There are many problems associated with summer. The fruits and vegetables are tasteless and unappetising. Walking around Delhi dehydrates you, and iced tea isn’t exactly cheap. For that matter, neither is fruit juice. Until this year, there used to be frequent power cuts, but the privatisation of the distribution companies seems to have heped in that matter.
One problem that is of more immediate consequences to me, though, is the footwear I wear in summer. With the ground hot enough to fry an egg on- not that you’d want fried eggs at the height of summer anyway- heavy sneakers are ruled out. My mum threw away my canvas shoes, so that leaves me with floaters.
Floaters keep your feet well ventilated, and air-cooled. You don’t need to wear socks. As a direct consequence, you don’t need to wash socks either, and thus you lose less socks. It’s a win-win situation.
On the other hand, when you wear floaters, most of your feet are exposed to the elements. It doesn’t take a genius to realise that in the height of summer in an agricultural state; water, air, and space are in short supply. The only elements left, then, are fire and earth. Or to put it plainer, heat and dirt.
Wherever my floaters are open, my feet have gone dark and splotchy. I’m not sure whether this is a tan, or just dirt, but I don’t like it. Last year, they didn’t fade away until November, and I intend to truncate their existence this year.
Truncating their existence, though, will require a change in footwear.
I’m thinking canvas shoes or Adidas trainers.
Almost three years ago, after a happy and enjoyable day spent with Rukhein, Mridu and Asim, I had bought what became my favourite shoes ever- Adidas trainers on sale at 800 rupees. They were cheap, light, and very comfortable. Alas, six months later the right shoe was cut to shreds when it got caught in a rickshaw-axle when I bicycled to close to it. Damn.
Adidas trainers are still to be had for less than a thousand rupees (just a rupee less, but less is less). I can’t find canvas shoes anywhere.
On the other hand, maybe I should tolerate the strange stains, and spend the money on food and books. Or again, maybe not.