In Hawaii it is customary to take off one’s shoes before entering the home. It is a sign of respect and most likely a tradition carried over from Japan during the years of early immigration. It is not uncommon to see rows of rubber slippers by the front door of homes in Hawaii.
I used to bu
y the cheapest kind of “rubbah slippah” available, usually the 99 cent specials. These might last several years during which time the rubber would become deeply imprinted with the shape of the bottom of my foot. You received added karma from the Hawaiian gods by sporting nut brown feet with slipper tan lines. If God had intended us to wear shoes, I am sure these worn slippers came close to divine podiatry, stigmata included.
I am nothing if not a creature of habit, so once in a while I would violate dress code and wear slippers to the office in Honolulu. Of course I always kept a pair of actual shoes and socks in my lower desk drawer should the boss call. I wonder if my career subsequently suffered from such behavior, but the trade-off may have been worth it.
One of my professors in graduate school used to make his own slippers from old pieces of truck tire he would find on the side of the road. I still think of him now and then, the ultimate recycling man, a hero in Michelin feet.
whoisfenton 