Lost Soles | East Wenatchee, WA | January 2020
Designing tread patterns for athletic shoes has become one of the fashion industry’s premiere careers. Apparently, the physics of friction — how rubber-like substances interact with sidewalks and basketball courts — are mysteries understood by only a few. A hiking boot’s lateral traction, for instance, differs vastly from a tennis shoe’s grip-and-pivot requirements. I inspect the bottom of my bare foot — wrinkled but essentially treadless — and wonder how I’m still upright. Shouldn’t I fall flat on my face as I pad through the kitchen for a coffee refill? Oh yeah, I guess sometimes I do.
IrwinFoto 