My friend Debbie sent this along to me last weekend – her way of suggesting, perhaps, that I treat myself to a pedicure. My feet never look quite this awful, but I have very dry skin and go barefoot often.
The Open-Toed Shoe Pledge
As a member of the Cute Girl Sisterhood, I pledge to follow the Rules when wearing sandals and other open-toe shoes:
I promise to always wear sandals that fit. My toes will not hang over and touch the ground, nor will my heels spill over the backs. And the sides and tops of my feet will not pudge out between the straps.
I will go polish-free or vow to keep the polish fresh, intact and chip-free.
I will not cheat and just touch up my big toe.
I will sand down any mounds of skin before they turn hard and yellow.
I will shave the hairs off my big toe.
I won’t wear pantyhose even if my misinformed girlfriend, coworker, mother, sister tells me the toe seam really will stay under my toes if I tuck it there.
If a strap breaks, I won’t duct-tape, pin, glue or tuck it back into place hoping it will stay put. I will get my shoe fixed or toss it.
I will not live in corn denial; rather I will lean on my good friend Dr. Scholl’s if my feet need him.
I will resist the urge to buy jelly shoes at Payless for the low, low price of $4.99 even if my feet are small enough to fit into the kids’ sizes. This is out of concern for my safety, and the safety of others. No one can walk properly when standing in a pool of sweat and I would hate to take someone down with me as I fall and break my ankle.
I will take my toe ring off toward the end of the day if my toes swell and begin to look like Vienna sausages.
I will be brutally honest with my girlfriend/sister/coworker when she asks me if her feet are too ugly to wear sandals. Someone has to tell her that her toes are as long as my fingers and no sandal makes creepy feet look good.
I will promise if I wear flip flops that I will ensure that they actually flip and flop, making the correct noise while walking and I will swear NOT to slide or drag my feet while wearing them.
I will promise to go to my local nail salon at least once per season and have a real pedicure (they are about $35 and worth EVERY penny).
I will promise to throw away any white/off-white sandals that show signs of wear… nothing is tackier than dirty white sandals.
I do not consider myself a member of the *cute girl sisterhood* nor do I have any desire for such, but a pedicure is a nice treat once in a while. I treated myself this afternoon and have pretty pink nails and less offensive heels. For a year or two I had my nails done every two weeks, but it started to seem silly to spend the hour and the money only to go home and submerge those pretty fingernails in pond muck. Nowadays, mostly I just try to make sure not to go out of the house with too much garden dirt beneath them. I wonder about the rest of you – are you *high maintenance* or something in between?
I had a pedicure and a manicure on Tuesday. It was an hour of pure bliss. I highly recommend having them done regularly. It’s a great stress reducer and your feet and hands will thank you.
I wash my hands so often at the hospital and wear gloves frequently. A manicure would be waste of time and money. Pedicure…well I have never been inclined to have one. I guess I am on the very low maintenance end of the scale.:-) Love the rules!
ruth
Excuse me, wrong number. I thought this was a nature blog I used to visit.
What? No photos?
I love pretty feet…on women. A few guys I know have been getting pedicures. When I hear stuff like THAT, I can hear Nero tuning up his fiddle.
Sorry Mojoman; can’t help the girly stuff once in a while! I’ve never seen a guy getting a pedicure – manicure or eyebrow wax is surprising enough!
Ruth: I’m with you, but for a special thing.
Laurie: I think it’s nice to have feet and hands that look nice, but for me it’s not really enjoyable, exactly. Something about having a stranger so close and having to make idle chit-chat.
HI Mojoman – the nail salons are loaded with men – mostly athletes from the universities nearby who crave pedicures (and need them).
I loved this Laura. I get my nails filled every three weeks. I’ve never had a pedicure YET. I’m too ticklish :o) I promised my daughter we’d have one together but I’m afraid I’ll make a scene. LOL!
I’m glad you treated yourself. I think you are “somewhere in between” and I am, too.
I used to get acrylics on my fingernails every 3 weeks, but that’s it. I stopped when I started working with the big scary birds. Nothing snaps off a nail like trying to tie an angry bird to your hand.
I have never had a real, professional pedi. Nobody touches my feet except for my podiatrist and Geoff.
But looking at my feet up on my desk right now….maybe one is in order.
I’m not a girly-girl…I like muck and mud too much.
Mary: Wow – that surprises me about male athletes getting pedicures!
I have the ticklish problem with pedicures, too. You and your daughter ought to go for a *spa day* together – I think it’s more fun with someone to chat with.
😉
How do you get a fill to last 3 weeks?
I used to be very high maintainence — manicures and pedicures regularly, getting my roots done regularly, etc. Now, I have kids and no time and no money. I would very much like to get a pedicure soon though. My feet — as you said, Laura — aren’t QUITE as bad as the lady in the picture but . . . they are NOT good. I have done the pedicure thing with Ruthie — so much fun. Maybe a mother/daughter trip coming up soon.
I will get a pedicure maybe once or twice a year, but do try inbetween to keep the tootsies polished (Hey, that Revlon Colorstay polish is the bomb! Won’t come off for anything! /endorsement). However, I do admit I am less diligent about the skin on my heels. I’ll slather them up before bedtime and put on some cotton socks to sleep in, but they still stay dry. As for fingernails, like Ruth, being in health care, we actually can’t have them long or polished, so that takes care of that. I am fairly low maintenance.
O-M-G I didn’t know what your photo was of at first – blech!!!! I do my own foot scrubbing stuff to keep any dry skin at bay since I’m a big barefoot and sandal person in the summer. And I’m not a girly girl! I’ve never had a manicure or pedicure, and I don’t feel deprived! I am definitely low maintenance – I can get ready in a flash. Wash and wear hair is a requirement of my hairdresser, too.
I consider myself low maintenance. I love sandals and shorts during summer. However the weather hasn’t been cooperating yet this year. It’s just clippers and maybe a file for me and Ghost.
I belong to they guys don’t wear sandals club.I don’t like having long toenails and stay right on top of that.-pedicure?-Not a chance.-I can’t believe I’m even talking about this.-I think I’ll go rent Fried Green Tomatos now.
The guys’ comments crack me up!!
I’m definitely low maintenance but after seeing that picture, as I seldom wear socks all summer, I’m taking a closer look at my feet…
Pedicures–I love them. Several years ago, my daughter took me to a place so we could get mother/daughter pedicures, side by side. I have been hooked ever since. BUT no manicures–are you kidding, with my fingers in dirt all the time with my flowers?!
Susan: I’m surprised you don’t have *talons* of your own to match the raptors!
Liza: Funny, I don’t imagine you to be high maintenance at all.
Jayne: Are polished nails (even when short) that contrary to hygiene, I wonder?
Naturewoman: Blech – I agree!
I get such a kick when people compliment me on how my hair looks on a certain day – I do nothing to it but wash and towel dry!
Dave: So it gets warm enough for shorts and sandals? When?
Larry: See what we chicks will do to you! Thanks for being a good sport.
😉
My husband says the same – real men don’t wear sandals or flip flops.
Lynne: Aren’t they a hoot?
There isn’t enough lotion in all the world to make my feet soft.
KGMom: I prefer manicures, but you’re right, they’re impractical for gardeners. I often think I’ll have them done for the winter months only, but even then I hate to give up the time.
AAAAGGGHHH! Good God, lady, WARN US before you post pics like that! Wow!
Larry cracks me up!
I love that the guys waded in on this. What a hoot!
I’ve only had one manicure. It hurt. My kid sis got a fungal infection under a nail o her foot from a pedicure. Is this too much information :0D ?
Thank God that as I age my vision isn’t as sharp. I try not to look down at my feet too often. Scary.
What a fun post. The open toe shoe pledge has some good points–especially those hairs on the big toe! I had acrylic nails once but took them off after a week–couldn’t knit with them as they dug into my palms while holding the knitting needles (OUCH!)
I am pretty low maintenance, but always wear gloves for gardening and try to take good care of my feet since I’m on them for about half the workday.
Very low maintenance here. My summer uniform is Birkenstocks, even at work when I can get away with it. However, my toes look pretty bad…
I’m not the girly-girl either–but working with the public, I feel I have a “responsibility” to demonstrate average care, I’d guess you’d say. Don’t want pond muck and garden crud to be gross–but all dolled up–I can’t scratch my nose!
It’s finding that happy medium–being socially acceptable, yet able to do what’s important in your life.
Delia: I know! That pic is hard to look at!
Cathy: Yes – a lot of this stuff is uncomfortable, I agree. Yet, it seems to be the norm for lots of women.
RuthieJ: Hi! Thanks for stopping by. Pretty nails seem almost impossible to maintain if you do any sort of REAL work with your hands. Gloves in the garden, in the heat, are a drag, but probably a good idea.
Deb: See now.. I imagined you with fire-engine red toenails!
😉
Nina: LOL! What’s *socially acceptable* is difficult to define, don’t you think?
Liitle girls nowadays may be used to a manicure and pedicure as the *norm* but I never heard of such a thing back in my day. Not such the luxury that I think it to be.
From someone who has inherited bad toes, I agree….