Helen ZhangYou’re walking to class, and suddenly you feel it: the stiff, unforgiving breeze, the chill in the air. A single snowflake cascades to the ground, and for the first time since last winter, it doesn’t melt.
You look around, desperately hoping to avoid what you know you can’t escape. There, across main quad: someone is wearing their sandals. You push down your horror, hoping it was a fluke, that they didn’t realize it was supposed to snow today despite the sub-zero temperatures. But the next day, it happens again. And again. And every day after until it’s spring.
Why do people do this? In fact, how do people do this? Have you ever gotten frostbite because you just had to rock the Birkenstocks in -30 degrees Celsius? You’re not even supposed to get them wet, but I guess that isn’t a problem when they’re frozen solid.
I understand the appeal of the shoe itself. Sandals, no matter what kind, are built for comfort and ease. Putting them on is a breeze; a few haphazard shuffles of your feet and you’re ready to go! In the summer, I’m guilty of wearing almost exclusively sandals. But in the winter? Assign some value to your lower extremities!
If you’re reading this thinking “that’s stupid, who wears sandals in the winter?” I’ve got some news for you: a lot of people. So many, in fact, that Harper’s Bazaar and Vice both wrote very long articles about why you should add them to your winter wardrobe, and several shoe companies offer fur-lined sandals.
If you like to expose your feet to the harsh realities of a Canadian winter, then go ahead. I don’t understand you, but I respect your game. Don’t ask me to drive you to the emergency room when your toes start falling off though.
