**Note from Shepherd Survival: The post below is a guest post from the writer at www.modernamericapreparedness.com. If you have any comments or questions for him please visit his website by clicking the link above**
Posted May 4, 2011 By: Modern America Preparedness
Hello and welcome to Modern America Preparedness Blog. Today I’m going to talk about the importance of having quick access to practical and functional footwear. Before I get started and undoubtedly offend someone, I would like to say that I love comfortable shoes! I actually like a lot of different types of shoes: Birkenstocks, penny loafers, boots, tennis shoes and the like. I believe that most types of shoes have a specific purpose or function. I’ll give you a couple of examples; cycling shoes typically have a ridge sole for efficient transfer of power to the pedal, steel toed shoes offer protection of the toes, and running shoes allow for a nice cushioned heel strike and rotation in full stride. Over the years I have owned a lot of different types of these shoes myself, ranging from SIDI Dominator 3 cycling shoes to Dacor neoprene dive boots. I still have all my specialty shoes in my footwear collection because I consider them tools for my feet. I don’t know if America has lost all sensibility when it comes to shoes, or I’m just overly critical of people under the age of 30. I mean you cannot go anywhere in inclement weather in an urban setting and not see the under 30 crowd rolling in flats or flip-flops. I remember asking a young woman, seeing that she had on black flats and footies, at church on a snowy Sunday morning what she would do if she had car trouble. I was taken back by her casual response, “Oh I have my cell phone.” Not only was her response flawed, but in certain situations it could be fatal.
I guess I retained more of my dads training than I thought because I still travel with my Northerner rubber boots during the winter months. I have actually used them a couple of times over the years assisting motorist that had slid off into the ditch. My point to all of this is that regardless of the weather, travel arrangements, or work environment, access to the right footwear is essential. I think the perfect example of why having sensible footwear is important is the World Trade Center collapse. I can still see images of hundreds of people thrust into a life and death situation with only the clothes on their back and the shoes on their feet. The overwhelming feeling of despair and urgency they must of felt as they ran from the collapsing buildings. Men and women were ditching their dress shoes and high heels and running barefoot through the street toward safety. How much easier it would have been for these people if they had stored a pair of comfortable walking or running shoes in their desk drawer? It would be interesting to know how many of these people learned from their experience and made a change to their lifestyle?
Every time I see the videos of the World Trade Center collapse, I consider myself lucky that I do not work in a high-rise building. It is so easy to take even the simplest of actions to help prepare for such a hardship. I made some preparations about 5 years ago. It was a lot easier for me to prepare for an emergency evacuation at work than most people. I have a short 10 mile commute by truck, and I have ample storage space in my cubicle. My preparations consisted of placing a pair of running shoes, socks, and 2 liters of water in the bottom drawer of my desk. I almost always wear nice leather hiking shoes with laces (Merrell or Columbia). the running shoes are for the days that I wear dress shoes. I would never want to have to make that 10 mile walk home in a pair of leather sole dress shoes, my feet ache just thinking about it. I hope this post will help people think about their own situation and how to prepare for emergencies or hardships that might occur in an ordinary workday. I ask that if you have not already done so please take action to prepare for this type of situation, especially if you are responsible for the safety of small children. Remember children can’t process information in a logical manner and they are totally dependant on you. The best way to start is to ask questions, so start by answering the basic questions: What is my basic mode of transportation? and what does my job require me to wear? If your answers to these questions are public transit and dress shoes then consider getting an Every Day Carry (EDC) bag. I’ll talk more about EDC bags and their value in a later post. You can easily slip a pair of shoes into your bag, and just like that you have increased your personal freedom and liberty by not relying on someone else. The safety and survival of you and your family depends on your planning and actions.
Don’t let the paralysis of fear and uncertainty prevent you from taking action this week. Until next time be safe and vigilant in your pursuit of personal freedom and liberty.
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