Though I give my reasons for not fearing vintageally transmitted diseases, I do not mean to imply that my lack of fear is entirely reasonable, nor that fears are entirely irrational. Though I wear second hand shoes, suits and sportcoats, I would never wear another's tie, shirt, slacks, jeans, socks or underwear, and I would understand if someone else felt the complete opposite.
These reasons are in no particular order.
1. I buy vintage shoes in order to wear them; I am not a "collector." Quality nowadays is both expensive and erratic, so to find wearable, affordable quality, I found it expedient to journey into the land of castoffs.
2. I wear VTD condoms, i.e., socks. Any foot problems I've had stemmed from being barefoot.
3. I wear a secondary condom, a shoe insert, which also compensates for any footbed incompatibility.
4. I wear decades old shoes in good shape, which demonstrates that they were kept in a dry environment.
5. I wear leather shoes which breathe, discouraging microbial growth.
6. I know that short of incineration nothing can eradicate potential microbes.
7. I trust my nose to detect potentially unclean shoes.
8. I have reason to believe that the previous owners of the shoes were few and careful, and thus the shoes are safer than shoes freshly tried-on by multiple persons at the store.
9. I know that shoes and the world are inherently filthy and have made my peace with them.
10. My personal aesthetic is an appreciation of functionality; I think vise-grips are beautiful. A decades old shoe that has survived it's original owner with sturdiness intact is the kind of shoe I want on my feet.
These reasons are in no particular order.
1. I buy vintage shoes in order to wear them; I am not a "collector." Quality nowadays is both expensive and erratic, so to find wearable, affordable quality, I found it expedient to journey into the land of castoffs.
2. I wear VTD condoms, i.e., socks. Any foot problems I've had stemmed from being barefoot.
3. I wear a secondary condom, a shoe insert, which also compensates for any footbed incompatibility.
4. I wear decades old shoes in good shape, which demonstrates that they were kept in a dry environment.
5. I wear leather shoes which breathe, discouraging microbial growth.
6. I know that short of incineration nothing can eradicate potential microbes.
7. I trust my nose to detect potentially unclean shoes.
8. I have reason to believe that the previous owners of the shoes were few and careful, and thus the shoes are safer than shoes freshly tried-on by multiple persons at the store.
9. I know that shoes and the world are inherently filthy and have made my peace with them.
10. My personal aesthetic is an appreciation of functionality; I think vise-grips are beautiful. A decades old shoe that has survived it's original owner with sturdiness intact is the kind of shoe I want on my feet.
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