I was talking with some people whilst coming out the Bright Angel Trail about Things I Have Seen.  There was the young man carrying a kayak, and wearing board shorts.  Only board shorts.

He told us that he had to leave a river party in order to attend a wedding, and he had to return the kayak to the person from whom it was borrowed.  I am not sure what happened to his shoes.  We left him at Indian Garden.  I assume he did have some clothing up on the rim, or else he would definitely upstage the bride at said wedding.  

On the other extreme was the group of young people coming down the South Kaibab wearing snowshoes.  To be fair, there was ice on the trail.  However I don't believe one is supposed to wear snowshoes on ice in any case.  And by the time I met them, I had removed my own ice grippers, so the ice was pretty much a thing of the past.  

Just about every day there is footwear.  Now, I don't want to disparage those who want to hike and didn't bring their gear.  Much.  But some footwear doesn't belong on the street, much less on the trail.  High heels are an invention of men who hate women, and no one should wear them period, but particularly not on the trail.  And really, really, really, not on an icy trail.

Flip flops and birkenstocks have their place, but the trail is not it.  Especially, again, on ice.  Jeweled flip flops don't have quite the "grip" of a good pair of rubber soles.  And slippers belong in the bedroom, not in the out of doors.

I suppose the winner I saw wearing one slipper and one sock.  One on each foot, that is.  I could have assumed that he lost one foot's worth of wear but for the fact that he was on his way down, not on his way out.  Maybe the rock squirrels attacked him, tore off one slipper and one sock, and he was running for his life.  

And I don't care how tough your feet are, I would not go barefoot on a trail which is shared by mules.  Can you say "tetanus"?