. I wear a khaki or tan colored pair but here is a picture of the gray ones. They're about $50. The cushioned liner is easy to replace when necessary. Same sort of idea as Crocs only the durability and overall quality is far far better. Extremely comfortable. My perfect shoe/sandal type footwear.

"Shimano Evair Fishing Shoe" is, I think, the most accurate description I can come up with. They're not hard to find. If someone likes this kind of footwear this is the best one I've found - in fact they're so good I've stopped even keeping an eye out for anything better. Great durability on the soles and excellent traction.

Shimano1.jpg
 
I wear flip flops most of the time when I'm not at work, but take them off in the cockpit and fly barefoot. My CFI did the same. You could always tell who his students were because a pair of shoes was the first thing out of the plane after parking. :D
 
KennyC said:
I wear flip flops most of the time when I'm not at work, but take them off in the cockpit and fly barefoot. My CFI did the same. You could always tell who his students were because a pair of shoes was the first thing out of the plane after parking. :D
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I kick off my sandals, or even my shoes, in cruise, but I typically put them back on before I land.
 
I don't evwn own a pair of sandals.

My footwear collection consists of work boots, hiking boots, and church shoes.
 
Ive tried flying in a pair of sperry's boat shoes and they didn't work out well. I always wear sneakers of some kind.
 
pigpenracing said:
I fly taildraggers and flip flops..
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I flew last week in some flip flops and thought of this thread about halfway through my flight. Fortunately I didn't have to use the chute (it was close though).
 
Shepherd said:
My last emergency landing I had to push the plane 200 yards to get it clear of the runway. Glad I was in walking sneakers.
I always dress as if I was going to have to walk home.
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So, I get to eat my words. Someone pass me the salt.

According to log book #1 I last flew a J-3 Cub on May 10, 1966. (It was a 65 hp on floats)
On May 10, 1966 I was just shy of 17 years old, 5' 9" tall, weighed in at 121 lbs, and wore a size 9 (normal) shoe.
Last November I once again had an opportunity to fly a J-3, (65 hp, tail dragger). Let me say I had forgotten just how much fun they are to fly.
Except:
I am now 6' 0" tall, weigh in at 227 lbs, and wear a size 12 WIDE shoe.
My feet don't fit.
My foot got jammed in so tight (with full right rudder) that I had to untie my shoe, pull my foot out, and pull the shoe out before I could regain control of the plane.
If I had been wearing boots, I'd be dead.
In the future, I will be carrying shoes (or boots) and flying the J-3 in sandals or barefoot.
 
Shepherd said:
So, I get to eat my words. Someone pass me the salt.

According to log book #1 I last flew a J-3 Cub on May 10, 1966. (It was a 65 hp on floats)
On May 10, 1966 I was just shy of 17 years old, 5' 9" tall, weighed in at 121 lbs, and wore a size 9 (normal) shoe.
Last November I once again had an opportunity to fly a J-3, (65 hp, tail dragger). Let me say I had forgotten just how much fun they are to fly.
Except:
I am now 6' 0" tall, weigh in at 227 lbs, and wear a size 12 WIDE shoe.
My feet don't fit.
My foot got jammed in so tight (with full right rudder) that I had to untie my shoe, pull my foot out, and pull the shoe out before I could regain control of the plane.
If I had been wearing boots, I'd be dead.
In the future, I will be carrying shoes (or boots) and flying the J-3 in sandals or barefoot.
Click to expand...

Two words. Driving shoes.
 
I like a lot of the old-school Adidas shoes for both driving and flying. Relatively thin flat soles so you can feel the pedals easily. Gazelle, Stan Smith, Rod Laver (although a caveat on the last...they recently went to a gum rubber sole to replace the much lighter polyurethane version, so they're on the heavy side. A shame that they made the change).
 
After getting a flop stuck while driving, my position is not to wear them while operating anything with foot controls. If I had to go without sneakers, I would probably go bare foot first.
 
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