Flip Flops!!!

[Frizzman]

Time for an old guy rant. What's the deal with flip flops apparently being proper attire for men for dining in a restaurant? When did that become acceptable? I always thought flip flops were for the shower or beach. It appears to me that men either don't want to wash socks or are too lazy to tie a pair of decent shoes. I hate being in a restaurant and having some guy with crusty, disgusting feet sitting next to me. Now, I see younger guys wearing flip flops in the Winter with jeans and jackets on!

The only good thing I can say about this is if one of these guys picks a fight with me, all I have to do is stomp their foot. Does this get to anyone else or am I just too old and cranky to get it???

 

[redlevel]

am I just too old and cranky to get it???

You're probably too old and cranky to get it, but I am too. I agree with you 100%.

 

[BarbC]

I don't "get it" either. When I lived down in the Virginia Beach area, people wore them all the time, all year round. Now I see it even up here. I think it's dirty, your feet flapping out on the dirty ground with who-know-what.

 

[M29since14]

There is nothing to "get." They are just slobs and have no sense of self-respect or consideration for anyone around them. Ditto for short pants and sleeveless shirts. Not the proper attire for being in a restaurant, but the establishments won't turn them away, lest they lose the almighty dollar. So we get to put up with the bums.

 

[godlessgael]

I guess it depends what kind of restaurant. I am not a fan of flip flops except at the beach or when wearing shorts. I would never wear either to a nice restaurant. Chain restaurants or dive places, sure.

 

[n4zov]

Add me to the list of those not understanding! This is the season in the South when we are treated to a long line of ugly severely overweight women who have stuffed themselves into a clingy terry cloth garment three sizes too small , put on their flops (with dirty feet), and moseyed off to Wal-Mart or McDonald's. Of course they are trailed by at least two equally ugly overweight daughters dressed the same way! Ugh. Will fall never get here!

 

[morsecode]

I bought a pair just for wearing around the house on weekends, but I discovered that I can't stand looking at my own toes. So they sit in the back of the closet.

Remember 'No shirt, no shoes, no service' ?

 

[Ron H.]

Sir, IMHO slovenliness is less a question of particular garments than the person wearing them. Some people look bad no matter what they're wearing, and others can make a gunny sack look good. Compare Halle Berry to Roseanne Barr for example.

FWIW, I seldom wear flip-flops, but more because of comfort than any aesthetic concerns. They make my feet hurt if I wear them for any length of time.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

 

[rburg]

I think its just people pushing the envelope. No shirt, no shoes, no service is like an open invitation for them. Just like a local river bar (marina) had a sign. Men, no shirt no shoes, no service. Women, no shirt, free drinks. Yes, a few summer nights late some tried it and it worked! Big surprise.

Sandals and flip flops share a blurred line at times. Some womens shoes cost more than a bushel basket of flip flops, but show the same amount of foot.

And it just goes to show you can't legislate common sense. Some girls look great in shorts. Some women should wear burka's, with good taste dictating 100% coverage of the blubber. Those are the ones most likely to want to show more of the unsightly masses. An in-your-face kind of thing.

Generally, peoples feet are ugly. Some more so than others, but I guess you can't discriminate. How do you tell the babe with $500 dress shoes its OK, but the 500# guy with grody, corroded feet, turning black, he's not allowed? Or the same babe with a high dollar summer dress vs the same fat guy with a worn out, sweat stained sleeveless shirt?

We all know the answer, and like porn, we know it when we see it.

 

[GatorFarmer]

Not that I'm a flip flop fan mind you, but it would seem that normal shoes will be just as dirty - only perhaps less visibly so - than even bare feet.

 

[Wayne02]

Not just in restaurants. I was at a college graduation this weekend and a number of graduates were wearing shorts and flip flops. My favorite are the guys who wear flip flops while riding motorcycles.

 

[kennyb]

flip flops

Sir, IMHO slovenliness is less a question of particular garments than the person wearing them. Some people look bad no matter what they're wearing, and others can make a gunny sack look good. Compare Halle Berry to Roseanne Barr for example.

FWIW, I seldom wear flip-flops, but more because of comfort than any aesthetic concerns. They make my feet hurt if I wear them for any length of time.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

hmmmm...perfectly ok if halle berry wear flip flops with me i dont see a lot of differance between flip flops and womens dress sandals as both expose their feet.....as for men...nah...not my style

 

[conn ak]

I won't wear flip-flops, period, but I've been known to wear my Red Sox hat while dining. Wasn't too long ago people were smoking at the table next to you. I could care less how someone is dressed or undressed at a casual dining establishment. My wife once smirked and shook her head while we were dining in a Friendly's a few years back. What's the matter, I asked. She said one of the women seated behind me ought to invest in a bra. I nearly tore a muscle in my neck checking it out.

 

[pharmer]

Depends on where you are. I've seen flip-flops in Ruth's Chris, Morton's and all of the fancy Disney restaurants. I personally don't wear them out anywhere because I'm slow as it is. Never know when I need good footing/ ability to scoot. Joe

 

[Peter J.]

I personally have great feet, but I don't feel the need to show them to anybody. I feel safe to say that probably 90% of guys have ugly feet. I don't want to see ugly feet, even women who unfortunatly might have ugly feet. Cover up all mens feet, period, and cover up womens ugly feet, or leave them at home to gross out the folks you have there.

 

[rburg]

My wife once smirked and shook her head while we were dining in a Friendly's a few years back. What's the matter, I asked. She said one of the women seated behind me ought to invest in a bra. I nearly tore a muscle in my neck checking it out.

Just Sunday night it was hot around here. My wife wanted to go to Longhorn Steak House. We were sitting there and a sweet young thing walked behind my wife to take her seat. As she was standing there, I noticed the shape, then the transparent blue summer dress, then just below her waist a thing that kind of looked like a triangular tag under the dress. Then I realized it really was nearly clear, and the little black triangle had strings going out to each side and down! I wasn't offended in the least. My wife wanted to know what I was grinning about! Had it been the fatty to my right wearing something like that, I'd have puked.

 

[Frizzman]

I guess I'm not alone after all. I was talking mostly about men. Women with sandals are different to some degree I guess but I am not crazy about some of them. The general dress is something else. This time of year, in this area at least, the white, lumpy, bump covered flesh is displayed frequently. I don't expect people to dress in shirt in ties and jackets but some considerstion for others would be nice. I am very aware that I am no pleasure to look at at my age and state of being overfed. I keep most of it covered in public places and I don't want to gross out the other patrons at a restaurant. That's just common decency in my opinion.

 

[rburg]

She said one of the women seated behind me ought to invest in a bra. I nearly tore a muscle in my neck checking it out.

I'm OK with me serving on the censorship committee! Of course there will be no appeals. If I think someone needs to be wearing combat boots or a burka, and the others on the committee agree, they aren't allowed in public without armor (for our eyes protection.)

 

[don95sml]

I guess I'm one of those grouchy old men too. At the risk of being called a thread hijacker, I would like to express my disgust with guys who wear a hat (usually a ball cap) while eating in a restaurant.

 

[walkinghorse]

Out of curiousity, what about the fad of men's leather sandals with white socks, black socks(knee high) or no socks at all? I have heard that some of those sandals can cost enough to buy a full box of ammo or even more.

Are western bolo ties acceptable instead of regular tie, when a tie is required?