I have a bad thing about shoes: I hate them. Partly this is because my feet are slightly
different sizes, partly because my right foot has a deformed fourth metatarsal (ie, my right foot's
topography looks like that of the San Fernando Valley in relief), partly because my
feet are so wide that it's been suggested I purchase footwear at
Build A Bear (home of the perfectly round shoes). I wore flip-flops for an entire spring
semester in 1983, and more recently I've been a fan of Nike's "Free" sneaker which is the closest
thing to a flip flop fit for non-beach wear that I've found. Until now.
A trip to the home of the original beach flip flops introduced me to Sanuk sandals, self-described as sandals with a shoe upper -- they look like shoes, but feel like sandals, or flip-flops minus the big toe thong. I think they rely on some of the same physics as the Nike Free sneakers -- using your own foot to keep you balanced and maintain stride, rather than the physical structure of a sneaker.
Now if only that improved balance could help me get up on the surfboard.....that's one that even Software CTO Bob Brewin finds intractable.