My first complaint at work.

As many of you know, I work in a shoe store.
Every day I fit people with everything from flip flops to Orthopaedic footware.

Frequently get thanked for great service and often for fixing peoples ailments.

Well I just got complained about for the first time.

About a month ago I sold a guy a pair of Kodiak boots.
They are Waterproof leather but they were old stock, so I reduced the price and threw in a can of Silicone Spray telling him to spray them up just incase the leather treatment has broken down. Telling him to give them a good treatment of good old fashioned spit 'n' polish with some dubbin and then spray them.

He comes in yesterday, glares at me and goes to a co-worker.
My co-worker comes to get me and the conversation starts.

Me "How are those boots treating you"

Man (Angrily) "Not good , the waterproofing leaks and that spray didn't make any difference"

Me "Oh really, that's unfortunate, did you give them a couple of coats of the spray?"

Man "I used the whole damn can, they also made my feet burn, you didn't tell me they are made in China. They probably burnt my feet because of some chemical he Chinese put in them that we don't know about"

Me "Well I don't think there's a chemical that would hurt your feet. It's more likely they are just pinching and causing irritation which feels like burning, you did say they felt tight but you figured they would stretch since you told me the next size up was an 11 that you said would stretch too much and be too big and you have never needed an eleven."

Man "You told me they would stretch"

Me "That's right, I did but only so much, they are leather and leather does soften and mould to your foot, but only to a certain degree which is why I suggested the size 11"

Man "I've never been an 11 and anyway they leaked, you told me they are waterproof and they are stamped waterproof same as that spray"

Me "Well I'm afraid I can only give you the info the manufacturer gives me, if they say it's WP then I would have no reason to think it isn't. But if it leaks then it's clearly a manufacturers defect and even though I told you it was older stock I am willing to exchange it for you since there is no expiration date on it I think we can work that. Did you bring the boots back in wih your proof of purchase"

Man "I don't keep receipts"

Me "Ok well if you paid by debit then a bank statement would be enough, anything that shows the date they were purchased since they are still under warranty. Just bring in proof of purchase and the boots and we can find you something else, maybe work a deal on something Made in Canada."

Man "You just want to get me back in the store, it's a gimmick and I will never shop here again!"

At which point he started storming off as I was asking him what he was referring to when he said "it's a gimmick" but he just stormed out.

So, what I got from this was that we import foot ware from some form of Chinese terrorist group that put chemicals in the boots to burn North Americans and I fabricated the stitched on Waterproof tag and asking for proof of purchase is a gimmick of some kind.

Funny how some people think huh.

What's funny is not 20 minutes later my manager brought a customer to me who came in simply to thank me because my advise had gotten rid of her Heel Spurs and she is now pain free for the first time is 4 years.

Swings and roundabouts.

I tell you, anyone who thinks selling shoes is an easy job is very much mistaken.
I should definitely earn more money :-D

 

Was a good read, thank you.
As the saying goes "You can't please everyone."

 

You always have one complainer that you can't do anything right for, no matter what or how hard you try. I am so thankful to be out of retail, anyone who says working a retail job is easy has obviously never worked in one.


So, what's your secret for getting rid of heel spurs? do spill :-D

 

Hehehe, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Idiot! Thanks for the share.

 

Well that would depend on your foot, but at a very basic level you simply need the correct arch support. Something that makes sure your alignment is true while filling the arch of your foot near perfectly and providing heel cushion.
Many people are under the impression that lots of cushioning is the way to go.
While this is an instant fix, it is not permanent.
A good shoe such as the Saucony Omni Walker (dependent on your foot) will provide both heel cushion and arch support, the latter being the one that fixes it (possibly again dependent on your foot) and the former being the one that offers short term relief.
If you like sandals then "Fit Flops" have cured many people of such ailments, they offer superior cushion with fantastic soft arch support.
But without your feet in front of me I couldn't be accurate.

I could go into a lot of detail but I'm being dragged out the door for Thanksgiving food :-D

 

I still do work nights in retail during the "holiday season", which is after Columbus day, until at least mid-April.

There is nothing like the self-entitled, well heeled, "Don't you know who in the :*** I am?" crowd.

There was a woman at customer service last season, who was moaning on her "SmartPhone" about having to wait in line, because of how busy her day was, and how much more important she was.

Me being me, I got to where I had not only heard enough, but seen enough reaction by the other customers in line.

I asked here, "Ma'am, were you born naked?". She asked me to repeat myself, and I did. Whereupon she replied, "Of course, yes I was.".

Much to the joy of the people waiting on line, I explained to her she should get in it like everyone else. :-D

 

I can confirm this to be true,whenever you take commie foot ware from its natural habitat they get exited and become hot as they tread the sweet pavement of freedom.:-D

 

I am curious if Einstein sprayed the waterproofing INSIDE the shoe. THAT would explain burning, although you cannot fix stupid.

 

Nooo....Naahhh... no one could be THAT stupid.

My theory is either as I said to him, they are too bloody small, many people don't realise sizes vary with brand and syle. Good example, Saturday had a grand old gent looking for some casual shoes, his walmart ones are junk and hurting his feet. He's wearing a size 12, tells me he's a size 11 (I found the 12 after he took his shoe off and I checked because people often think they are a size different from whats on their feet).
So we start with size 11 Saucony's.... to small, go up to 12 and they fit, liked them but wants something a little dressier. Move into Hush Puppies, size 11 = too small, 12 = too small, 13 fits well but doesn't feel right. Clarks 12 = way too big, 11 fit well but no like, Clarks size 11 different shoe, too big, 10 fits well but no like.
At this point we have already started discussing size differences, just to show him how stupid sizes are I handed him a Clarks Unstructured, wide fitting shoe that have a generous fit. He tries it on and says, "that's pretty close, a little wide in the toe, what size is that?"
I turned the box so he could clearly see the "Size 8.5"
From a 13 Hush Puppie to an 8.5 Clarks.

Anyway, so with the boot being too small for numbnuts it would have held the sides of his feet high and caused an almost cupping effect where the skin on the bottom of his feet will develop skin stretching and possibly some microscopic tears invisible to the naked eye creating a burning sensation.

The other reason could simply be a change in socks/washing detergent etc etc that had nothing to do with the boots at all.

Or he could have sprayed the inside... if he did that he deserves burnt feet for being that stupid.

Bare in mind, this boot is an old Kodiak boot that used to be issued to Canada post, original retail of $150 that I let him have for $49.99 AND threw in a $10 can of spray.

The waterproofing made me laugh, you see the boot is full grain tanned hide leather with a stitch sealed tounge, even without waterproofing it would stand quite a bit of water before his feet got wet. Add the WP'ing AND the dubbin, AND the spray and he should have been able to walk through 4-6 inches of water without issues, I would bet he walked through water too deep and it flowed over the top of the boot.

On a slightly different note while we are talking about stupid things to say.
When buying a Steel Toe (or comp safety) boot/shoe, it really makes you look stupid when you asked "It's a little tight in the toe, will it stretch?"
To which my answer is always "Only if you have super human strength in your toes..... lets try a bigger size" :-D

 

roflmao roflmao roflmao roflmao roflmao roflmao

Oh my god!!! Thank you SO much for the giggle!!! roflmao

I spend 90% of my working life in steel-toed boots. I'm sure I have similar stories about people, except mine come while I'm at work instead of from the retail end. You'd be amazed the number of people I work with who think their steel-toes should touch their toes (YIKES!) as well as those who think a cheap pair of boots from Walmart is good enough.

Me, I only wear Red Wing boots. The pair I took off when I got home from work last night were purchased in April of 1996. Granted, I had to pay $165.00 or so for them rather than the $39.99 Walmart pair...which according to some people at work means I'm spending too much. I still can't figure out their math.

Still giggling about stretching out the steel. Bless their hearts! roflmao

 

Oh believe me, I hear it all day , every day.
I spent years in construction and various other jobs that require steel toe.
Never cheap out on your work foot ware.

Thise pains in your back, knees, hips, neck could quite possibly be caused by your cheap walmart shoes/boots.

What really gets me is when I get someone willing to spend $150 on a pr of dress shoes to go to church or out to dinner in, and then turn round and say "I also need some boots for work, but I don't want to spend much because they are only for work"

So let me get this straight, you want to spend $150 on a pr of shoes to spend approx 1-3 hours a week sitting down in, but only $40 on a pr to spend 30-60 hours a week ON YOUR FEET in?
Really?

Red Wings are good boots, heavily over priced but very well built. Good old fashioned, no bells, no whistles just solid build.
Next time you need boots I strongly suggest you look at some of the newer technology, composites, basically a plastic toe and ballistic nylon plate. Half the weight, 10 times the flexability and usually much more comfort.
Terra Lites, Kodiak Blues , Wolverine Falcons, depending on what you do for a living.
Personally I like the STC Shires. 100% metal free, Vibram Fire an Ice soles, 200grms Thinsulate, Gore-Tex water proofing and ballistic nylon upper, EVA injected foot bed with gel insoles as standard. They retail around $200.
No good for concreting though, it rots the ballistic nylon and no good for welding because the sparks will melt the nylon.

Ok, just realised I'm trying to sell shoes not only online but on my day off :-D

 

LOL You can try to sell me shoes all you want, but unless you're Jerry at my local Red Wing store it's not going to work. Of course, you should NOT be working on your day off! Stop it! LOL

The boots I wear are union-made, US-made, and I am the second member of the second generation of my family to wear the exact same style. And compared to everything else available around here (the Wolverine Worldwide headquarters is five miles north of me, by the way, so CAT, Hush Puppies and Merrell are all over the place) they're actually mid- to low-end of the price range. I used to get them re-soled about every 18 months, but then in 1999 I had them put Goodyear Aquatread soles on them (they really are...with the logo and water channel down the center and everything), which I've had the toes re-glued once, but are showing no wear. The weight of the boots doesn't so much bother me most of the time, although it does sometimes get to be a bit much if we go longer than 16 or so hours.

I'm about due for another pair. Not because these are even remotely nearing the end of their lives, but because they're getting beat up enough I can't always wear them for the job. There's something about wearing beat to hell boots with a business casual outfit (as required by the job sometimes) that just doesn't fit.

By the way, I spend maybe $20 on dress shoes. My casual everyday shoes are also Red Wings. :-D

 

Thanks for the tips. As someone with very high arches, it's hard to find shoes (even sneakers sometimes) with a good arch support. When summer started, I decided I wanted to be cute and wore the flatest of my flat shoes (flip flops & ballerinas) to walk EVERYWHERE. A few months of that and I developed posterior tibial tendonitis in my left foot which was very hurty (not a word I know LOL) After being instructed to wear a brace and super supportive shoes for about 6 weeks, my foot is better but now I only wear the flats when I know I won't be doing a lot of walking/standing. If I do, I will surely pay a price :cry

Why can't they make cute flats/heels for people with high arches... it must be a conspiracy, I tell ya! :-D

 

Couldn't help myself dyamond:-o

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b214/Rikky_/jerry.jpg

:-D

 

You're lucky I can't smack through the internet :-D

 

From that I got, I bought shoes that weren't my size, waterproofed the INSIDE, and walked around in bare feet inside them on water that came up into the lacings.

Anyone else?

 

I find that boots are way comfortable than regular shoes. Although I've lived outta boots(by pure choice mind you) for over 2 years only wearing shoes when I had to. Not so much with school going on. SHOES .

 

What an ORIGINAL THOUGHT!

 

That's expecting me to read like, a whole page of text. I'm way to ADD for that. Or i just don't care. Or both. Probably both.

 

My first post after many months

 

Speaking from a computer tech support two's point of view, yes. Yes, they can be that stupid. And they are.

 

I find that boots are way comfortable than regular shoes. [/QUOTE]Yeah, me too. I just wore out a pair of Dakota work boots after three years. That's the longest boots have lasted me in my work. They're $150. I've bought boots half the price, they're still comfortable enough, but don't last as long. Work boots or hiking boots feel great on my feet.
I have Keen sandals that are pretty good, but running shoes kill my feet and even hurt into my legs. I've never spent over $60 for runners. What do you think Ned, are they too cheap, or am I just getting too old for runners? Sorry, I know it's your day off, but at least online you don't have to smell my feet:-D

Excellent chaimjm, I didn't see that punch line coming.

 

roflmao
Just reminded me of one of the technicians at my job who was trying to get the user to type the ipconfig /all command and relay the information back to him. He was cringing/facepalming and rolling his eyes so much trying to explain to the user. It was pretty funny :-D

 

First off, your Dakota's you got at Marks didn't you?
How did he know that? is currently running through your mind. Dakota boots are Marks own product, like Bum at WalMart. I've had a few pairs, not impressed at all but some people have luck with them.

Before I get into running shoes I'm going to say this as a general rule of thumb.
A pr of footware you spend a lot of time in (ie: work boots or shoes for work) are too old after about a year, any real cushion and/or support will have left them and they are simply flatly molded to your feet, which is great if you have near perfect alignment. For the other 90% of us it's likely the reason your back or hips hurt. Worn out shoes don't often show in your feet, they show symptoms of wear when your back starts hurting or knees, hips etc.
Feet are usually the last thing to be effected by foot ware unless it's a fit issue.

Here's a list of really good boots for cusion, lightweight and supprt you may want to look at.
Kodiak :Blues
Terra :Lites (the new ones like Aerostat or Zephyr)
Wolverine :Falcons
Cofra :New Anaheim

now, onto running shoes.
Running shoes bought from the "Large" establishments for $20-40 are generally junk, rubber sole and sides with a cardboard egg carton style footbed under the insole.
This cardboard breaks down within 20 hours of wear and leaves you badly aligned and unsupported.
You don't need to spend a fortune and you are NEVER too old for runners.
Good runners such as Reeboks, Nikes, Saucony's, New Balance, Addidas, Merrels etc etc are the most comfort giving, supportive and foot forming foot ware on the market (with the exception of specialty items such as Birkenstocks)
Saucony are unarguably the best in the business.

If you want a really good comfortable runner with a decent support and lots of cushion then I highly recommend the "Saucony : Cohesion".
It comes in mesh and leather. It's a generic cushion shoe that will offer support and retail in Canada is around $90.
$90 is a lot of money for shoes I hear every day, but they will hold structure for much longer than lower brands and keep you comfortable for much much longer.
You could also look at ... (in the same price range and slightly lower)
Reebok : Cruseon
Nike art
Saucony: Excursion

All are an EVA foam footbed with arch braces under the base for held supprt and stability through the mid-foot.

You will hear many people say "New Balance are doctor recommended"
This is chinese wispers, while they are recommended, the reason is because 85% of New Balances line are neutral in the arch and work very well with Orthotics (custom).

If you need good support I recommend Saucony over anything else.
Asics are Sauconys only "Real" rival but usually more expensive.

If you want to spend a bit more money then I highly recommend trying..

Nike :Air Pegasus
Saucony : Triumph
Asics : 1100 series
Reebok : ZigTeks (not ZigNanos, much flatter)

All around $130-170 Retail.

This is all of course dependent on your foot.

Use this

http://www.saucony.com/store/SiteCo...t=ShoeAdvisor_saucony&iCID=Home-B-ShoeAdvisor

To determine what shape and style of shoe would work for you.
To find out if you have a high, med or low arch, lay a piece of brown paper (paper bag) on the floor, wet your foot and cleanly step on paper, it will leave your foot print.
The less width in the middle of your footprint, the higher your arch, the wider the print , the lower your arch.
Don't exaggerated your arch, manay people think they have a high arch when they don't.
Another test is ... standing upright and with someone helping (to get a true guide) get your helper to slide a pen under your arch. If you can easily get a Sharpie marker under there and touch near the centre of your foot then you have a high arch, if you can barely get a pen under it then you have a low arch.
If you do this without help, the action of you bending over will change your foot position and not give you an accurate idea.
Same when trying on shoes, never feel your toes while sitting down, you foot moves forward when you stand.

Also try BOTH shoes on! Your feet are different shapes and sizes.

The 20 step test is good too, after taking 20 steps (walking naturally) your foot will seat where it is going to be in the shoe, don't slam your heel into the back of the shoe, that is not where it will sit.

You should have enough room to freely move all your toes.
If you can feel the end of the shoe then it is too small!

If it feels a little snug (not tight) through the width, pull the insole out and try it like that, once the insole breaks down, that is closer to how it will fit.
Too many people buy shoes with lots of room and once broken in they are too big.

.....uh oh.....

I'll continue this another time, I'm late for work! :-D

 

Thanks for the info Ned. I will invest in one of those pairs of runners, but I'll stick with the Dakota's for now. Of interest though, two guys I work with have worn them, one is ok with them, the other guy found them very uncomfortable. I thought he was the exception in the world of wearing boots I'm totally impressed with what you know about feet and footwear. Obviously more to selling shoes than I ever thought.:cool

 

lol Yeah, where I work is more concentrated on customer service, so we have to know our products well and how they work with feet and various issues. People are very fussy about their feet, rightly so.

I just thought of a runner/walker that rarely fails to impress. Not sure why it slipped my mind since it's one of our biggest sellers.

Nike : Air Monarch
Comes in 3 widths, D - 2E - 4E
Leather upper , Thick cushioned footbed with an air pocket running through the centre, don't worry about the air pocket getting punctured, I've sold literally hundreds of them and never seen or heard of anyone having the issue.

Cost around $70-100 depending on where you get them.

 

Yeah! DM's forever!

I grabbed these a couple of months back...

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_mw5XfQRYQno/S1rPJNh-GGI/AAAAAAAAFDc/MhdnnRVsAMU/dr%20martens%20iconic%208418%20union%20jack%20black%20and%20red1446077320_main.jpg

How could I not? :strong

 

Well I hav'nt worn them much to be honest, I leave them at work at the moment and am trying to break them in gradually. Spent 8 hours in them last week and my feet were buuuurrrrrning :-D

But I don't care, they are not just DM's.... they are DM's with my flag on them! :strong

It also helps stop people asking me if I'm Australian , which can get annoying. I even had a woman arguing with me the other day about my accent, she told me I can't be English, I'm either Aussie or Irish...... ok anyone who has ever heard these 2 accents will understand this woman is a tard.
Admittedly my accent has softened, but I don't sound Australian!

Although wearing the boots someone still asked me if I'm Aussie, I laughed and said "You don't recognise the flag on my boots?"
She said "Yes, it's the top corner of the Aussie flag" :banghead
I noted to her that it is also the top corner of the Ontario flag.... I wonder why the Union Jack is present on Aussie and Canadian flags..... hmmmm.... duh.

 

I run in New Balance shoes and love them.

Scimping on running shoes is one of the dumbest things you can do, especially if you run on asphalt/other hard surfaces. Your ankles, knees, and back, will thank you and worship you for spending the extra time and money to invest in good shoes that fit your feet and running style, because the right shoes save those body parts from excruciating pain. Don't EVER think of your running shoes as an expense or necessity. Think of them as a sound investment in your own health and well-being. You are worth spending that extra money on.

 

I agree. While I can't run because it hurts my knees, I do walk everywhere. Being that I have high arches, it's imperative that I find sneakers with the best arch support I can get. Also, since developing posterior tibial tendonitis in one foot, good sneakers are the only way to keep it from recurring (which trust me, is nottttt fun!). When I needed new sneakers, I went with the brand I had previously had, Pumas. I've tested out a couple different brands but have yet to find another sneaker as comfortable, supportive AND cute as my Pumas are.

 

OK, I don't want to come off as argumentative, I sell a lot of Puma's, Dyamond seriously there are maybe 2 Puma's that have ANY kind of cushion and minimal support.
They are 99.9% fashion shoes (unless they are cleats)
If you have those issues and unless you have a Puma I have never seen then you are on a very low end as far as support and Cushion goes.
Don't get me wrong, Puma's look awesome and are really soft leather but in most case if you pull the insole (which contrary to popular belief is NOT meant for cushion but to form fit your foot) and you are walking on nothing more than rubber. The support most people think they are getting is from the very narrow fit that sits tightly around your arch top.

Also possibly a contributing factor to your heel spurs.

Read my long post above, if you really need high arch support and cushion then you need an EVA injected footbed, such as Saucony (the best) Asics, Nike (high end) or New Balance (expensive for what you get)
Got to your local shoe/running store and ask to try on a Saucony Cohesion. If you can honestly tell me your Puma's are more comfortable (not more pretty lol) and supportive then I will stand corrected and you have the world greatest puma lol
Also the Cohesion will cost you a MAX of $90 instead of your $150+ for Puma's.

The reason I recommend the Saucony Cohesion is because in it's leather form it is North America's No.1 recommended walking shoe.
Also Nike Healthwalker is a good one at around the same price. The coesion has a higher arch though.

Why is this? Because the shoes I'm talking about have around 3/4-1 inch of pure cushion on the footbed..... NOT the insole, pull the insole and it's still as cushy.

If you cannt get the insole out of a shoe it's usually because they dont want you to feel what the SHOE feels like, a bit like wonderful shoes that come with gel insoles.... 95% of the time if a shoe has a fancy gel insole in it , it's because the shoe itself has little to no real comfort factor.

Here's a great test, a truely supportive shoe will NEVER bend backwards and wont bend forwards in the arch, 95% of Puma's will with ease

 

Oh And just to help support my advise, yes I sell shoes, most people think it's a simple and menial job... but most of you probably think when I say I sell a lot as maybe 50 pairs a week, no.... I sell on average through the year 30-50 pairs a DAY! and mostly speciality shoes such as work/hunting/running/form fit and orthopaedic.
I work in a small ish independent store in a small town that is packed to the gills with over 300,000 pairs on site and we sell an average of 250+ pairs per day.
The boss makes a fair bit of money :-D ..... unfortunately.. I don't lol

 

When I said I tried a lot of shoes, I meant it. I have Converse (not the high tops), Reeboks, and different kinds of Nike (including the shox which were supposed to a "great" running shoe with those bouncy sorta spring heel thingys (you know what I mean don't ya..LOL) and they do not offer as much comfort and support as my Pumas (The shox actually after walking too much or spending a few hours working out in them, they started to make my toes go all tingly and I couldn't figure out why..They were actually a half size too big so I know it couldn't be because they were too small *shrug*)

I've spent hours, both walking and standing, in these shoes and they offer much comfort. I actually talked my friend into buy a pair when I bought mine because she wanted comfortable, supportive shoe and after wearing them for sa while, she couldn't stop raving that they were the best sneakers she's ever owned. I'm not as knowledgeable about shoes as you, Ned but I know a little something (I should with all the shoes I own, right? LOL)

Oh and I tried the bendy trick with my sneaks and they didn't budge an inch! so admit it, I have the worlds greatest puma! :-D

Edit -see picture here

 

Oh and speaking of gel inserts, I bought some the other day to wear in my winter boots that have no arch support at all and these promised to be comfy and supportive and they were torture!! I spend all day in them and about 5 hrs just standing and I by the end of the day, my feet hurt so bad that I was practically limping home. Never again will I buy gel insoles!!!

 

Aha! I was right, that puma is a simple neutral/low arched skate/fashion shoe
Much better for you than the slimline pumas though. I know quite a few people like the cushion in those, more of a classic puma, when they still had some padding.
Trust me, next time you are in a shoe store, search out what I'm posting.

Actually if you like that style of Puma and ever need a steel toe, Terra make almost that exact shoe lol ... seriously

Nike Shox... yeah anyone who tells you they are anything more than a fashion gimmick is outright lying. They have an arch but it's more of a slope which is why your foot slides forwards which puts extra pressure on your toe box reducing circulation and creating pins and needles.
They originals were basketball shoes, not runners. They are unfortunately now classed as runners.
More like Nike Air Pegasus or Air Max or the Puma'esq Musique if you want Nikes.
Reeboks I wouldn't say much other than ZigTeks (not nanos) or Negotiator/Cruison and Vibeteks

The mesh Saucony cohesion...

Here:

The mesh Saucony cohesion, note the white thick eva forming foam , the structure through the arch with the rubber brace, also a concave heel to minimize heel contact with the ground. A mesh "Grid" system laid in the footbed kind of like a tennis racket for even stability. It's just not very pretty :-D

This is one of Saucony's lowest end shoes... and it's $60-90 depending on where you live.

Again, this is a generic cushion shoe and may not work for you, but for work purposes that shoe outsells pretty much every other sports shoe and those who buy it usually tell all their friends lol

 

Yeah gel is squishy but it doesn't form to your foot , memory foam insoles($20+) are better or going up are Superfeet ($20-$90), great for putting in flatter footwear, going up again is a cork form Birkenstock ($30-$100) half or full insert.

 

The latest rage and probably next summers sports "Thing".

http://www.5fingerrunningshoes.com/images/Vibram-Five-Fingers-Speed-Black.jpg

:cool

 

I think I lost circulation to my toes just from looking at that picture... why would I buy shoes I can't use my regular running socks in?

 

I'VE SEEN THEM!!!! Some guy at a flea market I went to had a pair on. I think they are neat looking.

 

Barefoot runners, designed to run off road and run on your toes, using the soft ground found in woodland type areas for cushion.
They are surprisingly comfy, no cushion but really well contoured.

Glorified water shoe if you ask me :-D