Blew out my flip flop

[rfrance0718]

Seriously. Almost new pair of $75.00 Rainbows. (I'm sure that they'll take care of me, but) While I was hobbling around preparing my Thistle for a road trip I discovered that my truck had a flat! Now I knew that this might be a problem because I have a replacement jack, without the original crank tool. That's the crank tool that you need to lower the spare from under the chassis. So I did what I had always planned to do and called roadside assistance. But thinking that there still might be an issue I called the driver and explained what I was missing. He explained that I was therefore out of luck. Hmm.

OK. Called the local Auto Zone. Nope, try a junk yard. Crap. Ah, my friend Ken has an F150. I called him and he has the tool. He was tied up but left it in the driveway for my stepson to grab. Stepson has it, and is on the way. He's also bringing replacement flip flops.

What else could possibly go wrong?

[Norm L.]

HAH! Such timing. We were on the road yesterday and I saw part of the tire securing mechanism swinging under the bed of a pickup. My thought was that that was the worst idea Detroit invented. I once didn't buy a pickup because the spare was under the bed.

When will they come back with spare tires fitted into the front fenders like the cool Packard, or on the side of the bed between the cab and the rear fender on pickups.

[Riley Smith]

I need a new pair of flip-flops myself. I have two pairs and neither I really like. Both are synthetic and one of them has molded in arc supports. That don't fit my flat feet. The last I had that I really liked were all leather bought on a shopping spree down along the Florida beach. You can get some pretty good deals there and the best shoes I've ever put on my feet came from down there. Suede loafers that felt like some master cobbler had made them just for me.

Yeah, I had to get the owners manual out to get the tire down in the F-150 that time up in Minnesota I hit a curb.  It was all ice and snow and the curb was out further than I thought. I was lucky enough to be very close to a mom and pop tire shop. The young guy (son) said they'd been there doing business for 50 years or better. He gave me a very good deal.

[rfrance0718]

I would have highly recommended Rainbows, but not sure now. These were $80.  They are leather, last a long time, and don't smell. But this pair had a strap pull out after 4 weeks. Obviously poor workmanship. When I looked up their guarantee,  I wasn't impressed. "Send us the defective pair and we'll most likely repair them. If not we'll replace." So I put them in the mail. Packaged them in a light small box and carried them to the post office. $15 to mail them, cheapest way, to California. I sent a note that they were obviously defective in manufacture, and that I wan't new ones. We'll see.

[noelH]

The old Ford and the newer Chevy 1500 both had/have their spare tucked under the bed. The Ford. I think corrosion had welded permanently to the truck. The Chevy is now almost 7y/o.  Suspecting the same.  Do have a separate set of real snow tires mounted on rims. I probably should carry one in the box as a spare. Or... Roadside Assistance?  On the auto insurance policy. 

Tevaitis. Or not enough or durable sunscreen. Or the usual. I forget about the feet. I've been just wearing inexpensive Teva Mush or model flip-flops for the past couple decades. Order them direct when on sale. When they wear out you can ship them back to Teva on their dime for recycling. Newer ones have been mushing out in a season. Sort of like the older ones that were less conforming to your feet. More like walking barefoot.

[rfrance0718]

I really thought that I would need to get the jack tools at a salvage yard but it turns out I can buy them on Amazon for $26.00. I had to ship my flipflops to California for $15.00. I was hoping that they would just replace them without the return. Oh well. I bought a full set of tires the next day. It all worked out fine.

[Norm L.]

I have two pairs of Shimano boat shoes. I knew the name from bicycle parts and very vaguely on fishing gear.
They paired the history of good bicycling shoes with fishing for these shoes. They look like the mix of the old leather sandal design with a Croc.
They are very comfortable for everyday use and seems to be good in the wet. I've only used them on a boat once.
The first pair has the Velcro fasteners weak, but that really doesn't matter in use. The second pair's Velcro is strong.

They do give you a strange suntan on your feet.

[noelH]

I prefer to sail barefoot if the air temperatures are warm enough. Bare sole traction beats most footwear soles. Just step carefully. So far, no foot or toe injury. Worst has been stepping on the hinges of the cockpit locker doors. No pain, just discomfort and a reminder to look before stepping into the boat.  Eventually most, maybe all rubber soles loose their traction. Wear and time.  Have an ancient pair(decades old) of Keen street clogs. Upper are fine. Tread looks great. Couple years ago walking on some smoother concrete was like walking on an ice or snow packed surface. Retired them to become gardening clogs.

[Wayne Howard]

I used to barefoot on my big boat but no more. Kept kicking the genoa cars and those pins that keep the car in place on the track also stop your foot from moving the car.    And then the tracks are black so stepping on them leaves burn marks on the bottom of your foot.