sdctlc 0 #51 March 23, 2004 I use to love it but twisted my ankle once when the toe got caught while landing and decided to wear shoes from then on. Not that a shoe offers that much more protection but after a few off landings and some jumping at a DZ with not the most forgiving of soft grassy fields to land in, shoes were an idea I liked more and more. I cant begrudge someone for the feel of a barefoot jump but I like jumping with my shoes.... Scott C."He who Hesitates Shall Inherit the Earth!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazon 7 #52 March 23, 2004 You could always jump Barefoot at Lost Prairie.. get that fine squishing of soft cow stuff out there in the field Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bobsled92 0 #53 March 23, 2004 I found that when wearing sandals...200mph=lost landing gear_______________________________ If I could be a Super Hero, I chose to be: "GRANT-A-CLAUS". and work 365 days a Year. http://www.hangout.no/speednews/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazon 7 #54 March 23, 2004 QuoteI found that when wearing sandals...200mph=lost landing gear Slowpoke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dougjumper 0 #55 March 23, 2004 Your not Flying with the Right shit man... KEEN Sandals Kicks.... Front Toe Protection..just not in much of Ankle Support though. But for a Sandal they Kick. KEEN SANDALS The glass is half full or half empty doesn't matter. Let go and have the Lord guide your path. He will take care of it all. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bbarnhouse 0 #56 March 23, 2004 Anyone familiar with horseshoe mals? Yeah Tevas have been known to cause them....small microlines and huge tandem lines. All I am asking is that folks think. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gawain 0 #57 March 23, 2004 Very valid points. However, footware will not save someone from a poor landing technique (some of which you cited). If a new canopy pilot is not doing the basics, he or she can have the fanciest Air Jordans w/all the trimmings of support, they're more likely to twist something. Not quite two-cents worth. So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright 'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life Make light! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bbarnhouse 0 #58 March 23, 2004 QuoteNot quite two-cents worth BB hands Gwain a half a pence Again the post was to get people to think. Cheers ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kennedy 0 #59 March 23, 2004 How exactly does a sandal cause a horseshoe mal? I've always deployed using my hands. Are you that much more flexible than I am? witty subliminal message Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards. 1* Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peacefuljeffrey 0 #60 March 23, 2004 QuoteI've seen some short prickly bushes(the ones with the white hairlike thorn bristles) out in the newbie landing area at SOBE, I've been waiting for jeffry to slide through one of those on a landing Jeffy doesn't slide his landings. Besides, Jeffy isn't doing high-performance landings yet, anyway, so it's been easy for Jeffy to stand up about the last fifty or so of them. In fact, it probably won't be long before Jeffy stops bothering to write that he stood up his landing for each log entry. QuoteBut seriously though, my mother always liked to run around barefoot and the bottom of her feet are like hard leather. Not much phases her. Myself I have trouble walking on the beach because the sand is too hot. Ah, you've hit on the pith. It's about conditioning. Since I go barefoot everywhere, my feet are conditioned to be used to it. Hot, cold, rocky, smooth. Granted there are things that can bash even well-conditioned feet, but they are few and far between. Yes, if I were skydiving in the desert with cacti all around, I'd consider Tevas or something like them. Peace,-Jeffrey "With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bbarnhouse 0 #61 March 23, 2004 QuoteAre you that much more flexible than I am? By golly...why yes..yes I am! horseshoe Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rainbo 0 #62 March 23, 2004 My preference would be to go barefoot. Did for many years with no problem. However if you jump where the airport only mows some areas sporadically BEWARE. In '85 at the Freakbrothers Convention in Freeport I learned a valuable lesson. It is called Pungi Grass. This is grass that is mowed a couple of days before the boogie arrives. Maybe mowed once in the rest of the preceeding season. Makes for very thick rigid stems a couple of inches long. When landed on properly they like to pierce their way clean through your foot, I know, it also hurts like hell. That being said I still like the feel of the wind in my toes.Rainbo TheSpeedTriple - Speed is everything "Blessed are those who can give without remembering, and take without forgetting." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
3ringheathen 0 #63 March 23, 2004 I've seen some very skilled skydivers trash their feet wearing tevas. A buddy of mine once snagged a rough spot in the grass with his Teva, it folded backwards and smooshed his foot into the ground before completely blowing off. I'm not describing it too well, but trust me, it's a lot easier to get tripped up on a swoop wearing tevas as compared to just about any athletic shoe. It's not a huge danger. It's a risk I'd occasionally take, but just about any shoes are going to be quite a bit safer than Tevas. I remember over hearing an ER doc tell a patient with a foot injury that there's no evidence that high top basketball shoes actually reduce ankle injuries. Assuming that's true, I'd vote for skateboard shoes, wrestling shoes, or something similar that doesn't grab too much on landing. -Josh If you have time to panic, you have time to do something more productive. -Me* *Ron has accused me of plagiarizing this quote. He attributes it to Douglas Adams. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trent 0 #64 March 23, 2004 QuoteAnyone familiar with horseshoe mals? Yeah Tevas have been known to cause them....small microlines and huge tandem lines. All I am asking is that folks think. Our DZ does not allow tandem masters to wear Tevas for exactly this reason. Can't hurt, right?Oh, hello again! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tonto 1 #65 March 23, 2004 Well... I wore Tevas for 1000 swoops without a scratch. Then I had a dive when I was caught in the corner a bit and ripped all the skin off the top of my left foot but suffered no other injury. I've worn sneakers for the last 3000 dives. Made the same mistake about 600 dives ago - and ended up having to replace the shoe lace. That never hurt too much. t Edited to add emphisis for those who believe conditioning will protect the top of your feet on a 50 yard swoop a few inches too low..It's the year of the Pig. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazon 7 #66 March 23, 2004 There you go again... being sensible.. no wonder TAZ loves you so much Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peacefuljeffrey 0 #67 March 23, 2004 QuoteThere you go again... being sensible.. no wonder TAZ loves you so much I don't mean to sound like I condemn a person's choice -- since it's up to each individual -- but I do question the application of the term "sensible" to this particular decision. After all, we are talking about 1000 jumps on which wearing Tevas caused no problems, and then suddenly one snag occurs and then that is the compelling reason to start wearing shoes for 3000 more jumps? If one in 1000 were really all it took to give something up, lots of people would never get into an automobile again, or even skydive. I think that it's funny that someone would give up skydiving barefoot over an anomalous occurrence, but look at how many injuries happen when people do certain maneuvers and their injuries have nothing at all to do with choice of footwear or lack of it. You don't see loads of people who break an ankle swooping while wearing shoes decide never to swoop again, right? The reasoning behind giving up Teva- or barefoot jumping seems specious. - --Jeffrey "With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazon 7 #68 March 23, 2004 Very simple.. not all DZ are covered in grass or sand.. in fact some of the places I have jumped recently were nothing but pavement... rock or desert... and another was surrounded by some serious pine forests and SWAMP... and my home DZ is grassy and mucky in places.. BUT if you were to land out you have glacial till ( ROCKS unsorted... all sizes) covered with 150 ft trees at one of the DZ and the other an urban area... and a very tight landing area surrounded by few outs. ITs a matter of time till you go away from your safe nest and try the wicked world where there are hazards afoot. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tonto 1 #69 March 23, 2004 Quote After all, we are talking about 1000 jumps on which wearing Tevas caused no problems, and then suddenly one snag occurs and then that is the compelling reason to start wearing shoes for 3000 more jumps? Yeah. It's a compelling reason when you work in a very formal and potentially athletic environment and you can't wear shoes with your suit or do your job for a month and lose clients as a result of it. I nearly got fired as the company I worked for at the time saw it as a self inflicted injury. tIt's the year of the Pig. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WFFC 1 #70 March 23, 2004 the new tevas have addressed the stink issue. Not a problem with them yet, but they haven't been to the WFFC yet.. ----- ~~~Michael Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jerry81 10 #71 March 23, 2004 QuoteI think that it's funny that someone would give up skydiving barefoot over an anomalous occurrence, but look at how many injuries happen when people do certain maneuvers and their injuries have nothing at all to do with choice of footwear or lack of it. You don't see loads of people who break an ankle swooping while wearing shoes decide never to swoop again, right? The reasoning behind giving up Teva- or barefoot jumping seems specious. If you stretch this logic a bit, you could also say that the reasoning behind wearing an aad is specious- getting knocked out in freefall is a rare occurence and even losing altitude awareness is not something that happens on a daily basis- but I somehow doubt you'd question a person's choice if they did pass out, somehow survived (either by waking up in time or a friend pulling for them) and then decided they will never jump without an aad again. Sometimes one in 1000 is all the reason it takes or, if you consider a horseshoe on a sandal, even one might be too much. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyangel2 2 #72 March 23, 2004 Quotethe new tevas have addressed the stink issue. Not a problem with them yet, but they haven't been to the WFFC yet.. I guess putting them through WFFC will be the test. I'll be sure to let you know if they start to smellMay your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JeffGordon 0 #73 March 23, 2004 On jump 119 I had my pilot chute tangle on my feet. I was wearing sandals but I think the real issue was my body position. I think I remember the incident you are talking about. The incident report in parachutist prompted me to ask an experienced jumper how to handle a horse shoe mal. Glad I did. (I still am wearing my Tevas though. ) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrunkMonkey 0 #74 March 23, 2004 QuoteOn jump 119 I had my pilot chute tangle on my feet. I was wearing sandals but I think the real issue was my body position. I think I remember the incident you are talking about. The incident report in parachutist prompted me to ask an experienced jumper how to handle a horse shoe mal. Glad I did. (I still am wearing my Tevas though. ) [slightly off-topic] After 4+ years of jumping, I still cannot look at a lucky horseshoe over a barn door and not shiver, thinking of that worst of all malfunctions...eehh... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 259 #75 March 23, 2004 QuoteITs a matter of time till you go away from your safe nest and try the wicked world where there are hazards afoot. What? You mean there's a world out there beyond one or two dz's in Florida? And people actually skydive out there? What a concept. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
