Shoe Shopping is Required

Friday September 4, 2009

Shoe Shopping is Required

Today I started my walking routine again. I put on my tennis shoes and started trudging around my neighborhood with a scowl on my face. I hadn't gone three blocks when two of my decade younger friends whizzed by on their bikes. They were all tanned, toned flesh and cheerfulness. They recovered from their shock at seeing me out and upright this early in the day, called out words of encouragement and sped off. As I watched their firm legs pedal away I thought, "This is a lot to put up with first thing in the morning." However I resolved to remain persistent and just trudged on scowling and thinking.

I was thinking that shoe shopping should be part of evacuation preparation. Every natural disaster requires the wearing of sensible shoes to evacuate safely. Usually tennis shoes are the first choice for evacuations but hiking boots or walking shoes could also serve. A closed shoe with a rubber or non-skid sole is important. There could be dangerous debris on the ground which you wouldn't want to expose your feet to. It is also vital to not fall and injury yourself during the chaos of most evacuations.

Now that everyone realizes they need good walking shoes, you must next decide how many pairs you need and where you will store them. One pair might be fine if you will keep them in your car whenever they are not on your feet. If you are stranded on the road due to a disaster the tennis shoes at home won't help. This is a real concern if you spend a lot of time driving. It would only take one disaster (wildfire, flash flooding, earthquake, etc) combined with an unnavigable road system and you might have to get of your vehicle and walk to a safe location. So go shoe shopping and stick a pair of walking shoes and socks in your car.

Additional evacuation information is available at www.wineandchocolateplan.com