Footwear

[E.L.Green]

a little late but i thought i would share this story.. last year while coming back into the dock, i stepped off as usual, tidied up at bit and was fiddling with some rigging. while i believe flip flops on a sailboat are a no no ( lines between feet and flop ) i was barefoot. i hop off and start cleaning her up with the hose talking to a fellow boater and as im walking backward i feel the sensation i had just stepped in hot sticky summer heated gum because my foot was stuck to the walkway. i pulled it up took one step and felt a shooting pain up halfway to my shin. i hobbled over to a bench but couldnt see anything so thinking i had stepped on a peice of glass, nail , etc etc i took another step, this time hurt just as much. i went home expecting to find glass that had made its way under my skin, only to realize it was a splinter. now when i say spliter it had the diamater of an eraser head of a pencil and was barely visible. i went to visit my mom at the hospital she works at because at this point i knew it wasnt going to work its way out, and i certainly wasnt going to practice home surgery on myself. drs say its really deep and were going to need to numb you up... how bad could this thing be?! they cut me heel open enough to get a solid grip and after a few seconds pull a splinter about 3 inches in length! not a horror story but sucked none the less. the combination of dragging my foot and the splintered walkways of the marina were so sharp i didnt even feel it go in. next day i was fine but i still remember the dr saying, you came to the er for a splinter? after wards was followed by, well , technically speaking its a splinter, but more along the lines of a peice of lumber!

[SaltyMonkey]

exact same thing happened to me! No kidding! 3 inches!

On the boat, i am ALWAYS barefoot. Less chance of tripping.

But, being careless, jumping onto dock whise so brought calamity.

always wear shoes when going on land.

[Acedude]

Try and find the foot gloves. I have a pair of vibrams that are meant for walking on rocks and being in the water (mainly meant for swimming). I try to always wear them during some heavier sailing because i have better traction on a wet surface with the rubber and it provides some protection from getting a splinter or smashing my foot on a toe rail or whatever. Best 80$ ever spent. I have been able to run on keawa thorns and not feel a thing, just pull them out and keep moving. Its only like 3 mm of rubber but that little bit of protection goes a long way.

[markpierce]

E.L., I cringed while reading your story.

I always wear shoes on/around the boat except to go in stocking/bare feet at times in the interior. Your story will help me remember why I do what I do.

[SaltyMonkey]

Originally Posted by Acedude

Try and find the foot gloves.

Ahhh...this might be the ticket!

[Acedude]

These things have saved my feet numerous times.

[sarafina]

The spouse wears those toe shoes on the boat (and other places) and loves them... Can't wear socks with them so only for Eskimos or warm weather locations!

[SaltyMonkey]

nice!

[E.L.Green]

yes i was looking at them! my brother in law said he was going to buy me a set for a belated birthday/new daddy present, he swears by them. he does look a bit odd wearing them everywhere, and i do mean everywhere

[E.L.Green]

i forgot to add that i have very VERY tough feet. a rediculous amount of callous built up on my heels from wearing sweaty wet boots in iraq, so bad that they will crack and break apart if i dont pumice them down or even get the dreaded pedicure forced by the wife so i dont lacerate her at night. even the dr said i have no clue how this made it through your foot as they were having a tough time with a scalpel and syringe.

[Blue Stocking]

OOOOOwwwww. Oh de pane.
Well, we got the garboards.
Sorry guys --two pieces of sturdy lumber, and my minds goes right to building a dinghy.

[zeehag]

had a splinter in ft myers-- laid me up for a week--is till dont wear shoes on deck--i can suck up a broken toe easily, but splinters hurt. i wear my birkies off the boat now.

[w1651]

Originally Posted by zeehag

had a splinter in ft myers-- laid me up for a week--is till dont wear shoes on deck--i can suck up a broken toe easily, but splinters hurt. i wear my birkies off the boat now.

I got a splinter once and it laid me up for three days. Darn picnic table.
I don't even want to tell you about the paper cut years.

[dinosaur]

anyone have any other recommendations for good boating shoes that aren't the foot glove/vibrams? they may be practical, but biting my tongue, not what i want to wear...

[zeehag]

i have not found any shoes that actually WORK so i go barefoot until i step off boat.