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- Clogs
Clogs are not for the faint of heart. As much as they are fun to look at, we don’t recommend you try wearing them for a full day. Your feet will not be grateful. (See #8 for a more comfy version of Clogs.)
© Dutch-Clogs.com
- Air Jordans
He may not be standing on any feet in the trademark “jumpman” logo, but his epic jump, just like the shoes, become an instant classic. The first pair of Air Jordans were produced exclusively for Michael Jordan in 1984. A few months later they were introduced to the public market. Since then, the brand became a basketball staple with more than 30 different models. Today, the shoe is not only considered a basketball shoe, but it’s also a popular footwear option for daily use.
© Flight Club
- Heeleys
Do Heeleys remind you of your childhood? They probably do. Every kid wanted a pair, despite them being banned in schools, malls and arenas. If your parents ignored all the warnings about them and still bought you a pair, I hope your wristbones and tailbone are intact.
© Smyths Toys
- Converse All Stars
This one is an all time hit! If you don’t currently own a pair, you probably did at one time (they even make baby converse!). It’s hard to believe that this basic sneaker started it’s big career as a basketball shoe in 1917 – introducing rubber-soles to courts across the United States. Today they sell ~ 270,000 pairs every day!
© Studio 88
- Uggs
Love’em or hate’em, they have proved they are here to stay. UGG, an Australian company managed to create a warm, chunky boot made of sheepskin that won’t only keep your feet nice and cozy throughout the Canadian winter, but will help you make a fashion statement. In 2000, Oprah declared them her favourite things and they exploded in popularity, and 18 years later they continue to top the winter footwear charts.
© Nordstrom
- Crocs
Crocs, the comfortable (ugly) version of Clogs, released their first foamy model of their clogs in 2002. Since then, the company, which uses a cute crocodile as their mascot, has sold over 300 million pairs of clogs, sandals, heels, sneakers and a variety of other different styles. Fun fact: Crocs are a favorite shoe choice amongst doctors and chefs. They even created a special design for nurses.
© Wave Inn
- Slides
Did you get your first donation yet? If you didn’t hurry up to get your own pair on On One Foot slides.
©On One Foot
- Birkenstocks
The true American Dream of shoes! Originally produced in Germany as an orthopedic shoe, it experienced an awakening during the 60s and quickly became popular with “hippies” on the West Coast. Since then, Birkenstocks have worked their way into the mainstream, and are favoured by those who value comfortable footwear – even Heidi Klum wears them! Thank you Germany!
© Zappos
- Clogs
Holocaust Remembrance Day 2023
In their research on listening to survivors of the Holocaust and other genocides, Bronwen E. Low and Emmanuelle Sonntag note listeners’ problematic tendencies towards one of two responses. On the one hand, they can regard the narratives as so unfamiliar and foreign that they must be pushed away as overwhelming, untouchable, and inaccessible. On the other, the stories can be seen as familiar, to the point that the listener cannot separate their own experiences and emotional response from what they take in.
But another, preferable response exists: Roger I. Simon and Claudia Eppert talk about a “chain of testimony” and suggest that listening imposes a duty on the listener. Listening to personal testimony at the crossroads of memory and history “imposes particular obligations on those called to receive it – obligations imbued with the exigencies of justice, compassion, and hope that define the horizon for a world yet to be realized.” In this way, bearing witness and listening to testimony demands a number of actions and responses, including that we “transport and translate stories of past injustices beyond their moment of telling by taking these stories to another time and space where they become available to be heard or seen.”
If we take Simon and Eppert’s charge seriously, as I believe we should, those of us who have been privileged to hear the direct testimony of survivors of the Holocaust. Their words come not just with the specific knowledge they impart or the emotional impact they have on us – sorrow, anger, fear, horror – but with a duty, an obligation of some kind.
On many of our campuses, this week is Holocaust Education Week, and this Friday marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Given the significant number of Holocaust survivors and their descendants in Canada, the scheduled events and programs have a personal resonance for many of our students and their families, but their impact can be deep and meaningful for all of us, regardless of who we are and where we come from. I encourage each of you to make time to participate in this week’s activities and to consider your place in the chain of testimony: what obligation does listening to narratives from the Holocaust place on you, and how do you carry those stories forward in time?
